Takedown

The Body Lock Takedown group comprises all takedowns initiated from a locked body clinch where the attacker's arms encircle the opponent's torso. [1] The body lock provides a powerful platform for takedowns because the locked grip eliminates the space between fighters and allows the attacker to directly manipulate the opponent's centre of gravity. [1,2] Techniques in this group are classified by the attacker's position relative to the opponent — front, rear, or side — each offering distinct mechanical advantages and entry opportunities. [2] Body lock takedowns are fundamental in Greco-Roman wrestling where leg attacks are prohibited, making upper-body clinch work the primary offensive pathway. [2,3] In MMA, body lock takedowns have become increasingly prominent as wrestlers adapted their skills to cage fighting, where the fence provides a wall to press opponents against while securing the lock. [3]

The Clinch Takedown group encompasses takedowns that are initiated from and dependent on an established clinch position, where the primary mechanism is neither a pure leg attack nor a body lock lift. [1] These takedowns leverage the unique dynamics of clinch fighting — including collar ties, underhooks, overhooks, and head position — to create off-balancing opportunities that lead to takedowns. [1,2] The group includes dirty boxing takedowns from Muay Thai and MMA clinch exchanges, as well as wall/cage-specific takedowns that exploit the unique environmental constraint of a cage or wall. [2] Clinch takedowns are particularly important in MMA, where the ability to take an opponent down from the clinch without shooting for legs is a critical skill. [2,3] Many fighters prefer clinch takedowns because they avoid the risk of guillotine chokes and sprawl counters associated with level-change leg attacks. [3]

The Leg Attack Takedown group encompasses all takedowns that primarily target the opponent's legs as the point of attack, including single legs, double legs, and ankle picks. [1] Leg attacks are the most common takedown category in freestyle wrestling and MMA because they allow the attacker to change level and penetrate from outside the clinch, attacking the opponent's base directly. [1,2] The fundamental mechanical principle is level change — the attacker drops their hips below the opponent's hips and drives forward to attack the legs, removing the opponent's base of support. [2] Leg attacks require a penetration step (shooting), where the attacker closes distance explosively while lowering the centre of gravity. [2,3] This group is prohibited in Greco-Roman wrestling but forms the backbone of freestyle, folkstyle, and MMA takedown systems. [3]

Rolling Entry takedowns are techniques where the attacker uses a forward or lateral roll to rapidly close distance and enter into leg entanglements, takedowns, or submission positions — sacrificing standing position for immediate ground engagement. [1] The most famous rolling entry is the Imanari Roll, named after Japanese MMA fighter Masakazu Imanari, which transitions directly from standing into ashi garami (leg entanglement) positions for heel hook and knee bar attacks. [1,2] Rolling entries gained prominence through the modern leg lock renaissance, where the Danaher Death Squad (Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Eddie Cummings) demonstrated that entering leg entanglements from standing via rolling entries could bypass traditional takedown and guard-pulling dynamics. [2,3] Rolling entries are high-risk, high-reward techniques — a successful roll immediately establishes a leg lock position, while a failed roll can leave the attacker in a disadvantaged bottom position. [3]

The Takedown group covers all fundamental techniques for bringing an opponent from a standing position to the ground while the attacker remains in a dominant or neutral position — the essential bridge between standing combat and ground fighting. [1] Takedowns are distinct from throws in that they typically involve driving or pulling the opponent to the mat through level changes, penetration steps, and leg attacks, rather than the lifting or rotational projection characteristic of throws. [1,2] The core takedown techniques — single leg, double leg, high crotch, body lock, and snap-down — form the foundation of competitive wrestling and have been adopted universally into MMA, BJJ, sambo, and self-defence systems. [2,3] In every scoring combat sport, takedowns earn points (2 in freestyle wrestling, 2 in BJJ, and implicit judging credit in MMA), making them among the most strategically valuable techniques across all martial arts. [3]

The Trip Takedown group encompasses all takedowns that primarily use the attacker's legs or feet to disrupt the opponent's base by tripping, sweeping, or reaping their feet or legs. [1] Unlike leg-attack takedowns that grab the opponent's legs with the arms, trip takedowns use the attacker's own lower body as the primary mechanical tool — blocking, hooking, or sweeping the opponent's feet out from under them while upper body control provides the directing force. [1,2] This group includes foot sweeps, inside trips, outside trips, and scissor takedowns, drawing techniques from judo (ashi-waza), wrestling, sambo, and various traditional martial arts. [2] Trip takedowns are energy-efficient because they exploit the opponent's momentum and weight distribution rather than requiring the attacker to lift or carry the opponent's mass. [2,3] Many trip takedowns function best as timing-based counter-attacks, catching opponents in motion. [3]

The Upper Body Takedown group encompasses takedowns initiated through upper body control — arm drags, collar ties, wrist control, and head manipulation — that redirect the opponent's balance and create takedown opportunities without directly attacking the legs or using a body lock. [1] Upper body takedowns work by disrupting the opponent's posture, balance, and structural alignment through pulling, pushing, and redirecting forces applied above the waist. [1,2] This group includes arm drags, snap-downs, duck-unders, and drag takedowns, all of which use the opponent's own upper body structure as the handle for off-balancing. [2] Upper body takedowns are valuable in all combat contexts but are particularly important in Greco-Roman wrestling where leg attacks are prohibited. [2,3]