Words: Mike Velez | Photos: Carl Hyndman
I participated in my first tournament about three months into my jiu-jitsu career. I lost 2–0, thanks to the points from the takedown. From the start, I didn’t really have a game plan other than being nervous. A few tournaments later, I became more comfortable, but still found myself two points down when we hit the mat. Quite a few people had wrestled in high school and held on to those skills. I hadn’t—and starting a match standing up was a completely different world.
Kenny Johnson, wearing the black gi in these photographs, wrestled for Dan Gable at the University of Iowa and was part of the 1995 NCAA championship team. His coaching work has included Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, José Aldo, and Antonio Nogueira’s team on The Ultimate Fighter. Here he breaks down the granddaddy of wrestling takedowns: the double leg. Helping him demonstrate is Clay “The Carpenter” Guida.
Training note: Practice takedowns on suitable mats with qualified supervision and a partner who knows how to fall. Work slowly before adding speed, protect your partner’s knees and neck, and control the landing. The photographs show the sequence, not a recommendation to slam a training partner.