How to Spear Like a Wrestler

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 Approved

The spear is a classic finisher that’s a welcome addition to any wrestler’s arsenal. As dramatic as it may look, the spear is surprisingly easy to learn. You just need to make sure you go about it in the right way so the attack looks real and no one gets hurt.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting up the Spear

1
Prepare yourself to approach your opponent. Stand about four or five running paces away from your opponent. Make sure you and your opponent are directly facing one another. Hunch over slightly and bend your knees to get into an athletic stance. Spread your arms out slightly out and forward from your body so you’re ready to grab them. ^{[1]
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- Make sure they know that they are going to take a spear before you start the move. Spearing an unsuspecting opponent could seriously injure both you and your opponent. Besides knowing that you’re about to spear them, your adversary also needs to know what side you will hit them on. If you aren’t sure, don’t attempt one. It’s not worth the risk. ^{[2]
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2
Run towards your opponent. Run at a medium pace so the move looks authentic but you still have time to react. Try to pace your steps out so one lands about a foot in front of your opponent. Landing too far forward or too far back will make it difficult to connect at the right moment. Don’t run straight at your opponent. Aim slightly either to the left or right of them so you’re in the proper position when the two of you meet. ^{[3]
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3
Drop your head down as you approach. The perfect place to hit your opponent with a spear is around the bottom of their rib cage. Lower your head so your shoulder is about in line with the middle of your opponent’s torso when you are two or three steps away. Be absolutely certain that your shoulder is in line with the near side of your opponent’s torso so you don’t make contact with your head. ^{[4]
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4
Get your shoulder and arm ready for contact. You need to be ready to hit your opponent one step before you actually make contact. Extend the arm closest to your opponent so your bicep is perpendicular with your neck. Bend your elbow slightly forward to get your arm ready to wrap up your opponent. The inside of your palm and elbow should be facing the defending wrestler. ^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Executing the Spear

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Hit your opponent with your arm and shoulder. Hit your opponent in the middle of their torso with your shoulder and bicep. You should connect with the bottom portion of their ribcage with your neck and head underneath your opponent’s arm. Try to hit your opponent across their entire body to spread out the impact and minimize how much it actually hurts. ^{[6]
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- Make sure your head and neck do not make contact with your opponent. You can suffer serious and permanent injury if you fail to do this. No matter how many times you successfully execute a spear, this is something you need to think about every time. Pros have had their careers ended by failing to do this. ^{[7]
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- Don’t hit them in the stomach. This will hurt the defender a lot and cause them to flip over forwards. If you think you’re going in too low, bail out by stopping or rolling your body away from your opponent. ^{[8]
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2
Wrap them up. You have to grasp your opponent’s torso with your arm in order to properly perform a spear. You won’t maintain contact if you don’t and it will look more look a shoulder tackle than a spear.^{[9]
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Research source} You’ll probably be able to reach your arm around just enough to hold onto a little bit of their back. Don’t try to grab as much of them as possible though, or you might trap your arm underneath your opponent when they land. ^{[10]
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3
Follow them through the back bump. They’ll begin to fall backwards as soon as you make contact. Keep holding onto them and follow them down to the mat throughout the entirety of their fall. This will make it look like you are driving them down into the mat, even if you’re really just following them as they fall down. ^{[11]
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4
Land on one hand and knee to protect both yourself and your opponent. You don’t want to land on top of your opponent or hit the ground next to them at full force. About halfway through the fall, extend one of your knees and your outside arm to catch your weight. You may find you prefer to land on one knee, but it will probably be easiest to land on the leg opposite of the one you last took a step with. ^{[12]
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- It might look kind of awkward at first, but many pros still land on one hand and knee when they hit their opponent with a spear. They just know how to get out of quickly so it looks like they plowed straight through them. Pay attention to your favorite wrestler’s spears and you’ll probably begin to notice it yourself. ^{[13]
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5
Keep moving. You’re going to have keep moving if you want to sell the hit. Scramble forward after you land, leading with the shoulder that you hit your opponent with. Doing so will make it look like you put all your weight into the move and really demolished them.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Taking a Spear from Your Opponent

1
Lift up your near arm before the attacker makes contact. Lift up the arm on the side you will be hit on so it is about parallel with your shoulder just before your opponent makes contact. Don’t do it too early or it will look scripted, a step before they reach you is appropriate. You won’t be able to properly do a back bump if your arm is pinned by your opponent, and you may injure your shoulder if you land awkwardly. ^{[14]
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2
Do a back bump at the point of contact. A back bump is how wrestlers safely land on their backs during a match. Mastering the back bump is vital for anyone who wants to learn wrestling moves. If you aren’t sure how to do this, don’t attempt the spear. Practice by yourself for a little bit until you are comfortable doing a back bump. ^{[15]
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- Lean backwards just before your opponent makes contact. You should pivot at your hips so both the bottom and top of your back are tilted towards the mat. Don’t lean too far back. You should still be able to spread your weight throughout the entirety of both your feet. If all your weight is on your heels after you lean back, it will be difficult to kick your feet out. ^{[16]
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- Kick your feet out in front of you at the moment of contact. The second your opponent hits you, kick both your feet out in front of you. You will probably find it easier to kick them up one at a time, but don’t wait too long between kicks. You want to give the impression that you were knocked clean off your feet, not pushed over.
3
Hit the ground with the meat of your back. Feel your back with your hands. You’ll find that the middle of your back is has the most muscle and fat protecting it. Have this part of your back make contact with the ground first. Don’t lean to one side so the impact is spread out as much as possible. Don’t bend so your spine is the first thing to hit the ground. ^{[17]
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- Make sure your head doesn’t hit the mat. You shouldn’t hit the ground so hard that you can’t control where your head goes. It’s still possible to injure your head if you hit it against a wrestling mat.
4
Slam your arms into the ground. Your arms should hit the ground perpendicular to your neck and spine. Slam the backs of them down into the ground as you make contact. This will help spread out the impact of the fall while also making a loud smack on the mat, really selling the force of the hit. ^{[18]
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- It’s up to you whether you want to slam your legs into the ground or leave them sticking up in the air. Hits can look a little more savage if you leave your legs in the air, but you can make a louder slam if you bring them down into the mat with your arms. Try both and see what feels right to you. It’s worth mastering both so you can mix it up and have the moves look less scripted.
5
Sell the move. No one is strong enough to pop right back up after being on the receiving end of a brutal spear. Roll around on your back a little bit. Gasp for air and reach towards the sky. Stumble a little bit getting up while you rub your back. Grimace in pain -- whatever you can think of to increase the drama. ^{[19]
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Community Q&A

Question

What is done to spear the opponent?

Community Answer

You have to ready your shoulder and arm, then hit your opponent.
Question

What is the easiest way to learn to spear?

Community Answer

The easiest way to learn is by practicing. If you have some kind of training dummy like a giant teddy bear, you can use that to practice.
Question

What is the dead side, and how do I get my head under my opponent's arm?

Community Answer

Put your left leg in front of your right, and dive like a spear while grabbing the opponent's two legs.

Warnings

Wrestling is a contact sport where there is a real possibility of serious and debilitating injury. If anyone gets hurt, stop immediately to avoid making it worse. Do not hesitate to seek help if it seems bad.

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