Most BJJ practitioners are bad at takedowns. The art has historically focused on the ground game and treated the standup phase as a way to get to the floor. In no gi BJJ that gap is even bigger because gi grips are not available. These five takedowns work without grips, work for grapplers without wrestling backgrounds, and stay reliable from white belt to black.
1. The Double Leg
The most fundamental wrestling takedown and one of the highest percentage takedowns in any combat sport. Drop your level by bending your knees, drive forward off your back foot, and shoot in to grab both of your opponent’s legs above the knees. Drive your shoulder into their hip and use your arms to pull their legs together while you continue forward.
Critical detail · The shot has to start with a level change, not a forward lean. Drop your hips by bending your knees first.
When to use it · When your opponent is squared up to you and reachable in one explosive step.
2. The Single Leg
The most common takedown in MMA and a high percentage option for no gi BJJ. Shoot in like you are going for the double, but commit to one of your opponent’s legs. Wrap your arms around their lead leg, with your head against their hip, and drive forward.
From the single leg position you can run the pipe (drive forward and dump them on their back), trip out their other leg, or lift the leg high to off balance them.
Critical detail · Head position matters. Your head should be against their hip, not against their belly. Heads against bellies invite guillotines.
3. The Snap Down
A wrestling staple that works against opponents who keep their head low or post their forehead against your chest. Cup the back of their head with both hands and pull down sharply while stepping back. As they stumble forward, transition to a front headlock or take their back.
Critical detail · The snap is sudden, not a long pull. The goal is to disrupt their balance, not pull them onto their face.
When to use it · Against opponents who post their head on you in clinch, or who reach forward with their arms in stance.
4. The Body Lock
A clinch takedown that does not require getting under your opponent. From an underhook, pull your opponent close and lock your hands behind their back. From the body lock you can sit back into a sweep, trip them with your leg, or back step and twist them to the mat.
Critical detail · Lock your hands tight and squeeze your opponent in close. The body lock fails if there is space between you.
When to use it · Against opponents who are taller than you and harder to shoot under. Body lock takedowns are the foundation of how Khabib and Islam Makhachev grapple.
5. The Arm Drag to Back Take
Less of a takedown and more of a positional change, but it gets you to back control which is the best position in BJJ. Snake one of your arms inside your opponent’s elbow and grab the back of their tricep. Pull their arm across your body while you step around to their back.
From there, climb to back position with both hooks in or pull them down to a seated back take.
Critical detail · The arm drag is a two part move. First you control the arm. Second you change angles to their back. Skipping the angle change just gives them a chance to face you again.
Why These Five
The five takedowns above cover three different ranges and three different opponents. The double and single leg cover a longer range. The snap down covers the head-down opponent. The body lock and arm drag work in tight clinch positions.
You do not need every wrestling and judo throw to be effective at standup BJJ. Master these five and you will land takedowns against most opponents below black belt.
How to Drill Takedowns
Most BJJ academies do not drill takedowns enough. Add ten minutes of takedown drilling to your warm up before each class. Pick one takedown per week and drill it 50 times slowly with a cooperative partner. Over a few months your standup will go from non-existent to functional.
If your gym has a wrestling specific class or open mat, attend it. Wrestling crossover is the fastest way to fix the standup gap that affects most BJJ practitioners.
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