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The single-leg takedown is a core technique in MMA, aiming to destabilize your opponent by capturing and controlling one leg. This version includes defensive techniques to counter the single-leg takedown attempt when your opponent targets you and provides methods to neutralize these counters if you’re executing the takedown.


  1. Setup
    • Use strikes or feints to create an opening. Force your opponent to react and expose their lead leg.
  2. Entry
    • Level Change: Drop your stance while keeping your back straight.
    • Penetration Step: Move forward toward their lead leg, positioning your chest close to their thigh.
    • Grip: Secure the leg with both arms: one hand behind the knee and the other near the ankle or calf.
  3. Drive and Balance
    • Push and Pull: Pull their leg toward you while driving forward with your legs.
    • Head Position: Keep your head on the inside of their body for leverage and safety.
  4. Finish the Takedown
    • Dump, Sweep, or Lift Variations to bring them to the ground based on their resistance.

  1. Sprawl Defense
    • Drop Your Hips: When your opponent grabs your leg, immediately lower your hips and sprawl backward to flatten their posture.
    • Cross-Face: Use your forearm to push against their face or neck, creating distance and breaking their grip.
    • Escape and Counter: Once free, circle away and reset your position or attack with strikes or a guillotine.
  2. Limp Leg Defense
    • Step Back and Shake: If they lift your leg, hop on your standing leg while pulling your captured leg downward.
    • Rotate: Turn your knee outward to break their grip.
    • Counter: Transition to a counter-attack, such as a knee strike or re-shoot for your own takedown.
  3. Frame and Strike Defense
    • Frame with Hands: Place one hand on their shoulder and the other on their head to create a frame, pushing them away from your body.
    • Strike: Use elbows or hammer fists to their head or shoulders to force them to abandon the takedown.

When defending against a single-leg takedown, you must adapt if your opponent effectively counters:

  1. Sprawl Counter
    • If they sprawl to defend:
      • Angle Adjustment: Circle to the side and pull their leg while driving with your head.
      • Switch to Double Leg: Transition to capturing both legs for a more secure takedown.
  2. Limp Leg Counter
    • If they limp-leg to escape:
      • Follow and Re-Grip: Maintain close proximity and resecure their leg before they can reset.
      • Transition to High Crotch: Move to a high-crotch hold for better control and finishing options.
  3. Frame and Strike Counter
    • If they frame and strike:
      • Stay Tight: Press your head firmly against their torso to minimize space.
      • Quick Execution: Drive forward or lift their leg to finish the takedown before their strikes land effectively.

  • Awareness: Pay close attention to your opponent’s counters and adapt in real-time.
  • Position Control: Keep your grip tight and your head inside their body for maximum leverage.
  • Defense Readiness: Have options ready for sprawl, limp leg, or strikes to neutralize their attempts to counter.

  • Rushing the Takedown: Attempting the takedown without properly setting it up or securing control.
  • Ignoring Head Position: Leaving your head outside can result in guillotine submissions.
  • Forgetting to Adapt: Failing to transition to alternative techniques when your opponent defends effectively.

By incorporating defense and counter-defense strategies, the single-leg takedown becomes a dynamic tool, allowing for control even against well-trained opponents. It emphasizes versatility, awareness, and adaptation in the MMA arena.