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U.S. Sombo Newsletter
August, 2007
1) From the Vice President
Dear Friends of Sombo, As we start the month of August, the USA Wrestling Sombo Team is preparing for the FILA World Championships in Antalya, Turkey in early September. In late June, the Missouri Valley Judo and Sombo Championships took place in Kansas City, Kansas. We have a few photos from the event in the news and events section below.
In this months issue, I write part one of a two-part article on weight cutting. If you have story ideas, or suggestions relating to future issues of this newsletter, please drop me a line at teamusa@sombo.us. We also welcome article submissions. If you are interested in writing an article for future inclusion in our newsletter, please submit the article to me via email at the address listed above.
Yours in Sombo, Lance Campbell Vice President, United States Sombo Association
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by Lance Campbell
Anyone who participates in, or is a big fan of combat sports is familiar with weight cutting. In the twenty years that I have coached the sport of wrestling, I have seen several interesting methods of attempting to make weight, and have heard of several more. Done properly, weight cutting can give an athlete an advantage, but done improperly, it could lead to poor performance, embarrassment, health problems, or even death.
The theory behind cutting weight is that by dropping to a lower weight class, the athlete can gain a size and strength advantage over opponents. While this is sometimes true, it is not always advantageous for an athlete to drop to a lower weight class. Some athletes find their style and natural strengths make them better suited for heavier weight classes. For myself, I have learned that it is easier for me to compete up in weight because I am strong, but not that fast. This seems to be even more the case as I get older.
As a high school coach, one of my top wrestlers competed in the 215 lbs. class. When he went to college, he had to choose between competing in the 285 lbs. class, or dropping to the 197 lbs. class. His freshmen year in college, he started the season competing up at 285, but dropped to 197 by the end of the season. To despite being very small for the 285 class, he did well. His performance at 197 was disappointing. Going into his sophomore year, I felt that he should compete at 285, while he and his coaches felt that he should go 197. He did not perform well at 197, and now his coaches realize that I was correct on my assessment. His style was well suited for competing against larger opponents, but not well suited for competing against smaller opponents. He moved up to 285 the following year and became an All-American!
If cutting the weight is the right move, then it is important that it is done properly. Cutting too hard, too fast, or using poor methods can rob an athlete of the advantage that would be gained by dropping weight. If done in an improper fashion, weight cutting can cause athletes to become weak, lose concentration, and suffer from poor endurance. This defeats the whole purpose of cutting to a lower weight.
Some improper methods of weight cutting include starvation, excessive dehydration, and the use of diuretics. These methods not only can hurt performance, but can have worse effects.
One of my college teammates was having a hard time making weight, so he decided use syrup of ipecac, which is supposed to induce vomiting. Since he had nothing in his stomach, he did not vomit. So, he drank more. Eventually, he drank half of the bottle, but never threw up. He did finally make weight, but the ipecac kicked in that night, and he was sick all night. This is only one of many stories that I know of people getting sick from using some “shortcut”. Some of these stories involve embarrassing moments that the athletes have suffered as a result of getting sick.
While it is easy to find humor in some of these incidents, there can also be more serious effects. Ten years ago, three college wrestlers died in an effort to make weight. While I knew that many people used methods of making weight that were not safe, nobody had ever died from cutting weight, but in a very short span of time, three athletes did. All three athletes were working out in heated rooms, and wearing “plastics” to make weight.
Next month, I will explore methods for making weight, and tips for doing it properly. If done properly, athletes do not have to jeopardize their health to compete in a weight that they are well suited for.
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3) News & Events
Downey, Shewprashad win Beach World Team Trials in Rochester, N.Y., as U.S. World Team is set Gary Abbott USA Wrestling 07/08/2007
Ray Downey of Babylon, N.Y. (East Meadow WC). On Saturday, Downey was the champion at the U.S. Beach Nationals at 176 pounds.
Downey defeated J.P. Reese (Rochester Hills, Mich./Parkland Destructors) in the championship finals, 2-1. Reese, who placed third at the 185 pound division on Saturday, scored the first point on a slick leg attack. Downey tied the match on an arm spin to a takedown, then scored the winning point on a leg attack takedown.
Downey defeated Mike Marone (Rochester, N.Y./unattached) in the semifinals, 2-0. Reese’s takedown in the finals match was the only point Downey had allowed all weekend, in six matches during the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials.
