J-M grad Teasdale finishes 2nd at world grappling tourney
One of the first rules that is taught in wrestling for when you are taken down is to never go to your back.
However, when it comes to grappling, where a solid wrestling base is imperative, knowing when to “belly down” or give up a takedown could lead to disaster.
Jefferson-Morgan graduate Gavin Teasdale had to learn early on during his grappling training that going to your back can be an advantageous position.
“It almost becomes an instinct to never go to your back when you are wrestling, but in grappling, some guys want to go to their back because they can attack you using sweeps and possibly lock in a submission hold,” Teasdale said. “A lot of the guys on the international circuit pick their spots and wait for you to make a mistake.”
Those who followed Teasdale’s wrestling career in high school, where he was a four-time state champion with a career record of 162-2 from 2015-2018, didn’t see him allow many takedowns, but he still had to learn the differences between a grappling and wrestling match.
Teasdale has proved to be a fast learner in his two years of grappling as he finished second in 60-kilogram weight class at the world championships on Aug. 23 in Warsaw, Poland.
Teasdale won four matches on his way to the finals but suffered a submission loss to France’s Temirlan Gadjimouradovitch Azizov.
“I hit a nice dunk under, got behind him and was working for a mat return, but he hit a chin whip and was able to get a rear-naked choke on me,” Teasdale said. “I messed up because I thought he was going to roll at my ankles. I definitely wanted to win it all, but I am pretty pleased with myself seeing as I have only been doing this for two years.”
Azizov was representing France, but had trained with Russian mixed martial artist Khabib Nurmagomedov, who finished his MMA career 29-0, including a 13-0 mark in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is the sport’s top league.
“I learned that he (Azizov) had trained with Khabib, and you could tell he had that style,” Teasdale said. “The European guys have a style where they capitalize on you, but they still do enough to not get banged for passivity, which is like stalling in wrestling.”
Teasdale edged Armenia’s Mayis Nersesyan in overtime after working out of an arm bar and triangle choke in the 60-second extra session.
“I had to get my neck up when he went for the triangle choke or I would have passed out,” Teasdale said. “You think everything is fine and then they have you in a submission hold in a blink of an eye. Also, with the arm bar, if they get it locked in, you have no choice but to submit or have a broken arm.”
Teasdale learned all about passivity in his round of 16 bout with Kazakhstan’s Arulan Kurmanaliyev, as he built up a 4-0 lead, but was called for passivity two times in the last minutes and hung on for a 4-3 triumph.
Teasdale’s quarterfinal opponent, Jerzy Izdebski of Poland, went straight to his back to allow a two-point takedown in the first 10 seconds of the bout. Teasdale did enough work on top and earned a 2-0 victory.
The rules of grappling enforce the competitor who secures a takedown to work to pass the guard. A guard pass is when the competitor clears the opponent’s lower body and has pinned the opponent’s shoulders to the mat, or the opponent is laying on their side with no further attempt to improve position.
“They really enforce that you clear the guard,” Teasdale said. “The guy from Poland didn’t want to wrestle, which is all about strategy. These guys really scout you and know what you are good at.”
Teasdale was able to pass the guard in his opening bout, as he defeated France’s Phillippe Lotfi Alilat, 6-1.