Manda Kuffel

Stand-Up Grappling Skills Manda Kuffel

It has been my impression that standup wrestling is given short shrift in the martial arts world. Outside of the realm of Judo - standup grappling in a gi - we tend to see the grappling arts as emphasizing the ground game with the occasional insertion of some standup during which the entire dojo must move aside while two players work to take one another down -and therein, perhaps, lies the rub.

Standing grappling is a really nuanced game, and is fascinating to watch, as we can see from its ongoing appeal, abeit in a theatrical form. Armand Cherpillod was a great Swiss wrestler who bested the best catch wrestlers in Europe. Despite is modest size he was a "human battery" whose knowledge of the subtleties of grappling was unparalleled.

This manual on Hooks, Trips, Throws, and Takedowns offers a small taste of the great wrestler's vast knowledge.