Dominate Your Opponent With These Two On One Takedowns

One extremely effective way to set takedowns up in wrestling is with a two on one, also called a Russian tie. There are many benefits to using this setup. First of all, there are so many different options from a two on one. You can hit double legs, single legs, high crotches, duck unders, throws, trips, and snapdowns and that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to offensive options. 

Another reason a two on one is so great is it gives you a great angle to attack your opponent from, but it is extremely difficult for you opponent to score on you. With a position like and underhook, you still have to be cautious because your opponent can still hit a move on you like an outside carry, but with a two on one, this really doesn’t happen. The position it puts you in is so dominant that all your opponent can do is try to escape from it. 

Here are some great takedowns you can add to your offense from a two on one that will help you be more dominant out on the mat. 

Lunge Step

This first takedown is a great way to step either a double leg, a single leg, or a duck under from a two on one. Adam Wheeler was an Olympic bronze medalist and in this video he shows how to score when you have a two on one and your opponent is posting on your head to defend it.

When you have a two on one, it is very common for your opponent to post on your head with their far arm to defend their near side. When they post on your head, it leaves their far side vulnerable. The first step is to post their hand up. When you watch the video, you will see Adam keeps his arm tight to his side as posts up his opponent’s arm. Watch how he attacks at the elbow and his thumb is on the inside. You can also see that you don’t have to post the arm up very high, just a couple inches to create the space necessary to hit the lunge step.

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Once the space is open, you will hit a lunge step, which is basically a penetration step. Just be sure to keep a hold of the two on one with the far arm. From this position, you have a duck under, a double leg, or a single leg available. This is a simple way to hit three different takedowns from a very common position. 

Elbow Pinch Lateral Drop

This lateral drop is a great option from a two on one. One of the reasons that it works well is it is set up when your opponent grabs your elbow to defend your two on one, which is a very common thing that happens out on the mat. 

First, you need to secure a two on one and make sure you have the arm tight to your body. Watch how Georgi uses his stomach to block his opponent’s arm and then takes the hand that is on the wrist and brings it up to an underhook type position. Be sure to look the direction you are planning to throw. Then pop your hips and launch your opponent. 

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Before you try this throw, be sure you can do a normal lateral drop from an over under position. If you can’t hit a lateral drop from there, this lateral drop may be too advanced. 

Fake Single Leg to Ankle Pick

In this video, Dan Vallimont uses a two on one to set up an ankle pick. This is a great takedown because it uses a fake single leg to set up the ankle pick. 

In this attack series, faking the single leg is almost as important as the actual ankle pick. Watch how Dan steps behind his opponent’s near leg to get him to react and pull his leg back to avoid the single leg. Once he steps the foot back, it puts all his weight on the far foot which makes it perfect for an ankle pick. But before you just reach down for the ankle, you need to hook the far ankle with your foot. Watch Dan’s footwork he uses to close the distance in order to hook the far ankle. Once the ankle is blocked, reach down and grab the ankle and drive over your opponent; don’t just try to lift the ankle. Also notice how Dan finishes with his opponent’s ankle on his thigh. Tabling the ankle will help to keep your opponent from bellying out. 

Head to Chest Fireman’s Carry

Here is another video of Georgi Ivanov, but this time he is showing his variation to a fireman’s carry. It is quite a bit different than a traditional fireman’s carry, but still very effective. 

When you have the two on one secured, you will take a small step forward with your outside foot. At the same time you step, you will lift the arm to try to stand your opponent up. Watch how Georgi keeps the arm tight to the chest and just does a quick pull on the arm to create space. 

After you lift your opponent up, you are going to step behind your opponent's near leg with your near leg. Be sure to keep your knee bent at about 90 degrees. This will prevent your opponent from stepping their leg back. Then you are going to use your far arm to grab the knee and get your head tight to your opponent’s chest. 

Watch how Georgi keeps everything nice and tight and even keeps a lot of pressure on the upper arm. Then just like he shows in the video, you are going to drive into your opponent and take them over you knee to their back. Be sure to be ready to hold them here to get your back points. 

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