How to Do a Double Leg Takedown
Perfect your shoot step., Get in close enough to touch your opponent's shoulder., Put your lead foot between your opponent's legs., Snake their legs with your hands., Bring your back leg forward and place your foot on the outside of their leg., Step...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Perfect your shoot step.
The shoot is the building block of lots of wrestling takedowns.
The double-leg takedown is essentially a quick shoot in at your opponent's lower body that ends with you wrapping up the legs and dropping to the mat.
Since a good wrestler will practice shoots frequently throughout the week, it's a good way of starting to think about getting a double-leg takedown into your repertoire of moves.Stay in your stance with your lead leg slightly forward, bent over at the hips, with your head up.
Take a penetration step with your lead foot and place your knee in between their legs.
As you do this, lower your level to make your center of gravity lower which gives you more balance and makes the shot much more difficult to block.
Bring your trail leg up while your front knee secures your position on the mat, keeping your hands in a defensive position.
Bring your front leg back up and return to the staggered stance.
Practice strings of these shoots regularly to get into good wrestling shape. -
Step 2: Get in close enough to touch your opponent's shoulder.
To execute the takedown properly, you need to get low enough and close enough to get past your opponent's defense.
That's partially speed, which will come with practice, but also shooting from the right position.
For some wrestlers, that can be as many as two or three feet, while others may need to be in closer.
You need to be close enough to maintain balance in your shoot step, so it doesn't turn into an advantage for your opponent.
Some wrestlers can shoot from farther away, while some need to be closer to do it properly.
Practice your doubles on sparring partners to learn how close you need to be to do it properly with your strength and speed. , To shoot in, push off with your trailing foot from the staggered position and get your lead foot between your opponent's feet.
Keep your elbows in tight as you're preparing to shoot in for the takedown, maintaining a good defensive positioning and stance, and stay as low as possible.While you are taking the penetration step, lower your level to give yourself more balance and make the shot harder to counter.
You should end up with your knee between their legs. , Do this by wrapping your hands around the outside of their legs and grabbing the inside of their knees. , Then put your head on the side of their hip so your can push their body with your head.
Trying to wrap up too high on the legs might seem like a better way of controlling your opponent, but most wrestlers' thighs will be much too strong to control with your upper body.
It's unlikely you'll be able to overpower the other wrestler's center of gravity.
Putting your ear to the side of their hip make everything tighter.
Plus, not doing it leaves your head in in either of two different places:
Either in the middle, which isn't good; or way off to the side, which is awkward and can make your throw less powerful. , You shot in and wrapped up your opponent, but now it's still up to you to get back to the mat and get some points.
To make it happen, bring your trailing foot forward, without dragging your knee, and push off with your lead foot, taking a little stagger step to the outside of your opponent's body, if necessary.
Keep pushing forward to drive through your opponent and take them off balance.
Your step to get up to your foot should be almost like another shoot, or a hop, powering through your opponent's body and throwing them off their gravity.
You've stolen that gravity by wrapping it up, now take them down.
Keep your shoulder in tight, your arms snaked around your opponents lower legs, and driving forward and your opponent should be on the mat in no time.
Keep moving forward , When you take your opponent onto the back, keep pressure on his torso with your shoulder, as if you were trying to drive through the other wrestler's body and into the mat.
Flatten out, chest-to-chest, if you can.
At this point, you've successfully executed the double-leg take down and can attempt to go for the pin, or some other offensive maneuver.
Good wrestlers will flop over onto their belly when you execute a double-leg take down.
If so, this is still points for you, so take advantage of it by staying behind in a dominant position. -
Step 3: Put your lead foot between your opponent's legs.
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Step 4: Snake their legs with your hands.
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Step 5: Bring your back leg forward and place your foot on the outside of their leg.
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Step 6: Step forward with your trailing leg and get to your feet.
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Step 7: Try to make a T with your opponent's body.
Detailed Guide
The shoot is the building block of lots of wrestling takedowns.
The double-leg takedown is essentially a quick shoot in at your opponent's lower body that ends with you wrapping up the legs and dropping to the mat.
Since a good wrestler will practice shoots frequently throughout the week, it's a good way of starting to think about getting a double-leg takedown into your repertoire of moves.Stay in your stance with your lead leg slightly forward, bent over at the hips, with your head up.
Take a penetration step with your lead foot and place your knee in between their legs.
As you do this, lower your level to make your center of gravity lower which gives you more balance and makes the shot much more difficult to block.
Bring your trail leg up while your front knee secures your position on the mat, keeping your hands in a defensive position.
Bring your front leg back up and return to the staggered stance.
Practice strings of these shoots regularly to get into good wrestling shape.
To execute the takedown properly, you need to get low enough and close enough to get past your opponent's defense.
That's partially speed, which will come with practice, but also shooting from the right position.
For some wrestlers, that can be as many as two or three feet, while others may need to be in closer.
You need to be close enough to maintain balance in your shoot step, so it doesn't turn into an advantage for your opponent.
Some wrestlers can shoot from farther away, while some need to be closer to do it properly.
Practice your doubles on sparring partners to learn how close you need to be to do it properly with your strength and speed. , To shoot in, push off with your trailing foot from the staggered position and get your lead foot between your opponent's feet.
Keep your elbows in tight as you're preparing to shoot in for the takedown, maintaining a good defensive positioning and stance, and stay as low as possible.While you are taking the penetration step, lower your level to give yourself more balance and make the shot harder to counter.
You should end up with your knee between their legs. , Do this by wrapping your hands around the outside of their legs and grabbing the inside of their knees. , Then put your head on the side of their hip so your can push their body with your head.
Trying to wrap up too high on the legs might seem like a better way of controlling your opponent, but most wrestlers' thighs will be much too strong to control with your upper body.
It's unlikely you'll be able to overpower the other wrestler's center of gravity.
Putting your ear to the side of their hip make everything tighter.
Plus, not doing it leaves your head in in either of two different places:
Either in the middle, which isn't good; or way off to the side, which is awkward and can make your throw less powerful. , You shot in and wrapped up your opponent, but now it's still up to you to get back to the mat and get some points.
To make it happen, bring your trailing foot forward, without dragging your knee, and push off with your lead foot, taking a little stagger step to the outside of your opponent's body, if necessary.
Keep pushing forward to drive through your opponent and take them off balance.
Your step to get up to your foot should be almost like another shoot, or a hop, powering through your opponent's body and throwing them off their gravity.
You've stolen that gravity by wrapping it up, now take them down.
Keep your shoulder in tight, your arms snaked around your opponents lower legs, and driving forward and your opponent should be on the mat in no time.
Keep moving forward , When you take your opponent onto the back, keep pressure on his torso with your shoulder, as if you were trying to drive through the other wrestler's body and into the mat.
Flatten out, chest-to-chest, if you can.
At this point, you've successfully executed the double-leg take down and can attempt to go for the pin, or some other offensive maneuver.
Good wrestlers will flop over onto their belly when you execute a double-leg take down.
If so, this is still points for you, so take advantage of it by staying behind in a dominant position.
About the Author
Amber Cooper
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