Elbow Tie Cross Ankle Pick Setup

The practitioner controls the opponent's tricep—not the elbow—while matching lead legs to establish proper positioning. This tricep control is essential, as reaching too high allows the opponent to defend by bending the heel backward. The near-side hand drops behind the heel with the pinky touching the mat to secure the ankle pick.

Execution and Finish

The shooter drives the knee forward while pushing the tricep across the opponent's body toward the attacking leg's knee. Once the opponent is picked over, the far-side hand releases the tricep and immediately covers the opposite leg to prevent escape. This sequence—tricep control, leg match, knee drop, heel grab, and cover—creates a high-percentage takedown.

Finishing Variations

The cross ankle pick can finish in multiple ways depending on opponent positioning: continuing to a double-leg takedown, elevating to the feet for a top finish, or transitioning to a double-leg if the initial ankle pick is defended. Elite practitioners adapt their finish based on real-time defensive responses.

Same-Side Ankle Pick Alternative

When the opponent's lead leg matches the shooter's, a cross ankle pick becomes ineffective and risks overextension. Instead, the shooter can attack the same-side ankle by elevating quickly and swinging to a single-leg position. This requires immediately releasing the tricep control and collecting the leg to prevent the opponent from defending the shot.

Knee Pull Single Variation

Against higher-stance opponents, the shooter reaches behind the knee and opens the elbow to attack the knee pull single instead of shooting low. The trailing leg swings around to finish at the higher leg position. Stance height and head position determine whether to attack low on the leg or behind the knee.

Elbow Tie Slide By Setup

The elbow tie slide by works from either a collar tie or inside tie position. The shooter controls the tricep with one hand and the collar tie with the other, then takes a large step in to build pressure. Building pressure before the technique improves its effectiveness significantly.

Elbow Tie Slide By Execution

The shooter raises the elbow to the ceiling while pulling the opponent's tricep across their own body, creating separation and a pathway to pass. A shuffle step helps turn the angle before driving the back leg forward. The tricep passes the shooter's centerline as the collar tie maintains control.

Merkel Position Contingency

If the opponent remains upright after the slide by, the shooter transitions to a Merkel position by locking both hands around the neck and near arm. Hooking the foot around the opponent's foot and driving the hands to the mat scores a takedown in folk-style wrestling. This position serves as both a backup finish and a transition point to back control.

Jax Forrest Elbow Tie System

Iron Faith Wrestling

Collar Elbow Clinch

3 min read·8 key moments·PT12M37S video

Key Takeaways

•Elbow Tie Cross Ankle Pick Setup
•Execution and Finish
•Finishing Variations
•Same-Side Ankle Pick Alternative

Iron Faith Merch ➡️ https://amptstudio.chipply.com/ifwc/ Join the #1 Online Wrestling Academy in the world ➡️ https://www.skool.com/iron-faith-academy 00:10 Elbow Tie Cross Ankle Pick 01:51 2 Variations of Elbow Tie Cross Ankle Pick 04:41 Iron Faith Academy 05:00 Elbow Tie Slide By 06:40 Slide By To Merkle 07:42 Slide By To High Single 08:33 Slide By To Multiple Shots 09:27 Slide By From The Knees 11:00 BONUS MOVE!!!

Related Techniques

Wrist Control Clinch

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this video teach about collar elbow clinch?

This video covers elbow tie cross ankle pick setup, execution and finish, finishing variations. It provides detailed instruction from Iron Faith Wrestling.

How long does it take to learn collar elbow clinch?

The basic mechanics can be understood in a single session, but developing reliable execution requires consistent drilling over weeks of practice. This 8-part breakdown helps structure your training by isolating each phase of the technique.