The power of upper body takedowns: The most commonly applied and scored takedowns in no gi grappling are lower body takedowns – tackles to the legs – usually single leg and double leg variations. While there is no doubting the effectiveness of these techniques, they do have some issues in the context of no gi grappling. First, the contact they make is chest to thigh. This means that upon contact with the ground you lack upper body control. This always creates scramble conditions that make scoring under Jiu Jitsu rules very problematic against a skilled and experienced opponent. Second, the lowered head and arm positions create dangerous amounts of head exposure (guillotine) arm exposure ( kimura/Darce/armbar) and back exposure (sprawl and go behind). It is very prudent to add upper body takedowns that begin with chest to chest or chest to back contact that greatly reduce the dangers of prolonged scrambles and submissions as you attempt takedowns. In the no gi context these typically require a blend of wrestling, judo and jiu jitsu skills adapted to Jiu jitsu scoring criteria. It is a fascinating part of the game and one that Jiu jitsu must incorporate if it is to progress towards it's potential in takedowns suited to its unique rule set. You will often see my students utilize upper body takedowns when possible due to the advantages I mentioned. Best of all is to blend both upper body and lower body takedowns to create a dual threat that opponents will find very difficult to contend with. Most Jiu Jitsu students have a solid understanding of upper body grips from their guard game – once they learn some principles of positional advantage in standing position they can usually adapt fairly quickly to gain competence on their feet with those same grips. My students where able to showcase upper body takedowns to medals at ADCC 2022 – with training they can work for you too!
