Issue 177

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 was Team Nogueira’s wrestling guru on The Ultimate Fighter. He and RFA 135lb champion, Pedro Munhoz, present wrestling techniques for MMA.

Single-Leg Finish: Turn Corner From Mat

1.Kenny (left) has a single-leg on Pedro. Kenny has his arms around Pedro’s left leg with his hands clasped inside Pedro’s thigh. Kenny’s head is tucked tight inside Pedro’s hip and his shoulder firm against the hip.

2.Instead of driving through on the single-leg attempt, Kenny will look to turn the corner. Kenny first breaks down Pedro’s base by driving into Pedro’s hip.

3.Now Pedro is unable to effectively drop his weight on Kenny, Kenny begins to cut more of an angle looking to take control of Pedro from behind. NOTE: While it was easier for Pedro to control Kenny’s body while it was more square to him, it’s very difficult to control Kenny from this position.

4.Kenny lowers his body and touches his elbow to the floor, which should help stop Pedro from simply moving away from Kenny as Kenny tries to turn the corner.

5.Still holding on tight, Kenny brings his left knee closer to Pedro’s left knee and steps his right leg over Pedro’s left.

NOTE: Now Kenny has stepped over Pedro’s left leg and maintained control with his hands, it will be hard for Pedro to get back up to his feet.

6.Kenny quickly pops his head out and controls Pedro's waist, helping to prevent Pedro from reversing position. From here he can land strikes, look to advance position or control Pedro further.