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Takedowns make up a huge part and play a great role in wrestling. It gets your scores in professional competitions, & can even grant you a win when executed perfectly. There are many different variations of takedowns that are used in wrestling, & mastering them all requires practice and patience. This combat sport Wrestling tests the strength, intelligence, endurance & your quickness as you engage yourself in this physical chess with the opponent.
Moves & countermoves should be battled in the constant struggle while playing. You must master these basic moves & techniques so they can be unleashed on the opponent & defend yourself when they are used against you.
Takedowns are the fundamental techniques that are effective at all levels of wrestling & other MMA competitions. Some of these moves are simple and pretty easy to learn. It’s not a secret that advanced wrestlers move around differently & hit the takedowns differently compared to the smaller wrestlers. Following are the great takedowns that will be effective for everyone regardless of their game level. Before you get into that make sure you suit yourself with premium quality wrestling gear and wrestling singlets.
Russian Tie Ankle Pick
This is very commonly associated with bigger Russian wrestlers. There are so many of the other shots that originate from this Russian tie. However, this takedown position requires taking the shot. It’s set by faking the single leg and using the opponent’s reaction for hitting the ankle pick. For starting the attack, take a step back from the leg of your opponent. This will make him think that you’re hitting the single leg & pulling the other one back.
Once they are done with stepping the foot back, transfer your whole weight on the far foot that makes it good for the ankle pick. Before reaching down for your ankle, hook your far ankle with the foot. You can watch the wrestler’s footwork he uses for closing the distance for hooking his ankle. Performing the hop step is significantly important for closing the distance. If you do not, it will spread out. Once your ankle is blocked, go down & grab your ankle & drive over the opponent; avoid lifting your ankle.
Double Leg Takedown
The double leg takedown is one of the most offensive moves that are taught to beginners. It starts by shooting in on your opponent. Once you get into the position, grab your opponent’s knees from both sides. Then place the head next to his hip, drive forward by using the legs & head pressure as you pull your opponent’s legs onto you. You have the choice of using that position for picking up your opponent off the mat so he can be thrown back.
The key to mastering the technique is it has to be performed repeatedly. You must execute these steps smoothly. Mastering this takedown will make it a nightmare for your opponent on the mat.
Front Headlock Throw
This takedown is thrown by the headlock position from the front side. Watch wrestlers lower their shoulders to the down block &their opponent using the simple snap for ending up the front headlock position. This move can be hit from the open or closed headlock position. The prime point about hitting this takedown is that you must exert a lot of pressure on the opponent’s head & neck to keep him fully under control. With the pressure, keep the opponent moving. Stopping it will allow them to defend themselves.
If you want to chase his far leg, the opponent’s natural response is to continue circling for not facing you. If they refrain from facing you then spin behind to ease the takedown.
Once the opponent is caught circling, throw your head & arm as hard as you can like you’re stirring the big pot.
Single Leg Takedown
It’s one of the most effective & effective take-down techniques. Single-Leg Takedown is hugely significant when it comes to wrestling with the Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. You can watch advanced wrestlers form perfecting and mastering your technique. Being able to execute it properly in the ring gives incredible benefits and hike up your game to another level. It’s the signature style of many wrestlers for pulling the guard.
Basically, in this takedown, you go down, and grab one of your opponent’s legs, lift them off the floor, & topple them over. In this takedown, there are so many technical and critical aspects that you must understand for rocking your game. You have to observe them when it comes to changing your hand positions, your head, and the few inches of space. Even a little leverage can change the whole aspect of your game and make it ineffective. Single Legs takedown can be turned into the Double Legs, & Double Leg can be switched to the single leg all it depends on the reaction of your opponent. These share similar techniques.
But specifically in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Submission Wrestling, you must be careful regarding putting the head outside of the opponent’s body because for multiple reasons it is illegal in many tournaments, expose your guillotine. There is no technique that is 100% safe in wrestling, putting your head outside gives some string finishes.
