The double leg is the most universally recognised and widely drilled takedown in no-gi grappling. It is the foundation of wrestling-based BJJ and remains the go-to entry for competitors at every level from beginner to world champion. The double leg works by shooting low, penetrating past your opponent's legs, and driving through to take them to the mat with both legs secured. When executed correctly, it is fast, powerful, and extremely difficult to defend without prior anticipation.

In no-gi specifically, the double leg is even more potent than in gi competition because there are no collar ties or lapel grips for your opponent to use to slow your level change. The mechanics rely entirely on timing, level change speed, and proper penetration depth. A shallow double leg that does not clear the hips is the most common failure point — this is where opponents sprawl and recover.

• 01Establish level change — drop your level sharply by bending at the knees, not the waist. Keep your back straight and head up.
• 02Penetration step — drive your lead foot forward between your opponent's legs, closing the distance explosively.
• 03Wrap both legs — secure both arms around your opponent's legs, locking hands behind the knees or thighs.
• 04Drive and lift — drive your hips through while lifting their legs and driving your shoulder into their hip to break their base.
• 05Finish and follow — take them to the mat and immediately transition to a scoring position before they can recover guard.

The single leg is the most versatile takedown family in no-gi BJJ. Unlike the double leg, which requires clearing both legs, the single leg only requires securing one — making it faster to initiate, easier to recover from partial shots, and adaptable to a wider range of finishing options. The single leg can be finished from standing (run the pipe, trip finish), from a low position (lift), or with a rotation (tree top).

In no-gi competition, the single leg is particularly effective because it can be entered from inside ties, underhook positions, and even from failed double leg attempts. The ability to transition from a double leg to a single leg mid-shot is one of the highest-value skills a no-gi competitor can develop — it removes the need for a perfect initial shot and turns partial contact into a scoring opportunity.

The ankle pick is a technique-first takedown that relies almost entirely on timing, direction change, and opponent reaction — making it one of the most accessible high-percentage takedowns for smaller, lighter, or technically-oriented grapplers. The ankle pick works by directing your opponent's weight onto one foot and then picking that foot off the mat while pushing them off-balance in the same direction.

In no-gi competition, the ankle pick is particularly effective from a collar tie or head control position. By pulling your opponent's head down and forward, you force their weight onto their lead foot — the moment that foot is weighted, a sharp downward scoop of the ankle combined with a lateral push drops them cleanly. No explosive shot required. No strength differential needed. The ankle pick is leverage and timing in its purest competitive form.

The body lock — also called the bear hug or body clinch takedown — is one of the most powerful and controllable takedowns in no-gi BJJ. By securing both arms around your opponent's torso and locking your hands together behind their back or hips, you control their entire upper body and can take them down through trips, lifts, or rotational throws. The body lock is particularly effective for athletes with strong wrestling or Greco-Roman backgrounds.

The body lock is unique because it opens multiple finishing options from a single tie-up: the inside trip, the outside trip, the hip toss, the back-arch throw, and the simple drive-through. The opponent has very limited defensive options once a tight body lock is established — their primary defence is preventing the lock from closing in the first place, making hand fighting the critical skill in this entry.

The duck under is one of the most elegant and effective takedowns in no-gi BJJ because it simultaneously takes you behind your opponent while setting up back control — the highest-value position in the sport. Rather than fighting your opponent's arm strength head-on, the duck under redirects their energy by going underneath their arm and emerging on their back.

The entry begins from a clinch or wrist control position. By pushing your opponent's arm across their body to load their weight in one direction, then explosively ducking your head under that arm and driving through to their back, you achieve position before they can react. The duck under is not a power move — it is a misdirection move. The setup and the timing of the duck determine whether it works, not the strength of the drive through.

The outside trip — drawing from the judo throw osoto-gari — is one of the most effective clinch-range takedowns available in no-gi BJJ. From a tight clinch with head-and-arm control or underhook, the outside trip works by driving your opponent's weight backwards onto their lead leg, then sweeping that leg out from behind the knee with your own leg. The combination of a weight-loading push and a leg sweep creates a fast, hard takedown that is very difficult to defend once the motion is committed.

In no-gi competition, the outside trip is particularly effective against wrestlers who are comfortable in deep ties because it takes them in a direction they are not anticipating — backwards and down, rather than the typical forward-drive wrestling finish they are conditioned to defend.

The fireman's carry is one of the most spectacular and effective takedowns in no-gi grappling, used regularly at the highest levels of competition including the ADCC and Abu Dhabi World Pro. It works by securing one of your opponent's arms while simultaneously threading one of your legs between their legs, loading them across your back and rotating them to the mat. When executed at full speed, it is practically impossible to defend once initiated.

The fireman's carry requires flexibility, timing, and a solid entry — typically from a wrist-and-elbow control with your lead arm under your opponent's arm and your hand gripping their same-side wrist. The entry is the technique; the carry and rotation are simply momentum. This takedown can transition directly into leg entanglements or front headlock control depending on how your opponent lands — making it double-threat from both the finish itself and the scramble it creates.

The arm drag to single leg is not a single technique — it is a two-movement combination that exploits your opponent's reaction to the arm drag to create a single leg entry. The arm drag pulls your opponent off-balance and rotates their shoulder forward, exposing the lead leg and creating the perfect setup for an immediate single leg shot. This combination is one of the most used sequences in modern no-gi competition at all levels.

What makes the arm drag to single leg so effective is its exploitation of reaction: when you drag your opponent's arm, their natural defensive response is to pull back — that pull-back reaction drives their weight onto their lead leg, which is the exact condition that makes a single leg shot successful. You are using their defence against itself. This is why chain wrestling — learning to link movements in response to your opponent's reactions — is so important in no-gi competition.

The hip toss family — drawing from judo throws such as o-goshi (major hip throw) and koshi guruma (hip wheel) — brings explosive, high-amplitude throwing to no-gi BJJ. The hip toss works by loading your opponent over your hip using an under-arm wrap and using your hip as a fulcrum to rotate them over and down. In no-gi, the underhook that replaces the traditional lapel grip makes this throw surprisingly accessible without gi fabric.

The hip toss is most effective against opponents who are pushing forward aggressively — their own momentum contributes to the throw's power. When your opponent pushes, you turn into them, load their weight onto your hip, and their forward drive does half the work. Defending a well-timed hip toss against a grounded, stationary opponent is significantly easier — the throw requires your opponent's energy to reach its highest potential.

The high crotch is a wrestling entry that sits between the double leg and the single leg in terms of mechanics, combining elements of both. It involves shooting to a position where one arm is behind the opponent's knee and the other arm is high up on the inner thigh — a "high crotch" grip — which can be finished as a lift, a rotation, or most valuably, transitioned into a back take.

In modern no-gi competition, the high crotch to back take is one of the highest-percentage sequences at elite level. The initial shot gets your head to the outside of your opponent's hip, and from there a series of steps — walking around the leg, switching your hips, and securing your seatbelt — brings you directly to back control. This sequence is used by elite grapplers because it converts a defensive sprawl into an offensive back take — making it effective even when the initial shot is partially defended.