When Carolyn Wester first entered the wrestling world, she never imagined she’d become one of the most sought-after coaches in mixed martial arts. As a wrestling coach at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), she’s worked alongside some of the sport’s biggest names. This includes Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier and Luke Rockhold. Her approach to coaching is rooted in mathematics, physics and body mechanics. It has revolutionized how competitors approach wrestling in MMA.
Wester‘s coaching philosophy differs dramatically from traditional wrestling instruction.
“My style of coaching and my style of wrestling is based on math and logic,”
she explains. Rather than teaching predetermined techniques, she focuses on optimal body positioning using physics principles.
“We endeavor to put the wrestler in the best body position mathematically, physics-based, sound, and then try every piece of technique against that body position.”
This consumer reports-style testing approach involves working with elite wrestlers and NCAA All-Americans. It determines which movements prove most effective against superior competition.
The cornerstone of Wester‘s methodology centers on the 90-degree angle. It’s the strongest structural angle in physics. She emphasizes maintaining series of 90-degree angles throughout movements. This applies whether in the hips, knees or arms.
“A 90-degree angle is the strongest angle of all,”
Wester notes.
“It’s what’s used for all bases of all building.”
This principle became evident when she demonstrated on a 113-pound (51 kg) seventh-grader. Using proper 90-degree positioning, the student successfully immobilized a 200-pound (91 kg) adult through hip pressure alone.
When discussing Khabib‘s dominance in the octagon, Wester points to his natural mastery of these geometric principles.
“When you have a 90-degree angle, if we were building this building or even this table, if all the angles were 110 or 80, this table would be on the floor,”
she explains. Khabib‘s signature ground control comes from maintaining “hips over knees” positioning with consistent 90-degree angles between his quads and calves.
“Even when Khabib is choking someone out at the end, his hips are still over his knees,”
Wester observes.
“There’s a 90-degree angle between his quad and his torso and a 90-degree angle between the back of his hamstring and his calf.”
Beyond physical mechanics, Wester identifies Khabib‘s mental clarity as equally crucial to his success.
“I think a lot of Khabib’s success from observing him since 2012 would be that he doesn’t have any room in his brain for anything except what matters to him: friends, family, working out, religion,”
she says. Unlike many competitors who must manufacture personas or psych themselves up, Khabib maintains unwavering focus.
“His brain is just not cluttered. He has no guile. Everything is literal to him.”
This mental discipline combined with physically thick, developed calves that provide exceptional pressure creates a nearly unstoppable combination.
“He looks like a British soccer player with big thick quads, back muscle, and super thick calves,”
she notes.
Wester also credits Daniel Cormier‘s influence on Khabib‘s development at AKA.
“One of the biggest accelerants for Khabib’s career at AKA was the innate and unrecognized intellectual capacity of Daniel Cormier,”
she reveals.
“Daniel’s intellect is so high and his genuine interest in meeting people with their emotional needs helped Khabib through everything.”
AKA’s culture attracts elite wrestlers because it provides a safe environment for vulnerability while learning new disciplines.
“When you come to AKA and you’re a good wrestler, you’re going to be able to continue wrestling at a high level,”
Wester explains.
“When you’re a great wrestler but you have to be vulnerable as a striker, you have to be vulnerable in BJJ, it’s often easier to do in a place where what you’re good at is already respected.”
Through her unconventional approach grounded in physics and body mechanics, Carolyn Wester has helped transform how competitors integrate wrestling into MMA. She’s proven that sometimes the most revolutionary coaching comes from thinking outside traditional paradigms.
