How to Do the Sharpshooter
Place your opponent on their back in the center of the ring., Lift your opponent's legs by gripping the arches of the feet., Step through with your dominant leg., Cross your opponent's legs around your leg, starting with the near the leg., Pivot and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Place your opponent on their back in the center of the ring.
To do the move correctly, you have to start by positioning your opponent so that they'll be far from the ropes to make the submission hold more believable.
In general, the move is applied in the center of the ring so the opponent may not grab the ropes to break the hold.
It's common to drag or otherwise place your opponent in the center for this reason.
Pro wrestling moves are intricately choreographed maneuvers that need to be performed in a wrestling ring by two wrestlers who are communicating and working together.
The sharpshooter is a move that looks devastating when performed correctly, but should cause absolutely no discomfort.
Done incorrectly, you risk causing serious back injury. -
Step 2: Lift your opponent's legs by gripping the arches of the feet.
Take each foot in your hand and hold them about waist-level, forming a "V" with your opponent's legs. , If you're right-legged, step through the V of your opponent's legs and put your right foot on the mat next to his abdomen.
Continue holding on to his feet.
You can do the move to either side by stepping through with either leg.
Bret Hart always stepped through with his left leg, so technically, doing the sharpshooter means you should go to your left.
However, the move is the same no matter which side you roll toward; the only difference involves the order in which you cross the opponent's legs, discussed in the next step. , If you stepped to the right, cross the opponent's leg to your right (his left leg) over your thigh, then cross the other leg (his right leg) over it.
Tuck the right ankle in your armpit, as you could for a front face lock, gripping it firmly.
Always start with the leg on the side toward which you stepped.
If you step through with your left leg, cross your opponent's right leg first. , If you started the move with your right leg, turn and step over your opponent's body, rolling them over in the process.
This should be a cooperative move: as you support your opponent's legs, he should flail his arms as if trying to resist, but should be shifting weight to roll over comfortably.
This would be very difficult to do if your opponent dead-weighted, or resisted. , Lean back into a squatting position while still holding onto both of their legs.
Support your opponent's knee with your hand.
You should squat just above your opponent's buttocks.
Wrestlers will often rehearse such submission holds in the mirror while at the gym, to get a sense of how it should look.
Don't pull back on your opponent's legs, but do pretend to pull back by straining your face and throwing your head back.
The believability of the move depends on your making it look like you're pulling hard, but not.
Under no circumstances should you sit with all your weight on your opponent's buttocks or back.
This is an absolutely essential aspect of the move.
While it looks like Bret Hart is sitting and cinching the move in, he's really doing a deep squat, supporting his own weight.
It takes a lot of core and lower-body strength to support the weight of your opponent's legs and your own weight while squatting. -
Step 3: Step through with your dominant leg.
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Step 4: Cross your opponent's legs around your leg
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Step 5: starting with the near the leg.
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Step 6: Pivot and roll your opponent over by stepping across.
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Step 7: Squat and support your own weight.
Detailed Guide
To do the move correctly, you have to start by positioning your opponent so that they'll be far from the ropes to make the submission hold more believable.
In general, the move is applied in the center of the ring so the opponent may not grab the ropes to break the hold.
It's common to drag or otherwise place your opponent in the center for this reason.
Pro wrestling moves are intricately choreographed maneuvers that need to be performed in a wrestling ring by two wrestlers who are communicating and working together.
The sharpshooter is a move that looks devastating when performed correctly, but should cause absolutely no discomfort.
Done incorrectly, you risk causing serious back injury.
Take each foot in your hand and hold them about waist-level, forming a "V" with your opponent's legs. , If you're right-legged, step through the V of your opponent's legs and put your right foot on the mat next to his abdomen.
Continue holding on to his feet.
You can do the move to either side by stepping through with either leg.
Bret Hart always stepped through with his left leg, so technically, doing the sharpshooter means you should go to your left.
However, the move is the same no matter which side you roll toward; the only difference involves the order in which you cross the opponent's legs, discussed in the next step. , If you stepped to the right, cross the opponent's leg to your right (his left leg) over your thigh, then cross the other leg (his right leg) over it.
Tuck the right ankle in your armpit, as you could for a front face lock, gripping it firmly.
Always start with the leg on the side toward which you stepped.
If you step through with your left leg, cross your opponent's right leg first. , If you started the move with your right leg, turn and step over your opponent's body, rolling them over in the process.
This should be a cooperative move: as you support your opponent's legs, he should flail his arms as if trying to resist, but should be shifting weight to roll over comfortably.
This would be very difficult to do if your opponent dead-weighted, or resisted. , Lean back into a squatting position while still holding onto both of their legs.
Support your opponent's knee with your hand.
You should squat just above your opponent's buttocks.
Wrestlers will often rehearse such submission holds in the mirror while at the gym, to get a sense of how it should look.
Don't pull back on your opponent's legs, but do pretend to pull back by straining your face and throwing your head back.
The believability of the move depends on your making it look like you're pulling hard, but not.
Under no circumstances should you sit with all your weight on your opponent's buttocks or back.
This is an absolutely essential aspect of the move.
While it looks like Bret Hart is sitting and cinching the move in, he's really doing a deep squat, supporting his own weight.
It takes a lot of core and lower-body strength to support the weight of your opponent's legs and your own weight while squatting.
About the Author
Deborah Brooks
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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