The Double Leg Take Down With Fabiano Scherner

The double leg is probably one of the most commonly recognized takedowns in wrestling and Jiu Jitsu.  

The double leg takedown has been around for a long time and has several variations practitioners have created over the years as they find little details that work for them and help them to complete the takedown successfully.  Let’s take a look at Fabiano Scherner’s take on the double leg take down.

As we start the match the very first thing to do is obtain control of the opponent's’ head.  Fabiano does this by grabbing the bottom of the neck using a cupping grip with one hand and then works to get a pushing c grip on the opponent's arm anywhere from the elbow to the shoulder.  (A C grip is simply a standard grip where your thumb and index finger form the letter C.)

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With this grip Fabiano starts pushing on the opponent's’ arm or shoulder, naturally the opponent is going to push back into him, as he does this Fabiano now begins to pull the neck, creating yet another reaction.  As you pull the head down, naturally the opponent is going to fight to posture back up, if they do not, you can simply continue pulling them down to the mats.

As soon as the opponent fights against your neck pull to regain their posture, this creates an opportunity for us to drop into a squat position.  At this point he is not moving his legs, simply squatting in the off angle position his legs were in. At this point he drives his lead leg knee to the mats, which should land close to if not exactly between the opponents’ legs.

 As Fabiano is driving his knee to the mat, he is cupping the back of the opponents’ legs. Fabiano prefers a cupping grip on the back of the opponents’ legs just above the knee. In this position he has his ear on the opponents’ rib cage, maintaining good posture and pushing into the opponent with his head, working to further off balance them.

Now that we are in position, it’s time to look at finishing the double leg takedown.  Fabiano takes his back leg and steps and circles with his outside leg. While doing this he is pressuring into the opponent's’ rib cage with his head and working to lift the opponents’ leg.  

All of these three things must be done simultaneously in order to off balance the opponent and give you the opportunity to execute the takedown. As you begin circling with the outside leg the opponent can not regain their balance because you have kept your grip on their opposite leg (the leg still planted on the floor as you’re lifting their other leg), this creates the off balancing the enables you to complete the takedown, often times landing inside the opponents’ half guard.  

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