How To Be Better At Takedowns
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Before I started BJJ, I had a few years of experience with Judo. I'm trying to get the guys at my BJJ gym to learn takedowns. They are enjoying it and glad to learn but it ain't easy. Here's some of my advice:
Start by doing falling drills from Judo. Back falls and side falls are common exercises you can watch on Youtube.
Then practice throws in a controlled, drilling fashion. Make sure your partner throws you all the way to the ground. This is the best way to learn to fall. Falling hurts at first but after a few weeks, it doesn't hurt anymore.
When falling, NEVER LET THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD HIT THE MAT. Try to land on your side not flat on your back.
Don't do stand-up wrestling until you are comfortable with falling. If being thrown scares you, you're not ready for live wrestling. You need to practice throw drills more.
Break grips all the time. Never let your opponent grab you, even your wrist. Of course, this is impossible but that is the goal.
Do footsweeps. Do footsweeps all the time. Never stop foot sweeping. Footsweeps are like boxing jabs. They usually don't knock your opponent down but they're great distractions and keep your opponent from initiating.
Fake shots and do feints and fake takedowns all the time. This keeps your opponent guessing and confused. When they get used to you faking, then you go for a real takedown.
STOP SHOOTING IN ALL THE TIME. There are other takedowns. If all you do is shoot, you'll never learn them. Single leg and double legs are effective but they are risky and energy-intensive too. I guillotine choke guys all day long who shoot on me poorly.
Start standing any chance you get. At first, it will suck cause you won't know what you are doing. After a few weeks, you'll learn some tricks.
NO GUARD PULLING. That's for girly men and nothing is more lame. If you pull guard, go home for the night. You're done.
The front headlock is awesome. Learn throws from there. When you try to footsweep or fake a shot, people drop their heads. That's when you can get them in a front headlock. Or you get a front headlock when people shoot on you and you stuff it.
Stop trying to take down your opponent straight on. It's pretty hard to take people down without an angle. Try to get an angle then shoot or whatever. This is not easy but there are several ways to do this. Arm drags and head pushes and Russian 2n1 and side steps are a few. Watch Youtube videos on "wrestling creating angles" and you'll get the idea.
Pushing your opponent with the crown of your head on their neck/chest can be a great defense.
Try to be tricky. Not fast or strong or explosive. Being rough is a great way to get yourself injured.
RELAX. Just cause you are standing doesn't mean you are fighting to the death. There are no cash prizes or brass medals. If you feel like your opponent has a good throw on you, go with it.
You can practice takedown in a live manner in a safer way. Just don't throw each other all the way to the ground. That is what my friends and I do in my garage. Of course, you have to make sure the guy you are training with is not a white belt spaz who will forget the rule.
Anyway, hope this helps.