Coming to grips with the Nelsons.

The most popular family in wrestling would have to be the Nelsons: 1/4 Nelson, 1/2 Nelson, 3/4 Nelson, Full Nelson, Reverse Nelson, etc. Since the full Nelson is, of course, illegal in high school and college wrestling, we can only come to grips with the four others.

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The 1/4 Nelson is generally used in defensive situations from the neutral position to counter an opponent's leg attack. It is initiated from the whizzer and head position shown in Photo 1. The defensive man has slowed down his opponent's attack by pushing his head down with his right hand and securing a whizzer (left arm over his opponent's arm and hand on his own leg).

Coaching point: The offensive man must drive up and in to score. Pushing the head down negates this possibility.

To secure the 1/4 Nelson, the defensive man then grasps his own right wrist, while continuing to pressure the head (Photo 2). To complete the move, the defensive man pushes down hard on the head with both arms while "hipping-in" with his left hip. This force will take the opponent to his side and possibly his back (Photo 3).

The attacker will then follow through by high-legging to the right and switching over to under hook the opponent's arms (Photo 4). A pin is imminent.

The 1/2 Nelson is generally used in offensive situations in which the bottom man has already been broken down to his stomach. While there are many options, the use of a power 1/2 to a crotch-1/2 Nelson is an excellent choice.

From the breakdown position, the technique is initiated by pushing the opponent's head down with the right hand while securing the 1/2 Nelson with the left (Photo 5).

The top man grabs his own right wrist to reinforce the hold, allowing pressure to be exerted from both arms and forcing the opponent to look into the 1/2 Nelson.

When explaining the necessary pressure, a good coaching point is "make him eat mat."

As the 1/2 Nelson is applied, the top man must immediately move out to his left and get perpendicular to his opponent (Photo 6) while maintaining pressure on the head. As the bottom man begins to turn, his left leg will bend at the knee. The attacker should grab this knee, lift it, and throw it over, then reach up the crotch to begin securing the crotch-1/2 Nelson (Photo 7).

At this point, he should belly down. If he keeps his hips up while driving the opponent to his back, he will frequently produce a roll-through and loss of control.

Before turning to the back, he should get the 1/2 Nelson "elbow deep" (Photo 8) and then drive the opponent over to his back.

The follow-through should find the top man with his head up, butt down, feet wide, and lifting the opponent's head (Photo 9). Lifting the opponent's head both negates his ability to bridge for defense and exposes his shoulders to the watchful eye of the referee.

The Reverse Nelson (Photo 10) generally results from the bottom man turning away hard before the 1/2 Nelson can be "sunk deep." When this happens the top man can usually maintain a pinning combination by switching his hold to the Reverse Nelson (shown). It is helpful for the top man to hook his fingers into the bottom man's armpit, which will help lock the position.

Before attacking with the 3/4 Nelson, it is necessary to "anchor back." That is, to hook the bottom wrestler's left ankle with the right leg (top man), then reach for a 1/2 Nelson with the left hand while simultaneously reaching his right hand under and locking his hands (Photo 11) behind the bottom man's neck.

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With the force of both arms, the top man can then pull the opponent's head under for a likely fall (Photo 12). A common option for the 3/4 Nelson is to secure the hold by reaching over the bottom man's left arm instead of reaching for the 1/2 Nelson. This is easier to secure, but does not provide as much leverage.

The Full Nelson is, as previously mentioned, illegal at both the high school and college levels due to concern for injury to the neck. But it is legal under both freestyle and Greco (international) rules if used from the side with the turning pressure of a 1/2 Nelson.

Willie Nelson, we understand, is legal under all sets of rules.

Milt Sherman is a member of both the East Carolina University Athletic Hall of Fame and the North Carolina chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He can be reached at [e-mail]. Posing for the photos are Conley High wrestlers Marshall Edwards and Braxton Leicht. Photos by the author.

By Milt Sherman, Retired Wrestling Coach D. H. Conley H. S., Greenville, NC