How to Do a Double Leg Takedown: 12 Steps

The double leg takedown is basically the “hello world” of wrestling shots: simple in theory, humbling in real life.
Done right, it’s clean, efficient, and feels like you just discovered gravity works in your favor. Done wrong, it’s
a slow-motion headbutt into someone’s hips followed by you auditioning for a role as “Floor #3.”

This guide breaks the move into 12 practical steps you can drill safely in a wrestling room, MMA gym,
or BJJ class (with proper coaching and mats). You’ll also get common mistakes, troubleshooting, and a few “coach voice”
reminders that will save your knees, neck, and ego.

Quick safety note: Practice only in a supervised training setting on mats with a cooperative partner.
Don’t try takedowns on hard surfaces, and don’t use techniques to start fights. Train smart, stay respectful, and keep
your partner safebecause you need them tomorrow for drilling.

Before You Shoot: The 3 Things That Make or Break Your Double

1) Distance (a.k.a. “Stop Shooting From Another Zip Code”)

If you’re too far away, you’ll dive and reachyour opponent sprawls, and you learn sadness. If you’re too close, you’ll
collide chest-to-chest and your “double leg” becomes “gentle hug.” You want a distance where you can touch hands, make
contact, and step in without lunging.

2) Posture (Head Up, Back Strong)

Your power comes from your legs and hips, not from folding at the waist like you’re checking if your shoes are still
there. A strong spine and head-up posture helps you drive and keeps you safer in scrambles.

3) Setup (The Shot Usually Works Because of What Happens Right Before It)

Great doubles aren’t random. They’re timed. You create a reactionget them stepping, reaching, or rising upthen you
change levels and go. The setup is the “please open the door” before you walk in.

How to Do a Double Leg Takedown: 12 Steps

Step 1: Start in a balanced stance

Keep your feet under you (not in a straight line), knees bent, and hands ready. Think “athletic”like you’re about to
defend a fast pass in basketball. Your weight should be centered so you can move in any direction.

Step 2: Win the hand fight (at least a little)

You don’t need to become a hand-fighting wizard overnight, but you do want to clear ties and avoid shooting through stiff
arms. Light collar ties, inside control, wrist control, or simply moving them with a push-pull can create an opening.

Step 3: Create movementthen shoot on the step

Circle, fake, tap the head, or shift them with your hands so they step. The best time to shoot is when their feet
are transitioning and their weight isn’t perfectly planted. Aim to shoot as they’re stepping or reachingnot when they’re
parked like a statue.

Step 4: Level change (drop your hips, not your chest)

Lower your level by bending your knees and dropping your hipslike sitting into a mini squat. Keep your chest proud and
eyes forward. If your shoulders dive first, you’re telling your opponent: “Please sprawl on me.”

Step 5: Penetration step between their feet

Take a deep lead step between their feet (not at their toes). This is your “penetration step”the engine
that drives your body in close. A shallow step is the #1 reason doubles feel weak.

Step 6: Your rear knee skims the mat (controlled, not dramatic)

As you step in, your rear knee should touch or nearly touch the mat as you glide forward. You’re not dropping onto your
knee like you’re proposingthis is a smooth, driving motion that keeps you stable and ready to finish.

Step 7: Head positionpick “head outside” or “head inside” and commit

In many wrestling and MMA rooms, beginners learn head outside (your head to the outside of their torso/hip)
because it lines up well for turning the corner. In some situations you’ll see head inside variations too.
Either way, keep your head up and tight to the bodydon’t let it drift low or hang away.

Step 8: Hands connect behind the knees (or at the hamstrings)

Wrap both legs and connect your hands behind their knees or higher on the hamstrings. Your arms don’t “lift” the opponent
by themselvesyour arms are the clamps. Your legs and hips are the forklift.

Step 9: Pull them into youdon’t reach for them

Once your grip is set, squeeze your elbows in and pull their legs toward your hips. The goal is to connect your body to
their base. If you’re reaching with loose arms, you’ll get sprawled and snapped down.

Step 10: Bring your trail leg up and build your base

After contact, step your trail leg up so you’re not stuck on one knee. Think: “knee down to enter, feet under me to finish.”
This is where your double turns from a nice idea into actual forward pressure.

Step 11: Turn the corner (angle beats force)

Instead of driving straight into the sprawl like a polite battering ram, angle off. Step to the side and “turn the corner”
so your opponent’s hips can’t square up. This often makes the finish feel suddenly easylike you found the cheat code labeled
“geometry.”

Step 12: Finish safely and land in a good position

Keep your head up, stay tight, and guide your partner down under control. Aim to finish into a stable top position (for BJJ,
that often means coming up into side control or a strong passing posture; for wrestling, cover and secure control). Avoid
reckless finishesclean technique beats chaos, and your training partners will still like you.

Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)

Reaching instead of stepping

Symptom: You feel “stretched” and weak on contact.
Fix: Make your penetration step deeper. Get your hips closer before you clamp the legs.

Bending at the waist

Symptom: You get sprawled, snapped down, or stalled immediately.
Fix: Level change by dropping hips with knees bent, chest up, eyes forward.

