Single Leg Takedown Counter

In this blog post, you will learn a very cool single leg takedown counter.

This counter is popular among small BJJ practitioners, like myself, who don't have the size, strength, and power to overpower their opponents.

What makes this counter cool because it leads to a takedown of your own.

Additionally, this counter can lead directly to a submission, which makes it an essential move to add to your BJJ arsenal.

The counter involves taking advantage of your opponent's momentum, without taking much out of energy, as they attempt to execute a single leg takedown.

This means that you can conserve your energy while still executing an effective counter.

This counter is very effective against larger opponents who rely on their size and strength to execute takedowns.

To learn how to execute this cool single leg takedown counter, be sure to watch my video instructional below.

With step-by-step instructions and detailed demonstrations, you'll be able to drill this move on your own and add it to your BJJ repertoire.

Push your opponent's head down to break his posture.

The first step of the single leg takedown counter is breaking your opponent's posture.

When facing an opponent attempting the single leg takedown, their goal is to press their head against your chest while keeping their back straight.

To prevent this, it's crucial to break their posture to maintain control and balance.

To accomplish this, focus on pushing their head down as low as possible.

By doing so, you'll make it difficult for them to establish a strong connection with your chest.

Remember to push against the back of their head, rather than the neck, for better leverage.

Check out the animated image above for a visual reference.

The "kimura trap" grip.

Next, you want to secure a kimura trap grip on your opponent's inside arm.

To secure a kimura trap grip, start by inserting your top arm into your opponent's inside armpit.

At the same time, grip your opponent's inside arm wrist with your hand on your bottom arm.

Then, connect both arms by having your top hand grip your bottom hand wrist.

For reference, check the animated image above.

The sacrifice throw using the kimura trap grip.

To execute the single leg takedown counter using the kimura trap grip, you'll need to perform a sacrifice throw.

Start by hopping your base foot diagonally towards your opponent's feet.

As you hop, sit on the side of your butt while kicking your trapped leg upwards.

The combination of momentum from your opponent's crouched posture, gravity pulling your body weight, and the upward kick will generate enough force to throw your opponent and land them on their back, regardless of their size.

See the animated image above for reference.

Establish the top side control position.

As soon as your opponent hits the mat, try to establish top side control quickly.

However, there may be instances where your opponent maintains a grip on your trapped leg.

To break this hold, simply push your legs and use the ensuing momentum to transition into top side control.

Check out the animated image above to see this technique in action.

Kimura shoulder lock from top side control.

After you establish the top side control position, you have the option to submit your opponent using the kimura shoulder lock.

To do the submission, step your leg over your opponent's head to keep him in place.

Next, using the kimura grip trap, you want to torque your opponent's wrist to the back of his head.

This will create an immense pressure on your opponent's shoulder and forces him to tap out.

See how I do the kimura shoulder lock in the animated image above.

As a small guy in BJJ, I know firsthand the struggles to take a larger opponent's down.

However, by using the proper single leg takedown counter, a small guy can easily manipulate a larger opponent's momentum to score a takedown of his own.

It is also important to note that the technique I am sharing here needs to be drilled over and over again in order for you to be able to hit it in a real fight or match.

I hope this instructional has been helpful in expanding your knowledge of BJJ and improving your skills.

Keep practicing, stay safe, and never stop learning.

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