To all of us who are practicing one form of grappling or another the low single leg is just another tool in the arsenal but not so long ago in the late 1980s this move wasn’t all that common.
Low single leg became widely known after John Smith – one of the biggest wrestling GOATs invented it. John Smith’s staggering record of 434-2-2 and 6 World Medals stand to prove his contribution to the world of grappling.
This is a technique he created in the basement of Gallagher Hall. Smith was already emerging as an exceptional wrestler and an incredible athlete to boot. Initially he was known for the high crotch lift takedown but after his competitors started adjusting so did he.
Many wrestlers found themselves taking a step back to prevent this takedown and to counter this John Smith came up with a low single leg takedown.
Smith spend thousands of hours perfecting the technique before showcasing it in competition and flipping the entire sport of wrestling on its head.
A Sports Illustrated article written in 1988 before his final NCAA championship – and a few months before he would win his first gold medal – the author of the article wrote: “The single-leg takedown is Smith’s signature move, and he performs it with the intensity and speed of a mongoose attacking a cobra.”
His impact on the sport is still felt 25 years after his last Olympic victory. This was a welcome addition at a time where the wrestling was dominated by Soviets and Iran.
