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Why is that move "beneath the dignity" of a wrestler? Seems like a great counter to me.

by sidlls 10y ago

jerrycruncher 10y ago
The move is not described very well in the article. It's not really a countermove per se (because the time to impact is maybe 2 or 3/10ths of a second), but something that the wrestler decided to do before the match began. Before the initial charge, the two are crouched a few feet apart from each other, and instead of charging forward, one wrestler jumps to the side rather than engage the opponent. I can't immediately think of any corollaries in other sports, but it'd be a bit like a baseball batter jumping into the middle of the plate in order to get hit so that he can 'win' against the pitcher.
- abearnamedpoo 10y ago
  The cricket equivalent would definitely be the "Infamous Underarm" incident[1] [1]https://youtu.be/d2qpj-yBkwY?t=4m21s https://youtu.be/d2qpj-yBkwY?t=4m21s
- failrate 10y ago
  I think a better comparison would be to point to the grandstands, signaling a home run, but then bunting.
  - jerrycruncher 10y ago
    That is a better comparison, yes. Thanks!
- m_myers 10y ago
  Jumping into the plate to get hit would not work since the batter must attempt to avoid the pitch. Another commenter has mentioned bunting after pointing at the fence. I would instead propose bunting to break up a no-hitter. It's completely legal, often the best strategy (e.g. it's a 1-0 game and you really need to get someone on base), and there's not even deception involved. But it's against the unwritten codes of baseball. See http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/9/16/6231827/bunting-to-break-up-a-no-hitter-domonic-brown-andrew-cashner http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/9/16/6231827/bunting-to-bre... for an example.
twblalock 10y ago
It is a great counter, but sumo is a sport where acceptable behavior, inside and outside of the ring, is bound by strict rules.
ThrustVectoring 10y ago
Because one of the great viscerally satisfying part of watching a sumo wrestling match is the strong initial clash. Side-stepping the charge can be a thing that makes you more likely to win the match, but it makes the sport of sumo wrestling less fun to watch and less prestigious/important/etc. Basically, it's defecting in an iterated prisoner's dilemma. "Considered beneath the dignity" is just shorthand for "there are social enforcement mechanisms aimed at preventing this behavior".
- ftio 10y ago
  For the hockey fans in the room, this feels similar to the New Jersey Devils' infamous 'offside trap' strategy that made them so successful in the 90s and early 2000s. It's been called everything from 'boring' to 'a crime against the sport,' but it was effective.

Why is that move "beneath the dignity" of a wrestler? Seems like a great counter to me.

by sidlls 10y ago

Why is that move "beneath the dignity" of a wrestler? Seems like a great counter to me.

The move is not described very well in the article. It's not really a countermove per se (because the time to impact is maybe 2 or 3/10ths of a second), but something that the wrestler decided to do before the match began. Before the initial charge, the two are crouched a few feet apart from each other, and instead of charging forward, one wrestler jumps to the side rather than engage the opponent. I can't immediately think of any corollaries in other sports, but it'd be a bit like a baseball batter jumping into the middle of the plate in order to get hit so that he can 'win' against the pitcher.

abearnamedpoo 10y ago
The cricket equivalent would definitely be the "Infamous Underarm" incident[1] [1]https://youtu.be/d2qpj-yBkwY?t=4m21s https://youtu.be/d2qpj-yBkwY?t=4m21s
failrate 10y ago
I think a better comparison would be to point to the grandstands, signaling a home run, but then bunting.
- jerrycruncher 10y ago
  That is a better comparison, yes. Thanks!
m_myers 10y ago
Jumping into the plate to get hit would not work since the batter must attempt to avoid the pitch. Another commenter has mentioned bunting after pointing at the fence. I would instead propose bunting to break up a no-hitter. It's completely legal, often the best strategy (e.g. it's a 1-0 game and you really need to get someone on base), and there's not even deception involved. But it's against the unwritten codes of baseball. See http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/9/16/6231827/bunting-to-break-up-a-no-hitter-domonic-brown-andrew-cashner http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/9/16/6231827/bunting-to-bre... for an example.

twblalock 10y ago

It is a great counter, but sumo is a sport where acceptable behavior, inside and outside of the ring, is bound by strict rules.

ThrustVectoring 10y ago

Because one of the great viscerally satisfying part of watching a sumo wrestling match is the strong initial clash. Side-stepping the charge can be a thing that makes you more likely to win the match, but it makes the sport of sumo wrestling less fun to watch and less prestigious/important/etc. Basically, it's defecting in an iterated prisoner's dilemma. "Considered beneath the dignity" is just shorthand for "there are social enforcement mechanisms aimed at preventing this behavior".

ftio 10y ago
For the hockey fans in the room, this feels similar to the New Jersey Devils' infamous 'offside trap' strategy that made them so successful in the 90s and early 2000s. It's been called everything from 'boring' to 'a crime against the sport,' but it was effective.