The cradle is a basic technique in amateur wrestling. Its name refers to the move’s similarity to the way a person holds an infant in their arms. The wrestler performs the cradle by grabbing the neck of his opponent with one arm, and wrapping the elbow of the other arm behind the knee of the opponent. The wrestler then locks both hands together. In that way, the cradled wrestler finds it very difficult to escape.
Cradles aren’t a BJJ move but once you know some BJJ and you start using cradles your mind will open like the Red Sea. Catch Wrestler and Blackzilians coach Neil Melanson gets them from everywhere and nowhere do the BJJ guys see it coming. Butterfly Guard, Weave Passing, Turtles, once you see them you will have a “Holy Sh*t” moment. This system is unlike any other and will become your goto move. Neil has left many a BJJ world champ who made the mistake of coming to roll wondering how the hell he got twisted into a pretzel.
In this technique, Neil applies a brutal choke from the cradle. It literally feels like cutting meat…
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