How to Escape a Cradle in Wrestling
The cradle is one of the most basic pinning combinations used in folk-style wrestling and also one of the easiest to escape. Most beginning wrestlers are taught the cradle very early, so all wrestlers should be aware of how to escape this fundamental technique.
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Instructions
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Have your partner put you in a cradle. In the cradle, your partner's arms will be holding your knee and head fairly close together. The easiest place to attack the cradle is at the grip that connects his arms.
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Extend the leg that is being held powerfully in a quick explosion of strength. This will strain the grip that is holding your knee in place, and will possible break the grip, and allow you to escape the move without any further effort. After the explosive movement, if his grip slackens, keep pushing and attempt to break it with your raw leg strength. If the grip of the cradle doesn't slacken with the explosive push, attempting to fight it will usually be a waste of strength.
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Use your hands to attack his grip at the same time that your leg is applying a jolt of pressure. Your partner's hands should be visible while you are in a cradle, so grab them and attempt to pry them apart as you extend your leg. If he is using a fingers-on-fingers grip, twisting the grip can weaken it more effectively than putting additional pressure on it.
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Continue to give powerful jolts of strength with your legs while working to break his grip with your hands until the cradle breaks. Sometimes, a single jolt will free you, while other times it may take several to weaken the grip enough to escape. The key is to weaken the grip, and then switch to constant pressure over jolts, as your hands work on the weakened grip until it breaks. Do not allow your opponent to reset his grip.
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Tips & Warnings
When there is a disparity in physical strength between wrestlers, the cradle will be much more difficult to escape for the weaker wrestler.