“We were evenly matched out there,” said Downey about the Reese finals bout. “I felt good out there. My training has changed. I started speed training and that was the difference. This year, the quality of the tournament was tougher. There were zero easy matches. It was easier to win a national title than to defend it. I worked harder this year. It drives me. It keeps me going and keeps my diabetes in check.”
Downey, 40, is a teacher and a wrestling coach. He has not yet decided whether he will go back to Turkey to attempt to win a second World medal. He was a New York State high school champion from Deer Park, and competed for Hofstra University.
Claiming the World Team Trials at the Over 85 kg/185 lbs. division was Rawle Shewprashad (New York, N.Y./Blast Double of NY), who was the champion at the U.S. Beach Nationals on Saturday at 210 pounds.
Shewprashad gave up over 100 pounds in the gold-medal finals match against Seth J. Houston (Avon Lake, Ohio/unattached), scoring a 2-0 decision. Houston was second at the U.S. Beach Nationals, weighing in at 321 pounds on Saturday.
Houston attempted a throw against Shewprashad, who countered the attack and put the bigger man to his back, ending the match.
“My goal was the win the national title and qualify for the World Championships. Whatever place I finished at the Trials didn’t matter,” said Shewprashad.
In the semifinals, Shewprashad defeated his teammate and training partner Carlos Dolmo (Bronx, N.Y./Blast Double of NY), 2-1.
Dolmo was the champion at 321 pounds in Saturday’s U.S. Nationals, where he defeated Houston in the finals. Dolmo, who was fifth in the World Beach Championships last year. provided pointers to his teammate Shewprashad on how to compete against Houston.
“Dolmo was telling me to use a totally different strategy than I normally do,” said Shewprashad. I grabbed the wrist and tried to get to a leg attack. But he then went for a throw, and I adjusted my weight and came out on top. Carlos’s experience at the World level last year helped me in the match.”
Shewprashad wrestled at Longwood High School in New York, then was a conference champion in college competing at SUNY-Brockport. Now 28 years old, Shewprashad is in medical school at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.
Dolmo also qualified for his second straight World Team, wrestling back to take third in the World Team Trials at Over 85 kg/185 lbs., defeating Patrick Bennett (Rochester, N.Y./Pat Bennett WC) in the bronze medal match, 2-1.
“I am definitely excited to represent my nation,” said Shewprashad. “I will crank up my training now. Dolmo wants me to gain 20 pounds and beef up for the bigger boys at the Worlds. The goal is to have Dolmo and I in the World finals this year.”
Earning the final spot on the U.S. World Team at the Under 85 kg/185 lbs. division was Mike Marone (Rochester, N.Y./unattached), who stopped Robert Teet (Warren, Mich./Silver Ravens) in the bronze medal match 2-0.
The top three athletes from each of the weight classes during Saturday’s U.S. Beach Nationals qualified to compete in the World Team Trials event.
The U.S. National Beach champion at 187 pounds, Neil Cook (Rochester, N.Y./Team Titan), fell short of qualifying for World Team. Cook was beat in the semifinals by Reese, 3-1, then tried a throw and was caught in the consolation semifinals by Teet for his second loss of the day.
2007 U.S. Beach World Team members Under 85 kg/185 lbs. – Ray Downey, Bablyon, N.Y. (East Meadow WC) Under 85 kg/185 lbs. – J.P. Reese, Rochester Hills, Mich. (Parkland Destructors) Under 85 kg/185 lbs. – Mike Marone, Rochester, N.Y. (unattached) Over 85 kg/185 lbs. – Rawle Shewprashad, New York, N.Y. (Blast Double of NY) Over 85 kg/185 lbs. – Seth J. Houston, Avon Lake, Ohio (unattached) Over 85 kg/185 lbs. – Carlos Dolmo, Bronx, N.Y. (Blast Double of NY)
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4) Pictures
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5) 2007 Sombo Event Schedule - September 7-8 FILA World Sombo Championships Antalya, Turkey
- October 7 ASA 4th Annual North American Freestyle Sambo Championships Rahway, NJ
- November 24-25 FILA World Cup Nice, France
For more information about upcoming USAW Sombo events please contact Lance Campbell, USSA Vice President at: teamusa@sombo.us or visit http://sombo.us/events.htm, or http://themat.com. For more information on ASA sanctioned events go to: http://ussambo.com/
- From U.S. Sombo with a little editing from us (color, highlights, etc...)
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