7 Best Takedowns for BJJ Competition
The best takedowns for BJJ competition are not always the flashiest ones. They are the ones you can hit when grips are slippery, the other person is bent over, and the ref is already watching for stalling. In a tournament match, you need takedowns that work with Jiu Jitsu posture, Jiu Jitsu reactions, and Jiu Jitsu scoring - not just techniques that look good in wrestling practice.
That usually means choosing attacks that are lower risk, easier to chain together, and strong enough to put you on top even if the finish is a little messy. A clean double leg is great when you have the timing. But if you shoot from too far, get sprawled on, and spend the next minute stuck under front headlock pressure, it was the wrong choice for that moment.
What makes the best takedowns for BJJ competition?
A good competition takedown does three things. First, it gets you top position without giving up your neck or back. Second, it fits common BJJ stances, where people stand more upright than wrestlers one second and then suddenly bend hard at the waist the next. Third, it still gives you useful follow-up options if the initial finish stalls out.
That last part matters more than people think. In the training room, you can commit to one attack and reset if it fails. In a tournament, if your single leg stalls and your head drifts outside, you can end up guillotined. If your foot sweep misses and you stay connected to the grips, you can usually recover and attack again. That is a big difference.
1. The single leg
If you only had time to build one takedown for competition, the single leg would be a smart pick. It works in gi and no gi, it connects well to body lock and trip finishes, and it gives you options even when the shot is not perfect.
For most BJJ competitors, the safest version is an outside single with your head tight and posture up. You do not need a huge penetration step like a wrestler finishing in open space. Often you are entering off a collar tie, sleeve control, wrist control, or after your opponent steps heavy to defend a snap down. Once you catch the leg, you can run the pipe, shelf the leg, switch to a double, or finish with a mat return.
The trade-off is obvious. A lazy single leg is one of the easiest ways to get front choked in Jiu Jitsu. If your head is low, your back is rounded, or you hang on the leg without improving position, good competitors will make you pay for it. That is why drilling the entry is not enough. You need to drill the finish and the bailout too.
2. The ankle pick
The ankle pick is one of the highest value takedowns in gi competition and still useful in no gi if your upper body control is good. It is quick, efficient, and does not require you to blast through someone.
It works especially well against opponents who stand tall or pull their lead leg back and then reset it forward. In the gi, collar and sleeve makes it easier because your upper body control helps freeze their posture for a split second. In no gi, a collar tie and wrist control can do something similar if your timing is sharp.
What makes the ankle pick so useful in BJJ is the recovery path. If you miss the clean finish, you are often still attached to the upper body and can transition to a single leg, snap down, or body lock. Compare that to a bad shot from the outside, where you can end up extended underneath someone.
3. Foot sweeps from collar and sleeve
A lot of competitors avoid stand-up because they think takedowns have to look like wrestling. That is a mistake, especially in the gi. Foot sweeps are some of the best takedowns for BJJ competition because they score without a lot of physical cost, and they fit naturally with grip fighting.
The basic idea is simple. Off-balance first, reap second. If you just swing your foot at the ankle with no kuzushi, experienced opponents will step out and make you look silly. But when you break posture with a collar pull, steer the sleeve, and catch the foot as the weight comes off it, the sweep feels almost effortless.
This is one of those areas where academy culture matters. In some rooms, people barely train stand-up in the gi, so foot sweeps look low percentage. In rooms where they are drilled every week during grip fighting rounds, they become a real scoring weapon. They are especially useful early in a match when both athletes are tense and upright.
4. The collar drag to rear angle
The collar drag is not always counted as a classic takedown, but in BJJ competition it is one of the most practical standing attacks you can build. It is less about throwing someone and more about using grips to force a reaction, get around the corner, and bring them down while you stay connected.
In the gi, this is money against opponents who are stiff with their arms and overcommit to forward pressure. A sharp drag can pull them to their hands, expose the back, or at least force them to square up into your next attack. Even when it does not produce immediate points, it often wins the grip exchange and puts you into front headlock, rear body lock, or a go-behind.
