Issue 131

August 2015

Kenny Johnson is one of the most esteemed wrestling coaches in MMA. Noted for his work with BJ Penn, he’s also taught Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida. He and UFC bantamweight Pedro Munhoz present the best wrestling techniques for MMA. Here, Kenny demonstrates a sprawl to head cut-inside technique,

1. Kenny (black T-shirt) throws a jab and Pedro drops under it and grabs his right leg.

2. Kenny grabs Pedro’s head, posts his left leg and braces himself to defend the takedown.

3. Kenny then clears his right leg by kicking it back and sprawls. At the same time, he stuffs Pedro’s head inside, and then to the mat to stop his takedown and break his posture. 

4. With Pedro’s attack neutralized, Kenny pops onto his toes, but keeps his left hand on Pedro’s right tricep to control his arm and prevent any further takedown attempts.