PhD, Associate Professor O.B. Malkov¹
PhD, Professor A.I. Rakhmatov²
Dr.Hab., Professor V.L. Dementiev^3
1Russian State University of Justice, Moscow
²Russian Transport University, Moscow
³V.Ya. Kikotya Moscow University, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Moscow

It may be beneficial for the theory of modern martial arts and wrestling sports to analyze how the attack mimicking impulses work in the opponent twitching tactics for success. The attack mimicking impulses (threats) are common nowadays in the wrestling, kicking and punching sports – and intended to provoke defense responses of the opponent to use the passive response time for an unexpected real attack. Such tactics are commonly referred to as the opponent twitching in a few sport disciplines including Greco-Roman wrestling and arm wrestling. The article analyzes the modern range of twitching tactics applied in Greco-Roman wrestling and arm wrestling. Bout video replays were analyzed for the study purposes to track the twitching tactics, opponent responses to twitching and how they are used by the highly-skilled competitors to effectively neutralize the defenses. It was found, among other things, that the twitching tactics in the turn-over with body-hold in Greco-Roman wrestling are much the same as in the arm wrestling where the attacker ‘swings’ the opponent’s hand before pressing it down. It was found that the swing action should be fast enough for success. Therefore, modern training systems are recommended giving a special priority to the swing action speed to effectively form the necessary motor skills with the perfectly timed response to the opponent’s passive reaction to twitching. On the whole, the twitching tactics are intended to capitalize on the opponent’s primary instinctive response to the attack mimicking impulse, with the attack being immediately redirected in an unexpected way.

Keywords: tactics, opponent’s action control, twitching tactics, psychomotor responses, arm wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling.

References

1. Gozhin V.V., Malkov O.B. Teoreticheskie osnovy taktiki v sportivnykh edinoborstvakh [Theoretical foundations of tactics in martial arts]. Textbook. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 2008. 229 p.
2. Mamiashvili V.G., Gozhin V.V., Malkov O.B. [ed.] Tipovye startovye situatsii, ispolzuemye kvalifitsirovannymi bortsami pri vypolnenii perevorotov nakatom [Typical starting situations used by skilled wrestlers when performing rolls turns]. Teoreticheskie aspekty tekhniki i taktiki sportivnoy borby [Theoretical aspects of technique and tactics of wrestling]. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 2005. pp. 154-164.