BJJ Graph

Double leg takedown

Jun 15, 202512 min read

Double Leg Takedown

bjjtransitiontakedownwrestling

Transition Properties

  • Transition ID: T002
  • Starting State: Standing Position
  • Ending State: Side Control or Top Half Guard
  • Success Probability: Beginner (40%), Intermediate (70%), Advanced (85%)
  • Execution Complexity: Medium
  • Physical Attributes: Explosiveness (High), Strength (Medium), Timing (High)

Transition Description

The Double Leg Takedown is a fundamental wrestling-based technique adapted for BJJ where you attack both of your opponent’s legs simultaneously to bring them to the ground. This powerful transition moves the fight from standing to the ground with you in a dominant top position. When executed properly, it bypasses the opponent’s guard entirely, potentially landing directly in side control. The technique relies on precise timing, explosive penetration, and strategic control to overcome defensive reactions, making it a cornerstone of takedown strategies in competitive BJJ and MMA contexts.

Visual Execution Sequence

Detailed description for clear visualization of the transition in action:

From a standing position, you face your opponent in a neutral stance, maintaining a balanced athletic posture with your lead foot forward, knees slightly bent, and weight centered, ready to exploit any opening. You create an opportunity through a subtle feint or by reacting to their forward movement, dropping your level swiftly by bending your knees while keeping your back straight and head up to avoid telegraphing your intent. As you lower your center of gravity, you drive forward explosively with your lead leg, penetrating your hips forward to close the distance, aligning your head, shoulders, and hips for maximum impact. Your arms wrap around both of the opponent’s legs at or above the knees, hands connecting or wrists clasping behind their thighs, while your head is positioned tight to their body, ideally outside their hip to maintain control. With a powerful drive forward and upward, you lift the opponent off balance, using your shoulder pressure against their lower abdomen to disrupt their base. Finally, you guide them to the ground while maintaining control of their legs, transitioning immediately to secure a top position like side control by passing their legs if necessary, ensuring they cannot recover guard easily.

Template: “From standing, face opponent in neutral stance, balanced with lead foot forward. Create opportunity with feint or reaction, drop level with knees bent, back straight. Drive forward explosively with lead leg, penetrate hips to close distance. Wrap arms around both legs at knees, connect hands behind thighs, head tight to body. Lift opponent off balance with forward and upward drive, shoulder against abdomen. Guide to ground, control legs, transition to side control or top position.”

Execution Steps

  1. Create an opening through feints, level changes, or timed reactions to disrupt opponent’s defensive posture.
  2. Drop level with bent knees, keeping back straight and head up to maintain balance and avoid counters.
  3. Drive forward with lead leg while penetrating hips forward to close distance explosively.
  4. Wrap both arms around opponent’s legs at or above the knees for secure control.
  5. Connect hands or clasp wrists behind opponent’s legs to lock in the grip.
  6. Drive forward and upward with shoulder pressure against opponent’s lower abdomen, lifting them off balance.
  7. Guide opponent to ground while maintaining control of legs to prevent guard recovery.
  8. Transition immediately to secure top position, passing legs if necessary to achieve side control.

Key Details

  • Double Leg Control: Hands connected behind knees or thighs for secure grip.
  • Head Position: Tight to opponent’s body, preferably outside hip to avoid counters.
  • Shoulder Pressure: Applied against opponent’s lower abdomen to disrupt balance.
  • Hip Connection: Essential for maximum drive and lifting power during takedown.
  • Elbow Control: Used during finish to prevent opponent from posting or escaping.
  • Penetration Angle: Slight angle often preferable to direct frontal approach for better control.
  • Timing Recognition: Identifying optimal windows when opponent’s weight is forward.
  • Defensive Awareness: Maintaining readiness to adjust to sprawls or submission counters.

