Hammer Wrestling was chosen as the name as a result of “Hammer” being a coined term used by the Bratland’s. A person who is a “hammer” is one who never quits, is relentless in whatever they pursue, and is tough mentally and physically. They are someone whom when you watch them practice, work, study, or do anything in everyday life, you think to yourself, “Man, he/she is a hammer. How do they do that? I wish I could be like that.”

Definition of Hammer:

To make persistent or laborious attempts to finish or perfect something

Hammer Wrestling was founded to produce "Hammers", not only hammers on the mat but hammers in life. Our purpose is to show the Illinois youth how to set goals and then ultimately achieve those goals. The avenue that we do this through is the sport of wrestling. In our minds, there is no better way. Wrestling is a tough sport (we like to think it is THE toughest sport) that demands discipline and hard work. There are no shortcuts. What a perfect carry-over into everyday life. As we all find sooner or later, life can be hard and there really are no shortcuts.

We are passionate about wrestling and what it can do for our youth. We believe that through the sport of wrestling, we can teach them to become strong minded, goal oriented, positive, and determined individuals. Skills that will be needed and utilized throughout their whole lives. Although, we aim to create better wrestlers and make improvements on the mat, ultimately what our athletes learn will help them in all aspects of life. Are you ready to become a HAMMER?

THE HAMMER PHILOSOPHY

Our philosophy at Hammer Wrestling is to create a foundation for young wrestlers to build from. If one does not possess the basic fundamentals, how can they hope to be successful at more advanced techniques? For example, if you do not know and understand the proper stance on your feet, you will never be able to perform a simple double leg effectively. More importantly, you may not even get this chance as you may not even be able to defend an opponent's attacks correctly and effectively.

At Hammer Wrestling we strive to build a strong base in all positions through by breaking down each of these positions into their simplest terms. We feel that by doing this, athletes will gain a better understanding of these positions when it is all put together into live action. We utilize a vast majority of drills and techniques that force an athlete to use the proper fundamentals, which after "persistent or laborious attempts", will ultimately carry over into a live match.

After we feel an athlete has a solid foundation, and only after this foundation is developed, we will continue on to more advanced techniques. Athletes at all levels need to maintain an open mind and always strive to learn. Even today, we at Hammer Wrestling continue to learn and will never cease to improve our skills.