BJJ Beginners

Lesson 5 – Leg Hook Takedown

Position:

Standing

Overview:

Your goal in any fight should be to avoid dangerous punches while standing, and then get the fight to the ground where you can control the bully more effectively. The safest place to be in a fight, while standing, is in a clinch. From the clinch, the bullies striking power is almost entirely eliminated. You will learn how to close the distance and establish the clinch in a future lesson. In this lesson, we will teach you how to take the bully down once you have already established the clinch control.

Technical Slices:

Clinch Control

• Essential Detail: Head facing the opposite side of the hips.
• Most Common Mistake: Wobbly base during movement.
• Safety Tip: Make sure you don’t bend over too much to hurt the child’s neck.
• Transfer Teaching Tip: Use your hands to push them harder and harder each time.

Leg Hook Takedown

• Indicator: Bully maintains a wide base when you establish the clinch.
• Essential Detail: Effective leg hook and body drive.
• Most Common Mistake: Failing to put hands out for base prior to fall.
• Safety Tip: If the child forgets to release their hands, makes sure not to crush them.
• Transfer Teaching Tip: Make your base stronger and stronger with each repetition.

Bully Battle

• Practice the Leg Hook Takedown in combination with all of the previously learned techniques at various intensity levels. Give special emphasis to the Americana Armlock (Lesson 2), and don’t forget to negotiate!

Final Thoughts

• The secret to an effective Leg Hook Takedown is solid hip control, once you control the hips, the leg will be there. When you hook the leg, don’t forget to put your hands out for base BEFORE they get crushed under the bully’s back. After the takedown, you can go straight to the mount, or, if you feel off balance, you can transition to the side mount.