Russian Tie Takedowns With Olympian Georgi Ivanov

Offense is obviously very important in wrestling and the more takedowns you know, the better you will be equipped to react in certain situations and be able to score points. One foundational tie in wrestling is a Russian tie or sometimes called a two on one. You see wrestlers successfully using a Russian tie even at the highest levels of wrestling. From a Russian tie, you can hit all types of shots, ankle picks, and even throws. 

Here is 2016 Olympian Georgi Ivanov going over three takedowns from a Russian tie.

Reverse Arm Throw

One common defense to a Russian tie is for your opponent to grab your elbow. This reverse arm throw is a great option when they do.  

This throw starts in a two on one position except, you are going to reverse your grip with the bottom hand. Once you have your grip switched up, you are going to pull your opponent behind you which loads them up to be thrown. 

From this position, you will do a quick level change and a slightly turn your body as the back knee goes down to the mat. Keep the arm tight with both your arms and even use your head to pinched their arm. Then, use the knee that is on the mat to drive forward and throw your opponent. Be sure to not just try to pull them over your shoulder; use your core and legs to create the power.

Head to Chest Fireman’s Carry

Even though Georgi calls this a fireman’s carry, it is not quite the traditional fireman’s carry we are used to seeing. The first thing you need to do is to secure a Russian tie. When you have the arm 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. 

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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. 

Elbow Pinch Lateral Drop

This lateral drop is another great option you can hit from a Russian tie. One of the reasons that it works well is because you can hit it when your opponent grabs your elbow to defend the position. Start out in a good Russian tie position and make sure the arm is tight to your body. Watch how Georgi uses his belly to block his opponent’s arm and then takes the hand that is on the wrist and brings it up to almost an underhook position. Be sure to look the direction you are planning on throwing. Then pop your hips and launch your opponent. 

If you have trouble hitting this throw here are a couple of things to look at. First, are you stepping in deep enough. Your hips need to be close to your opponent’s hips. If there is too much space, the throw won’t work. Another thing to look at is are you able to pop your hips. If you can’t already do a lateral drop form and over under position, you probably aren’t ready to for this variation of a lateral drop. Lastly, make sure you are committing to the throw. It’s either all or nothing with throws, if you are only give 75% chances are it won’t work the way you want it to. 

There are so many different moves that you can hit from a Russian tie. These three are not only very effective, but also put your opponent to their back which is great, especially for freestyle. 

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