Issue 129

June 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

1. Kenny has Pedro’s left foot trapped under his left arm.

2. Kenny cups Pedro’s knee with his right hand for extra support.

3. Kenny lets go of his right-arm grip and looks to cup Pedro’s ankle with his right hand instead. While he makes this transition, Kenny keeps Pedro’s leg elevated with his left thigh.

4. Now that Kenny has Pedro’s ankle secured over his left elbow, he plants his left leg back to the mat. 

5. Kenny drops his hips in to a staggered stance and faces Pedro. He now has Pedro’s ankle secured on his shoulder. 

6. Kenny unbalances Pedro by straightening his legs. 

7. Pedro subsequently falls to the mat, and Kenny follows him to the ground to complete the takedown.