The limitation is that you need to understand the angle. If you pull straight back instead of turning the corner, stronger opponents can square up and kill the position. Done right, it is one of the safest ways to attack without giving your neck away.
5. The snap down to front headlock go-behind
This is one of the most underappreciated takedown sequences in Jiu Jitsu. Plenty of competitors spend all camp drilling shots but ignore the fact that many BJJ stances are already vulnerable to snap downs. People reach, posture badly, and react to collar ties in predictable ways.
A good snap down is not just yanking on the head. You need your feet under you, your elbows tight, and a real angle as the opponent posts or drops to recover. From there, the go-behind is often cleaner than forcing a shot through a defensive sprawl.
You see this a lot in hard rounds at the academy. One person is tired, starts standing too square, and keeps their head over their lead leg. The snap down becomes available over and over. In competition, it is a smart option when your opponent is committed to defending shots and exposing their posture in the process.
6. The body lock
In no gi especially, the body lock deserves more attention. It does not require the same level of speed as a blast double, and it gives you strong control once your hands connect. If you are good at pummeling and hand fighting, this can be one of the safest takedown routes in the room.
The key is getting to the lock without staying extended. You need chest-to-chest pressure, your forehead in a good position, and your hips close enough that they cannot easily drop underneath or circle away. From there, inside trips, outside trips, and mat returns all open up.
The body lock is a great example of a takedown that fits how many Jiu Jitsu people already like to grapple. If you are comfortable chest-to-chest from passing half guard, over-under situations, or clinch wrestling on the wall during no gi rounds, the body lock will likely feel more natural than long-range shots.
7. The double leg - with limits
Yes, the double leg still belongs on the list. It is effective, direct, and absolutely worth learning. But in BJJ competition, it is not automatically the best first choice for everyone.
For shorter, explosive athletes with good level changes, the double can be a reliable opener. It also works well when your opponent is standing too upright or overreacting to upper body attacks. If you set it up off snaps, collar ties, or a failed single, it becomes much higher percentage.
Where people get into trouble is shooting from space with no setup. In wrestling, you may accept a scramble from there. In Jiu Jitsu, a bad double can turn into guillotine danger, turtle exposure, or a long sequence where you burn energy and score nothing. Use it, but do not force it because it is the most famous takedown.
How to choose the right takedown for your game
Your best competition takedown depends on your style, rule set, and training environment. A gi player who is comfortable grip fighting should spend real time on foot sweeps, ankle picks, and collar drags. A no gi competitor with solid hand fighting may get more value from single legs, snap downs, and body locks.
Your body type matters too, just not as much as people think. Taller players often like ankle picks and snap downs because they can manage head position well. Stockier players may prefer body locks and single legs. But plenty of athletes win with the opposite style because they drill the entries, the chain attacks, and the finishes.
A better question than What is the best takedown? is What can I reliably hit after hard grip fighting or a messy hand-fighting exchange? Tournament stand-up is rarely clean. Think about what still works when both people are tense, sweaty, and cautious.
One practical way to build this is to pair attacks. For example, combine ankle pick with single leg. Pair snap down with front headlock go-behind. Pair body lock with inside trip. That gives you a small system instead of one move you hope lands perfectly.
Train takedowns like a competitor, not like a highlight reel
If you want better results on tournament day, stop measuring takedowns by how cool they feel in drilling. Measure them by whether you can hit them after five minutes of hard rounds, with bad grips, under scoreboard pressure, against someone who knows you want top position.
That usually leads people back to the same core group of attacks: single leg, ankle pick, foot sweeps, collar drag, snap down, body lock, and a well-timed double leg. At JiuJitsu.com, that is the kind of technique advice we trust - not what looks flashy, but what keeps showing up in real matches and hard training. Build one or two of these into your game, drill the transitions, and your stand-up will start feeling a lot less like a coin flip.