Head down on the finish

Symptom: You lose power and control, and you’re easier to counter.
Fix: “Head up, back strong.” Imagine holding a tennis ball under your chindon’t crush it, don’t drop it.

Driving straight when you should angle

Symptom: You hit the legs but can’t finish because their hips sprawl back.
Fix: Turn the corner. Create an angle so their hips can’t stay square.

Mini Drill Menu: Practice Without Turning Your Knees Into Confetti

Shadow shots (no partner)

Rehearse level change → penetration step → knee skim → hands connect → trail leg up → turn the corner. Do sets of 10 with
perfect form before adding speed.

Wall penetration step drill

Face a wall in stance. Level change and take your penetration step so your knee skims and your posture stays upright. The
wall prevents you from leaning your head/shoulders forward.

Partner entry reps (cooperative)

Start from light hand fighting. Partner gives a realistic stance but doesn’t sprawl hard. Focus on depth, posture, and
coming up to your feet before finishing.

Turn-the-corner finish reps

Start in on the legs (already “in” the double). Practice stepping your trail leg up and turning the corner to finish.
This isolates the part most people struggle with.

Troubleshooting: What to Do If They Sprawl (Without Panicking)

First: accept that sprawls happen. Even great shots get defended. Your job is to keep good posture and keep working.

• Stay tight: Clamp the legs and keep your head and shoulders connected to their body.
• Build your base: Don’t hang out on one kneeget your feet under you.
• Angle off: Turn the corner instead of pushing straight into the hips.
• Chain if needed: If the double dies, transition to a single leg or a body lock (ask your coach for the best options in your rule set).

FAQ: Quick Answers That Save You a Month of Confusion

Is the double leg better with the head inside or outside?

Both exist and both work. Many beginners learn head-outside doubles because it pairs well with turning the corner.
Your gym’s style, rule set, and safety preferences matterfollow your coach’s standard and drill it consistently.

Do I need to “lift” them?

Usually no. You’re not deadlifting a human (please don’t). Most doubles finish from driving pressure, angle, and
taking the legs away while you come up strong.

How do I avoid getting stuck underneath?

Don’t finish flat and straight. Turn the corner, keep your head up, and guide them down so you land in a stable top
position instead of collapsing into a scramble.

Experience Section: What Training the Double Leg Really Feels Like (and Why That’s Normal)

When people first learn the double leg, they usually expect it to feel like a movie tackle: one clean blast, instant success,
crowd cheers, slow-motion highlight reel, sponsorship deal, etc. Reality is more like: “I changed levels… I think… then my
partner’s hips teleported backwards and now my forehead is gently interviewing their belt line.”

That early frustration is normal because the double leg is a timing skill disguised as a strength move. Beginners tend to
shoot when the opponent is perfectly balanced, because that’s when it feels “safe” to commit. But the double works best when
they’re stepping, reaching, or reactingmoments that feel messy at first. The first big breakthrough most athletes describe is
realizing the setup matters more than the shot itself. Once you make someone move, the entry suddenly feels like it has a lane.

Another common “aha” is discovering that the penetration step is not optional. People who are cautious (which is most of us)
take a small step and try to finish with their arms. That’s when doubles feel weak and exhausting. The moment you take a deeper
stepgetting your hips closeyou feel your whole body connect, and the finish becomes less of a wrestling match and more of a
controlled push with an angle. Coaches often cue this as “Get under them” or “Step through them,” which sounds intense, but what
it really means is: get your body in position so your legs can do the work.

The funniest part? Your brain will insist that shooting lower is the scary part, but most students eventually realize the scary
part is staying disciplined on the finish. After you connect your hands, there’s a temptation to hurrydrive straight, yank, or
drop to your knees again. That’s where you get sprawled, stalled, or twisted into an awkward scramble. With more mat time, you
start to trust the boring details: head up, tight elbows, trail leg up, corner turn. It’s not flashy, but it’s repeatableand
repeatable is what wins matches and rounds.

You’ll also have “double leg days” and “double leg weeks.” Some days everything clicks and you feel like a teleporting machine.
Other days, every partner suddenly has the hips of a mountain goat and you can’t finish anything. That doesn’t mean you’re getting
worseit usually means your partners are reacting better, or you’re shooting without a setup. A helpful mindset is to measure progress
by quality of positions: Are you stepping deeper? Are you keeping posture? Are you getting to your feet faster? Those wins stack.

Finally, the best training experiences happen when you and your partner treat drilling like teamwork. Clean doubles require trust:
your partner gives realistic reactions without turning every rep into a championship final, and you guide the finish safely instead
of trying to “win” practice. When training stays respectful, you get more reps, more learning, and fewer “Why does my neck hate me?”
mornings. The double leg isn’t just a moveit’s a skill you earn one good rep at a time.

Conclusion

A great double leg takedown isn’t magicit’s position + timing + finishing angle. Nail your stance and distance,
set it up with movement, change levels correctly, step deep, connect tight, get to your feet, and turn the corner. Drill the details
until they feel boringbecause “boring” is what works under pressure.

If you want the fastest improvement, ask your coach to watch your level change and penetration step first. Fix those,
and the rest of the shot gets easier (and your forehead will send you a thank-you note).