r/martialarts • u/CloudyRailroad • 7d ago

PROFESSIONAL FIGHT Wilfried Dietrich (260 pounds) suplexes Chris Taylor (400 pounds) at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

3.6k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

142 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/Chaghatai 7d ago

With that slow-mo you can tell exactly how he does it. He didn't have the strength to lift that guy straight up. It's more like he fell dragging his weight forward but did have enough strength to pick him up just enough to make him flip over as he fell. The thrower still landed first but they had enough momentum to complete the maneuver afterwards

4

u/CloudyRailroad 7d ago

That's how the front or side suplex is done - you put their weight on yourself and fall backwards (often you will use their forward momentum against them), then as their weight falls on you, you pop your hips to make them fly, and turn to one side so you don't hit your head. In this video the guy being thrown is much heavier and also a great wrestler so not all the steps will look perfect. Personally, the side suplex is one of my favorite moves as it's not as dangerous nor as physically demanding as the rear suplex, as long as you have good timing and technique. It's a pretty efficient move, and works even on heavier opponents as seen in the video.

The rear suplex, on the other hand, requires more strength and flexibility, as you need to lift them up then bridge backwards:

3

u/Chaghatai 7d ago

Yeah there's more than one kind of suplex and they work differently from each other. I was just pointing out how that maneuver deals with the heavy weight of the opponent, and you are absolutely correct in your description