The cradle is his move. It's an unbreakable pinning combination when thrown in well, usually done when both men are on the mat.

But Henjyoji has at times successfully used the cradle from standing position. Once again, it's because of his relative shortness. His opponents tend to bend over in order to guard their legs. He has managed to grab both a hanging arm and a leg while standing to fall into the cradle combination.

Henjyoji's problem is that word travels fast around the league. Opponents enter matches determined not to let him get the cradle. They cross their legs at the ankles--this is while they're on the mats of course--or they struggle to keep him from locking his hands if he does manage to slip his arm around their arm and leg.

More Freedom

His opposition's awareness of the cradle does leave Henjyoji with more freedom to work other moves, and he is working continuously to perfect new pinning combinations that complement the cradle.

Naylor has a similar situation with the lateral drop, although the unusualness of that move compared to the cradle gives Naylor some comparative advantage over Henjyoji.

The lateral drop is a fabulous take-down move which Naylor developed for himself in his high school senior year. In working it, he too is aided by his shortness and also by his incredible strength.

When a taller opponent is bending over with arms draped loosely in front of him,. Naylor pounces. He steps in, hooks one arm (see pictures), reaches across the man's front to hook the other arm, then falls back. Naylor's leg arches his opponent onto his back, and his arms remain hooked for a deadly pinning combination.

The move has accounted for two pins in dual competition this season, plus take-down and near-pin points in big decisions, including the 5-2 win over Cornell's co-captain, Bob Stock. Stock had more than a head on Naylor in that match, but proved a set-up for the lateral drop. The resulting take-down, near-pin in the first period decided Naylor's stunning upset.

Dangerous Move

Naylor, like Henjyoji, tries to refrain from his favorite maneuver because when it fails it's fatal. If on falling back he fails to arch the man with his leg or if he doesn't have his arms firmly hooked into the man, then he will probably end on his own back. Naylor's teammates mention the possibility to him from time to time.

"They say 'Don't do it; don't do it. You'll wind up flat on your back.' But if it's there, I take it. It's a gift." Naylor has found Christmas with his drop in meet after meet.

* * *

The lightweights wrestle first. That can have two effects: either they mentally relax because of 'last-ditch performances, or they feel a responsibility to start each match with quick victories. Harvard's lightweights go for the pins.

"It's great to start a snowball going," Naylor says. To have a meet go down to the final heavyweight match is "fine as far as spectators go, but the spectators are not the guys wrestling."