Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu From the Clinch

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Effective throws or Takedowns

From the clinch or while closing the distance to the clinch, effective throws or

takedowns are an excellent ways to defend against a skilled street fighter, martial artist

or larger opponent as a jiu-jitsu stylist. A takedown is performed in the grappling range.

From the front clinch the effective takedowns are:

1. The Bear hug- Hold your wrist around the hips of your opponent, pull his hips

into you as you push your shoulder and neck against his upper torso.

Remember you can trip the leg with your outside foot, but also remember to

step back into base before you hit the ground. Have a controlled landing as you

hit the ground if you can.

2. The Double leg- Change your level, hold both legs at the knees, come to your

knees if you have to, but keep good posture with your head. Continue to drive

with your legs and pull on the backs of the knees. If you are being hit on the

head with punches and you can’t effectively change to a single leg takedown,

standup to the clinch again. If you stay on your knees, you can get hurt with

strikes badly.

3. The Single leg- The single leg takedown as mentioned can work well if you

first attempt a double leg and make a transition. However, to perform the

single leg from the front clinch, change your level by bending at your knees,

keep a good posture with your head/neck in the person’s chest, and grab the

opponent’s nearest leg with both of your arms holding your wrist & trapping

his leg between your legs by squeezing your knees together. This position will

give a lot of leverage to perform many different takedowns such as a trip, back

to double leg, back to a bear hug, or simply stepping back with your outside leg

(the one that is outside of the opponent’s body) and squatting downward

making pressure against the leg. Remember that if you work a kneeing double

leg takedown first and change to a single leg, standing up to your feet while

holding one of the opponent’s legs is a wise option to avoid strikes by the

opponent.

1. Trip takedown- Have a good base with your legs, hold around the opponent’s

waste with your arms at the wrist, come to the side a little bit keeping your head

down to avoid the elbow strikes, and sit/squat down & trip the far leg. Do not hit

your elbow on the ground and come to the top position. Remember you can move

to the back clinch to the front clinch or visa versa, yet avoid the side or front

headlock, which is common to occur during transitions.

Other factors to remember about takedowns are as followed:

• Always try to end up in the top position when the fight goes to the ground. Being

on the bottom during a fight is always a second choice or a defensive position.

• Remember to use modified takedowns against a wall or a car. Moreover, against

a wall it is important to keep a good pressure against the opponent so he can’t

push himself away from the wall. “The wall is a your friend as a jiu-jitsu stylist.”

• Develop reflexive timing in the clinch against your opponent’s own takedowns.

• Have patience and do not use strength carelessly.

• Remember that being in the clinch is a safe way to avoid strikes, and that a

takedown does not always have to occur to defend yourself. The clinch is an

effective way to stalemate the fight until it ends.