Success Modifiers

Factors that influence the success rate of the transition:

  • Timing Precision: Executing when opponent’s weight is forward or during movement (+15%)
  • Penetration Power: Explosive drive to close distance and disrupt balance (+10%)
  • Grip Security: Strong connection of hands behind legs for control (+10%)
  • Setup Effectiveness: Use of feints or level changes to create openings (+10%)
  • Experience Level: Familiarity with wrestling techniques and opponent reactions (+5% per skill level)

Common Counters and Counter-Attacks

Analysis of opponent responses with success rates for counter-attacks:

Decision Logic for Opponent Behavior

If [opponent weight] is forward or during movement:
- Execute [[Double Leg Takedown]] (Probability: 80%)

Else if [opponent posture] is defensively strong:
- Attempt [[Feint or Level Change]] to create opening (Probability: 50%)

Else if [opponent sprawl] is initiated early:
- Adjust to [[Front Headlock Transition]] (Probability: 60%)

Else if [opponent underhook] blocks angle:
- Switch to [[Single Leg Takedown]] (Probability: 55%)

Else [maintain control]:
- Reset stance and wait for better timing (Probability: 40%)

Variants

  • Blast Double (maximum explosion, minimal setup for speed)
  • Running Double (continuous forward pressure for relentless attack)
  • High Double (gripping at thighs rather than knees for higher control)
  • Low Double (diving attack with head outside for lower penetration)
  • Single to Double (beginning with single leg control, transitioning to double)

Expert Insights

  • John Danaher: “The Double Leg Takedown emphasizes precise mechanical details over raw explosion, focusing on the correct penetration angle and connection of head, hands, and hips throughout the technique. I teach systematic methods to deal with each defensive response, ensuring practitioners can adapt mid-attack. The key is maintaining control through the descent to secure a dominant position, avoiding the opponent’s guard recovery.”
  • Gordon Ryan: “I incorporate feints and strategic setups into the Double Leg Takedown rather than relying on pure athleticism. My approach connects the takedown to a seamless passing system designed to reach back control rather than staying in side control. Timing and misdirection are critical to bypassing strong defensive postures, making this a high-percentage move in competition.”
  • Eddie Bravo: “While I often favor guard pulling over traditional takedowns, when using doubles, I focus on immediate transitions to leg entanglements or the truck position rather than conventional top positions. The Double Leg can be adapted for no-gi by prioritizing control over completion. I emphasize unconventional follow-ups to catch opponents off-guard after the takedown.”

Common Errors

  • Error: Telegraphing level change
    • Why It Fails: Gives opponent time to sprawl or prepare defensive counters
    • Correction: Drop level swiftly without excessive upper body movement
    • Recognition: Opponent steps back or sprawls before penetration
  • Error: Dropping head too early
    • Why It Fails: Exposes neck to guillotine or head control counters
    • Correction: Keep head up until penetration, positioning outside hip during drive
    • Recognition: Opponent grabs head or neck during takedown attempt
  • Error: Inadequate penetration drive
    • Why It Fails: Fails to close distance or disrupt balance effectively
    • Correction: Drive off rear leg explosively with hips forward for impact
    • Recognition: Gap remains or opponent maintains balance after initial step
  • Error: Poor grip connection
    • Why It Fails: Loses control of legs, allowing opponent to escape or recover
    • Correction: Ensure hands connect or wrists clasp securely behind legs
    • Recognition: Legs slip out during lift or descent
  • Error: Neglecting follow-through
    • Why It Fails: Allows opponent to recover guard or scramble after landing
    • Correction: Maintain leg control and transition immediately to top position
    • Recognition: Opponent pulls guard or scrambles to neutral after takedown
  • Error: Incorrect head position
    • Why It Fails: Misalignment reduces drive power and exposes to counters
    • Correction: Keep head tight to body, ideally outside hip for control
    • Recognition: Takedown stalls or opponent redirects with head control

Knowledge Assessment Questions

5 technical questions with multiple choice answers:

  • Control Understanding: “What is the primary control mechanism in a Double Leg Takedown?”
    • A) Arm underhooks only
    • B) Double leg grip with hands connected behind knees (Correct)
    • C) Head control alone
    • D) Hip pressure without leg grip
  • Strategic Application: “What is the main advantage of a Double Leg Takedown over other takedowns?”
    • A) Targets submissions before position
    • B) Bypasses guard to achieve dominant top position (Correct)
    • C) Relies on minimal timing
    • D) Avoids physical contact
  • Error Recognition: “What is the most common mistake when initiating a Double Leg Takedown?”
    • A) Telegraphing level change (Correct)
    • B) Using excessive arm strength
    • C) Maintaining too much distance
    • D) Keeping head too high throughout
  • Defensive Awareness: “How can you prevent an opponent from countering with a sprawl during a Double Leg Takedown?”
    • A) Focus on arm control only
    • B) Time takedown with opponent’s forward weight shift (Correct)
    • C) Avoid level change entirely
    • D) Rush in without setup
  • Transition Knowledge: “Which position is most commonly accessed after a successful Double Leg Takedown?”
    • A) Back Control immediately
    • B) Side Control or Top Half Guard (Correct)
    • C) Closed Guard recovery
    • D) North-South without control

Performance Tips

  • Develop explosive penetration to close distance rapidly and disrupt balance.
  • Practice level changes without telegraphing intent to maintain surprise.
  • Focus on secure grip connection behind legs for maximum control.
  • Maintain head position tight to opponent’s body to avoid counters.
  • Coordinate head, hands, and hips for unified driving power during lift.
  • Use strategic feints to create openings for takedown attempts.
  • Transition immediately to top position after landing to prevent recovery.

