2-on-1 Control Series: Russian Ties & Baseball Grip

with Lennie Zalesky,
Cal Baptist University Head Coach from 2011 to 2022;
has coached wrestlers to 30 All-American awards and seven individual national championships;
2013 NCWA National Champions;
former UC Davis Head Coach;
2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year;
2018 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee;
2018 California Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee;
2010 Alaska Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee;
as an athlete, was a 3x All-American at the University of Iowa

The 2-on-1 is a tie that came onto the scene back when wrestlers from the Soviet Union used it to dominate their opponents in the international wrestling scene. It is also commonly known as a "Russian Tie." Since then, the tie-up has gone on to become synonymous as an offensive tie-up in the same league as an under-hook or an inside tie.

In this video, Lennie Zalesky shows you how to use the 2-on-1 and the baseball grip as controlling ties to create multiple leg attack and throwing opportunities.

The 2-on-1

There are two ways to hold a 2-on-1. The first and most common is when you have one hand on the wrist and the other under the armpit. The second is where you grab your own wrist and have a hold, which is best described as a reverse figure four. Coach Zalesky shows you how to attack utilizing the reverse figure four 2-on-1 to control your opponent's movement and put yourself in position to score a takedown.

Zalesky shows how to use the 2-on-1 to drag your opponent to the floor and get the takedown, use it as a lock/hold to stand your opponent up and get hip-to-hip to attack with a snatch single, as well as multiple attack options contingent on how your opponent reacts, including:

• High crotch
• Double leg
• Over-the-head throw
• Head and arm throw
• Polish throw

You will develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the reverse figure-four 2-on-1 and how dominant it can be.

The Baseball Grip

The baseball grip is a tie-up that is not well known, and a tie-up Coach Zalesky himself admits not many coaches teach their athletes to defend. You can use the baseball grip to get one up on your competition and to confuse and control them to create numerous attacking opportunities.

Coach Zalesky begins by showing a couple ways to get into the position, and explains why it is a hard position for your opponent to get out of once you have it. From the baseball grip, you'll see Zalesky present numerous attacking opportunities, showing you how to get to a high crotch, single leg, front headlock, and polish throw. All these attacking options depend on how your opponent reacts and which ones you favor.

Coach Zalesky ends by quickly recapping all the attacks he has shown on the video as a reminder of the myriad of options available. This is an excellent instructional video dealing with the reverse figure four version of the 2-on-1 and the baseball grip; two tie-ups that are not understood well by many coaches and wrestlers, but are highly effective in creating offensive leg attacks and throwing opportunities.

50 minutes. 2020.