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Defend Against the Single Leg Takedown by Using the KIMURA!

Defend Against the Single Leg Takedown by Using the KIMURA!

Every attack has its defense… Which can then be translated into an attack of its own! And that isn’t just the case for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques themselves; but also for almost anything you encounter in Wrestling or Judo.
So, what’s one of the best ways to defend against and counter the Single Leg takedown? It’s the Kimura!

 

SINGLE LEG TAKEDOWN DEFENSE – KIMURA 

When your opponent shoots for the Single Leg, your first objective should be to stop him from “circling” his leg around yours. That is to say: keep your foot flexed, so that they keep pinning your leg between their two.
Then, you’re supposed to break their posture. To do so, push their head down towards the mats, and rest your upper body weight on top of their neck and back. Once you do so, you can shoot in for a Kimura grip – it’s not going to be a perfect one, but it’s not supposed to be either.

With your free leg, hop on over close to their foot on the same side; falling back immediately after and kicking your trapped leg up. Then, when you’re both on the ground, kick your trapped leg to get rid of the opponent’s grips.

Now you’re in a T-Kimura position. There are heaps of submission (and back take) options from here, but the most obvious one is the Scissor Choke. Or, if that fails due to the opponent’s defense, you can also transition to a Kimura finish.
Watch coach Tom demonstrate this defense, as well as available submission options: