Order the Tom Brands Snap Downs & Go Behinds tape   View Tom Brands hitting a snap-down for a takedown  View Tom Brands scoring a go behind  View Tom Brands changing direction for a takedown  View Tom Brands celebrating Olympic glory      "It's a war out there every time I step on the mat.  That's the way I always approach it.  That's the way I was coached.  That's the way I was brought up.  And, that's the way I'll approach it in the future." (Tom Brands - World & Olympic Champion and Assistant Coach U. of Iowa)      USA Wrestling has released the second part of a two tape series featuring the technique that has made Tom Brands one of the world' fiercest competitors.  The first tape focused on the sweep single.  Now, the second tape demonstrates the technique of Brands' Snap Downs and Go Behinds.  The Snap Downs and Go Behind series will be beneficial to virtually any coach or athlete that wants to know that techniques that have made Brands great.      When a wrestling fan goes back and studies the Brands Brothers style what they'll find is that neither wrestler relied on a vast repertoire of techniques.  What Terry and Tom did to reach the pinnacle of success in the collegiate and international ranks was rely on a simple mastery of basic technique.  The video on the fundamentals of snap downs and go behinds is no different.     Most coaches and athletes will see that Tom Brands believed in scoring using a basic series.  However, what is absolutely impressive about the Brands Snap Downs & Go Behinds tape is how clear Tom Brands' intensity shows through.  Brands does demonstrate some techniques which may be new to the viewer or slightly different from what they are accustomed to.  But, when your through watching the tape the most important thing you'll gain is a clearer view of the intensity that it takes to be a champion.      Tom and Terry Brands must be a newspaper reporters' dream.  Their language is colorful and the words would even capture the attention of an avowed basketball fan.  So when you see the tape, the tough-man phrases alone are worth the price of admission.  To hear Tom describe a snap down is something you'll want to replay again, "Snapping a man down to the mat is manhandling him----controlling him."  Or, to hear his view of a go behind is another memorable tactic of the Brands' style of wrestling, "I'm not looking to hold him here----I'm looking to out hustle him."  Brands overall philosophy of snaps and go behinds is also revealed, "This is where I want him on his elbows---this is a dominant position…..I wrestle to out hustle my opponent, lay heavy hands on him and beat him up."  Once you view the tape, there is no mistaking how intense the Brands style of wrestling is, and it shows through in this 30 minute study of Snap Downs & Go Behinds.      Tom Brands includes several examples of snap down and go behind drills that he regularly relied on to improve his mastery of the technique.  From the basic snap and go behind drill to a great hand motion technique Brands advances the viewer through the skills of the technique.  Towards the end of the tape Brands shows his skill in the Change of Direction drill that is unlike a simple head shuck.  Finally, he has advanced to his heavy hands to a front headlock position, which leads into high-level snap attacks and leg attacks from the high-level.      The tape is entertaining and fun to watch.  Even though it times in at about 30 minutes, don't be put off by its length.  You get plenty of wrestling knowledge included.  Probably the most exciting part about the Snap Downs and Go Behinds video is that throughout the tape there are plenty of Tom Brands highlights from his international competition.  Repeatedly, you'll get to see Tom Brands execute the techniques that he has shown in the video.  Amazingly, time and time again, you see that he scrambled, snapped and spun his way to international and Olympic glory!      Once your finished watching the tape your adrenaline will be pumping and you'll have a strong foundation of Snap Down and Go Behind techniques.  Probably more importantly though you'll have a direct glimpse into the intensity and fire that made Tom Brands one of America's great wrestlers.  A coach or athlete needs to be exposed to that kind of enthusiasm for the sport of wrestling.      The National Coaches Education Program provides this article to help Coaches and Athletes understand the value in studying technique through video.  If you are not certified through the NCEP please contact USA Wrestling at 719-598-8181 or e-mail the NCEP Manager at twitulski@usawrestling.org.  Get certified and help us grow the sport of wrestling nationwide.