How to Do a Double Leg Takedown

From Ultimate Fighting Competitions to formalized wrestling and everything in between, the double leg takedown is a mainstay of the fighting arts. Getting a punch-heavy opponent to the ground is an effective way of swinging the momentum of the fight to your advantage. Follow these steps to perform grappling's double leg takedown.

Instructions

    • 1

      Fake a head attack. Maintain eye contact with your opponent so he doesn't expect you to go for the ground. You can either throw your hand upward at an angle as if you're going for a clinch or you can use a jab, or a jab combo, to fake your opponent out while closing distance.

    • 2

      Shoot for the legs. To shoot for your opponent's legs, crouch down into a semi-squat. This prevents you from simply throwing your upper body at his lower body (a mistake that can end up with you knocked out). As you lower into the crouch keep your hands out in front of you and be ready to either block a knee or a kick or to jump back away from a leg attack.

    • 3

      Step forward and grab. Take a step forward with your lead foot and go into the shoot. Lead with your chest and arms and keep your head back. Grab your opponent around his thighs, approximately midway between his hips and knees. Turn your head sideways against your opponent's body in order to neutralize the possibility of a neck injury and to leverage your body weight.

    • 4

      Push forward for the takedown. Once you've got your opponent in a hold around his legs and your head is flat against his hips or upper thighs, push your weight forward and pull on his legs to take him down.

    • 5

      Release and fall into a dominant position. As you fall with your opponent, release your grip from his legs so that when you hit the ground you can land in a dominant position such as a side mount. Keep your arms over him and your legs in a stable position so that your opponent cannot throw a reversal.