A sequence photo of Ellis Coleman performing his flying squirrel wrestling move. Flipping an opponent like this isn’t going to be easy.
If you’d like to read the text, either right-click and save the large version, or I’ve written up each step below. This also makes for a cool wallpaper.
1. I want to be sneaky, so starting off I pull toward my opponent’s head and make it seem like I’m trying to get behind him.
2. Once he crouches down, I jump over. If I Don’t lift off quickly enough to get enough air, he could catch and slam me.
3. The longer and more spread out I am the easier it will be for him to grab me. So I curl up and bring my feed toward my body as I reach around his waist.
4. As I’m coming around, I turn my body sideways so he can’t grab me. It throws him off. And my momentum keeps my arms wrapped around him. Sometimes I don’t even get a tight reverse lock.
5. When I land, I have to stop my momentum and lift my opponent at the same time. So I arch my back and pop my hips to get more oomph to take him over. Otherwise momentum will knock me over and I’ll fall on my butt.
6. To throw my opponent down, I push-off the mat with my toes. I want to get his back on the ground to get points, and if his shoulders land flat, it’s a pin – and the match is over.
Want to see it in action?
Please remember that this move can be very dangerous. Be careful if you try to attempt it.
Photograph by Dustin Snipes for ESPN The Magazine.
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