Terms

The very first five minutes of instruction for new wrestlers should cover the terms below:

Cup

Grip

Cradle Lock

Wrestler’s Lock

Thumb in, as if you are drinking a “cup” of water.

Thumb out - the way you “grip” a baseball bat. This is used in a wide variety of situations including wrist and finger control, tie-ups, etc.

This lock consists of two cups and is commonly used to secure a cradle.

Wrist Control

Finger Control

Note - Wrestling doesn’t have a standard set of terminology so the two locks below could be called anything.

This lock is obtained by putting your two palms together and then closing your fingers. Used for a single leg takedown.

Note - “Hand” control consists of either “wrist” or “finger” control as shown below.

There is a “notch” where the arm connects to the hand. God made this so that wrestlers can “grip” it and secure wrist control. Used in some tie-ups and to execute stand-ups.

Finger control is obtained by gripping the four fingers and squeezing them to a point. Used for sit-outs and turn-ins.