Issue 136
December 2016
How to stuff a wrestler’s single-leg takedown attempt and take control of the action.
Kenny Johnson is a Premier MMA wrestling coach with students including BJ Penn, José Aldo and Anderson Silva, aided by Pedro Munhoz.
1 - Pedro shoots for a takedown on Kenny’s right leg.
2 - Kenny pushes Pedro’s head to the mat with his right hand while throwing his right leg back and driving his hips forward to make sure he can’t complete the takedown.
3 - Kenny moves to the front-headlock position and controls Pedro with his bodyweight, resting his chest on Pedro’s upper back.
4 - Keeping pressure on Pedro, Kenny pops up to his toes, allowing him to advance his position on the ground or stand up.
TOP TIPS:
HIGH SCHOOL
- You can also practice takedown defense technique by mixing sprawls into your shadow boxing combinations.
COLLEGIATE
- Always attack your opponent’s head first when you defend this type of takedown to break their posture and stop them driving forward.
OLYMPIAN
- You must keep your opponent’s head to the mat. If they have enough space to escape to either side, they’ll be able to re-shoot a takedown from their knees.
