Page 93 - Safe Wrestling

6

Movement Patterns and Preventive

Exercise Strategies in Combat Sports

Rok Vatovec, Marina Dobnik, and Matej Plevnik

© 2026 Rok Vatovec, Marina Dobnik, and Matej Plevnik
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-570-2.6

Introduction
Movement quality is a central component of injury prevention in combat
sports, as sport-specific techniques are built upon fundamental move-
ment patterns that determine how forces are produced, transmitted, and
absorbed. When foundational patterns such as squatting, hinging, trunk
bracing, and scapular control are inefficient, athletes may compensate
through adjacent joints or body segments, thereby reducing technical ef-
ficiency and increasing mechanical stress on tissues (Cook, 2010; Myer
et al., 2005). Consequently, preventive training should prioritise the de-
velopment of robust movement foundations before progressing to more
complex, high-load combat-specific tasks.
Combat sports place repeated demands on lower-limb alignment,
trunk control during lifting and rotational actions, and shoulder-girdle
stability during striking, gripping, and throwing. Deficits in neuromus-
cular control – such as dynamic knee valgus, inadequate trunk control,
or poor scapular mechanics – have been associated with elevated injury
risk and future pain in athletic populations (Clar et al., 2025; Di Stasi et
al., 2013; Zazulak et al., 2007) and therefore represent important targets
for preventive training in combat sports.
Accordingly, this contribution summarises key fundamental move-
ment patterns and common suboptimal movement strategies observed
in combat athletes, and provides practical corrective and preventive
training options that can be integrated into regular training practice.

Plevnik, M., & Dobnik, M. (2026). Safe wrestling.
University of Primorska Press.