Execute A Perfect Double Leg Takedown

By Fanatics Authors, July 08, 2019

If you’re a grappler, the existence of the double leg takedown is definitely on your radar. If you have a wrestling background, it may be one of your go to methods of getting the exchange to the mat. The double leg may have been the very first technique you learned as it is one of the most popular, effective, and applicable takedowns of all time.

I remember vividly trying my very first wrestling class when I was very young. We were all siting in a circle at the end and the coach asked if anyone would like to have a shot at the class prodigy. I willingly raised my hand, knowing nothing about this kid, and though Id give it a try. He proceeded to pummel me over and over again with the double leg. There was nothing I could do about it, and I knew immediately, that I had to learn how to do this also.

The double leg sometimes gets a bad rap in BJJ, because of the dangers it presents to an exposed neck and the possibility of counters. But any experienced wrestler or proficient BJJ player knows that performing the technique correctly will leave you safe from the pitfalls of performing the double leg haphazardly.

Let’s look at some double leg takedowns, and what makes them tick, performed by some of the best in the business, and make sure we are executing clean movements that don’t leave us vulnerable. This is a takedown I feel no one should ever give up on. It’s incredibly versatile and effective, but let’s make sure were doing it right!

You must understand how to change your level and use a penetration step to perform a sloid double leg takedown. Its an absolute necessity. For this information, lets go to one of the best wrestlers in the combat sports arena today, Henry Cejudo. Have a look!

Staying loose and composed, Cejudo begins to change his level. He keeps good posture as he drops his level down and begins to move forward, taking a step with his lead leg. Cejudo advises us not to drag the trailing leg but to keep it light and bring it along quickly as we step up. At the completion of the penetration step, Cejudo’s back is upright and he’s ready to start hunting for any takedown he chooses.

Cejudo ads a nice detail here with bringing his back foot in to the mix. He reminds us that our opponent is not focused on the back leg, and with this in mind, Cejudo brings his back foot forward to meet his lead foot and gets a bit more spring out of his step. Making his forward motion much more powerful and direct.

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Cejudo offers a drop step drill that we can use to sure-up our movements. Notice how straight his back is through the motions. This is a common theme with any takedown and this drill can help us to maintain that posture by staying focused on a straight back as continue through the movements.

Excellent stuff here from one of the best in the world!

Let’s move on to a great double leg take down that’s been modified for BJJ. Since the double leg’s deepest roots come from traditional wrestling. Let’s go straight to one of the greatest wrestling sources we could ever ask for J’den Cox. In this video Cox demonstrates a double leg takedown that’s perfect for a BJJ application. Have a look!

Cox begins with establishing inside control, which always seems paramount to the execution of a great takedown. He also secures a collar tie as well. Cox is going to look to set the entry up with a snap down. There’s great advice here. Cox Advises us not to ever back up, or rise up with out partner. So, as we perform the snap we don’t retreat backwards, and as our partner rises back up to counter, we don’t return with them. These are probably two of the must common errors that we run into when setting up a great takedown. Keep this in mind.

As Cox performs the snap, he level changes and stays put. When his partner counters by returning to his original posture, Cox enters, grabbing the back of his partners knees and placing his head squarely on his partners sternum. He then runs through his partner, pulling his partners legs tot eh opposite side of where he wishes to end up.

This particular variation of the double leg keeps our neck completely out of the equation. Which is ideal for BJJ. You can see how brutal and powerful this particular version is, and if you put some horsepower behind it, it could easily flatten someone. Be careful with your training partners!

If our head does get caught on the outside and a headlock is achieved, Cox recommends we look up to the ceiling and in to our partners armpit. Here he lifts his partner from the floor and can finish a more traditional double leg take down.

I love Bernardo Faria’s instruction. He always makes me feel that regardless of any reservations I may have about a technique, Ill be able to do it. This instruction is no different. Here, Faria demonstrates his variation of the double leg in the gi. Its quite simple and easy to follow. Check it out.

Faria first talks distance. He recommends being at about an arm’s reach from your opponent. But also, just far enough away that your opponent cannot secure a grip on your lapel. Faria then steps deep past the lead leg pf his partner and closes the distance. He takes a grip on the back of the knees, and with a bit of shoulder pressure and the pulling of the knees, he puts his partner on his back. Faria does not immediately follow the exchange to the ground here. He stays on his feet in good passing position, ready to begin moving forward.

Faria addresses something here that’s incredibly common and may lead to that pesky problem of having your neck acquired. If we don’t step deep enough in to our partners stance, we compensate for this shallow step by bending at out waist. This causes us to extend our neck and put ourselves in bad position, resulting in being sprawled on, or even worse, a neck attack of some sort.

Clear concise and simple. Great information from Faria.

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