with Lennie Zalesky,
Cal Baptist University Head Coach;
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.
WRD-05720B:
with Lennie Zalesky,
Cal Baptist University Head Coach;
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
Short offense is a position that isn't often taken advantage of by wrestlers, because most coaches don't focus on it nearly as much as they do on leg attacks, hand fighting and mat work. This is a shame because being good in the short offense position is an opportunity to score easy points off your opponent's shots, whilst expending minimal energy.
The short offense position commonly occurs after you have nullified your opponent's leg attacks and they are down on their knees. Most of the offensive techniques on this instructional video from Lennie Zalesky are shown from this scenario, but you will also learn a couple of ways to get to the short offense position from your feet.
Coach Zalesky begins by showing a few situations that commonly lead to the short offense position, and how to recognize it is an opportune time to score easy points for a take down, or a potential pin.
After an Opponent's Shot
The first offensive move Zalesky shows is how to block your opponent's shot with your hands, snap them down and get your takedown points with a go-behind. During this section, he explains the intricacies of how to place all your weight onto your opponent, making them feel uncomfortable and hindering them from being able to amount any sort of counterattack. It's an easy move to learn that is helpful for the beginner or advanced wrestler, and to reinforce it, Zalesky shows a couple of ways to drill and practice it so your technique becomes perfect.
After your opponent has shot in on you and they're on their knees, the most common thing they will do is grab one of your elbows and hope for a stalemate. Coach Zalesky shows several ways to score when your opponent has grabbed your elbow. You will learn how to:
- Pull your elbow out and snap them back down and get your go-behind points
- Turn the elbow hold into a pin with two different techniques called the "pancake" and the "drop, slide and catch"
- Get to an ankle pick when they try to stand up
On The Elbows
If your opponent doesn't grab one of your elbows, Coach Zalesky shows how to properly cup your opponent's chin and drag them down so both their elbows are on the mat. Once your opponent is on their elbows, Zalesky shows a series of techniques:
- How to execute a conventional go-behind, emphasizing the importance of putting all your weight on the opponent with your hips and legs
- Use a shoulder-to-shoulder pull to get a go-behind
- Pin your opponent with a chest throw from the double over position
If your opponent happens to get to one of your legs, Zalesky also shows how to get a pin with a front quarter nelson.
From the Feet
Getting to the short offense position after your opponent has shot on you is by far the most common way to get there. However, for the more aggressive wrestler who wants to be the one to initiate the move, Coach Zalesky shows how to bring your opponent down to the mat from the standing position. Whilst on your feet, you can drag your opponent down to the mat either by faking an ankle pick to a front headlock, or using an underhook to circle your opponent into the front headlock position.
Overall, this is an excellent video that shows coaches and wrestlers multiple scoring opportunities from the short offense position. Short offense gives wrestlers an easy way to score points off of opponents' failed leg attacks, whilst expending minimal energy. If the short offense position gives you problems, or you want to become more offensive from it, this instruction you need!
51 minutes. 2020.
WRD-05720C:
with Lennie Zalesky,
Cal Baptist University Head Coach;
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
Coach Lennie Zalesky possesses over 30 years of coaching experience and has seen it all. A huge key to his success was not getting stuck underneath opponents on their shots. In this video, Zalesky delivers many of the techniques he's taught his wrestlers over the years to move their opponents and avoid getting stuck in a disadvantage situation.
Effectively Move Your Opponent
Coach Zalesky begins with an explanation of the origins of these techniques and how mastering the ability to get your opponent to move into position is key to scoring consistently. Next, you'll see how to get into an inside tie position, which is the most effective way to control your opponent. Zalesky also goes into detail about how to apply pressure and utilize the back step effectively.
Set-Ups for the Hi-C, Single Leg, and Double Leg Takedown
Coach Zalesky continues by demonstrating how inside tie-ups can be coordinated with the back step to set up several takedowns, including the hi-c, single and double leg takedowns. He also covers how to stay out of bad position on takedowns by refraining from chasing your opponent's legs, and instead moving their legs where you want them to be.
As an added bonus, Zalesky demonstrates how to best prevent being stuck under your opponent's sprawl. In all, you'll learn how to:
- Set up a single leg shot on either leg
- Avoid chasing your opponent's leg on a hi-c or double leg
- Clear your opponent's arms and keep your hips under your shoulders to avoid being stuck in bad positions
This is a great addition to any wrestling coach's library. Coach Zalesky shares some of the best techniques available to help your wrestlers become unstoppable on their feet!
49 minutes. 2020.