Combat Sports
Single-Leg Takedown
The single-leg takedown brings a partner to the mat by controlling one leg and disrupting their balance. It trains coordinated leg drive, pulling strength, and body control.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 1 min 30 sec
How to do it
- Face your partner in a staggered stance, within arm's reach.
- Lower your hips by bending your knees.
- Step your lead foot close to your partner's target foot.
- Wrap both arms around their thigh just above the knee, with your head against the inside of their ribs.
- Draw their leg against your torso with their foot just off the mat.
- Step backward in a small arc toward the captured-leg side to shift your partner off balance.
- Lower your partner onto their hip with the captured leg supported against your body.
- Settle into a stable kneeling position beside their hips.
Form cues
- Keep your weight over your feet.
- Move your shoulders and hips together.
- Keep your elbows close.
Common mistakes
- Diving headfirstKeep your face forward rather than pointing the crown of your head into your partner.
- Lifting the leg too highUse only enough lift to clear the foot from the mat rather than hoisting your partner.
- Chasing a hopping partnerStop the attempt if your partner keeps hopping instead of forcing the finish.
Safety
Twisting the captured leg while your partner's body stays fixed can injure their knee. An uncontrolled landing can injure either person's head, shoulder, or wrist, especially with fatigue or unexpected resistance.
- Learn this finish on a clear, padded mat under qualified in-person supervision.
- Agree on the target side, landing, endpoint, and stop signal before using low, predictable resistance.
- Practice with a partner who can land safely without catching their weight on a straight arm.
- Release pressure once the landing is stable; reset only when both people are ready.
Choose entry-only practice if either person cannot land confidently, and seek advice from a physiotherapist or doctor before partner takedowns with current knee, neck, or shoulder symptoms.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Combat Training Mat
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 3–5 reps per side
- Rest
- 1 min 30 sec
Treat each repetition as a slow cooperative skill drill, not a speed or resistance test.