Timing Considerations

  • Execute when opponent’s weight is forward for easiest takedown.
  • Time with opponent’s movement or step to catch them off-balance.
  • Follow immediately after breaking opponent’s posture or grip for effectiveness.
  • Use after creating level change reactions with feints for better openings.
  • Implement as counter to aggressive forward pressure to redirect momentum.
  • Capitalize on opponent’s recovery from failed attack for takedown window.

Setup Connections

Follow-up Options

Training Approaches

  • Shadow drilling takedown mechanics with focus on form and explosiveness.
  • Partner drilling with progressive resistance to build technique under pressure.
  • Timing drills with various setups to refine execution precision.
  • Live situational sparring from standing to test application in dynamic contexts.
  • Integration practice with subsequent positional control for complete sequences.
  • Defensive recognition and response training to adapt to counters.
  • Filming and analyzing takedown mechanics for refinement and error correction.

Competition Application

The Double Leg Takedown has proven highly effective in competition contexts across all levels:

  • Lower belt divisions: Successful with basic timing and explosive mechanics.
  • Higher belt divisions: Requires sophisticated setups and reaction-based timing.
  • Gi competition: Can be adapted with grip fighting to create takedown opportunities.
  • No-gi competition: Relies heavily on timing and penetration speed for success.
  • MMA crossover: Modified for striking defense awareness, offers safe takedown option.

Historical Context

The Double Leg Takedown originates from freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, becoming a staple in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through cross-training and the emphasis on takedowns in competitive formats like IBJJF and ADCC. Its adaptation into BJJ reflects the art’s evolution as a hybrid martial system, integrating wrestling principles with ground control strategies. The technique gained prominence with practitioners like Rodolfo Vieira and Gordon Ryan, who demonstrated its effectiveness in high-level competition. It remains a foundational takedown for controlling an opponent’s position from standing.

Conceptual Framework

The Double Leg Takedown embodies core BJJ and wrestling principles of control, timing, and energy efficiency. It leverages explosive penetration and strategic grip control to disrupt an opponent’s balance, creating a high-probability transition to a dominant position. The technique illustrates how physical attributes like explosiveness can be paired with precise mechanics to overcome defensive disparities. It serves as a critical element in a comprehensive standing game for competitive grapplers.

Computer Science Analogy

The Double Leg Takedown functions as a “state transition function” in the BJJ state machine, executing a direct shift from a standing neutral state to a dominant ground state. This represents a form of “deterministic state change,” where the input conditions (opponent’s posture and weight distribution) are systematically exploited to achieve a predictable output (top position). Like a well-optimized algorithm, the takedown minimizes energy expenditure by leveraging the opponent’s momentum, similar to how efficient code reuses existing resources. The technique demonstrates the principle of “error handling” by incorporating defensive awareness to adapt to counters like sprawls or submissions during execution.

Validation Checklist

Every transition file must include:

  • All required properties with specific values
  • Detailed visual execution sequence (minimum 4 sentences)
  • Complete execution steps list (minimum 5 steps)
  • Success modifiers with specific percentages
  • Common counters and counter-attack analysis with success rates
  • Decision logic for opponent behavior
  • Expert insights from all three authorities
  • Minimum 5 common errors with corrections
  • 5 knowledge test questions with answers
  • Training approaches and timing considerations

Example Implementation

See Scissor Sweep for a complete example implementing all standard requirements.

Notes for Developers

This standard ensures:

  • Consistent transition data for state machine implementation
  • Detailed execution mechanics for realistic modeling
  • Rich content for comprehensive technical documentation
  • Educational value through expert analysis
  • Technical depth for authentic understanding
  • Structured counter-attack analysis for complete coverage
  • Knowledge assessment integration
  • Training progression guidance

Updates to this standard should be reflected across all transition files to maintain consistency and educational value.

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