Issue 172

November 2018

Hook a leg and safely rise into a takedown

1: Greg begins on his back with his legs close to John.

2: Greg slides his hips out on the mat and hooks the back of John’s left knee with his foot.

3: Greg’s hooked foot gives him leverage to turn upwards in a corkscrew movement and get to one knee.

4: Greg gets to one knee, hooks John’s leg with his arm and faces the same direction as him.

5: Then Greg adjusts his arms to hook John’s thigh with his right arm and ankle with his left hand.

6: Greg rises, picks John’s leg up and takes control of his waist with his head against his body.

TOP TIPS:

AMATEUR:

Turn as you rise to stop your opponent sprawling their leg out and away.

SEMI-PRO:

With the right positioning, you can move your head on the way up so your opponent can only hit the back of it, which is illegal.

PROFESSIONAL:

Straighten your legs like a squat, so even if your opponent pushes down on your head, you’ll have the power to rise.