Takedowns for BJJ

Start the fight on your terms — breakfalls first, then one low-risk takedown done properly

Brazilian jiu-jitsu
All levels
60 min
Any class size — pairs work in waves, a third of the room at a time
1 coach
Effort 4/5
Full mat area — one third works while two thirds watch the edges
takedowns
standing
fundamentals
safety

The MatPlans curriculum teamBJJ black belts & coaches · 12+ yrs on the mat

Kit: Mats — a fully matted area with no gaps or hard edges nearby. Gi or no-gi both work.

Warm-up12 min

Breakfalls — The Real First Technique

Setup: Staggered lines facing the coach with double the usual spacing. Check the mat area first: no gaps, no hard edges within a body length of any line.

How it works: Nobody gets taken down tonight who cannot fall. Teach and drill three falls in order, from squatting height before standing height: back breakfall — chin tucked, arms slap flat at forty-five degrees, hips absorb; side breakfall — leg sweeps through, one arm slaps, head never touches; forward roll over the shoulder, up to the feet. Ten of each, then five sprawls to finish — hips punch the mat, chest up fast. The falls are the licence for everything after.

The technique, step by step

Back breakfall: squat, chin tucked, sit back and round down — both arms slap flat at forty-five degrees as your back lands.
Side breakfall: sweep one leg across, land on that side — one arm slaps flat, the other guards, head stays lifted.
Forward roll: lead hand pointed in, roll over the back of that shoulder diagonally, legs fold through, stand.
Sprawl: feet shoot back, hips punch the mat, chest and head up — count one second, recover to stance.

Common mistakes

Reaching straight back with a stiff arm to catch a fall — wrists and collarbones pay for that habit.
Lifting the head to watch the landing — chin tucked is non-negotiable, every single fall.

What to say

“Chin on your chest for every fall — the head is a passenger, never a wheel.”
“Slap the mat flat and hard — the arm spends the fall so the spine does not.”
“Round your back on the roll — over the shoulder, never over the head.”

Easier

All falls from seated and squatting height only; rolls replaced by rocking on a rounded back.

Harder

Falls from standing with a partner giving a gentle push to start each one — falling when surprised is the real skill.

Drill16 min

Technique of the Day — Snap-Down to Go-Behind

Setup: Pairs in the working third of the mat, other pairs seated along the edges watching. Demo twice — once at speed, once slow with steps numbered aloud. Finish every demo chest-to-back with the partner lowered gently.

How it works: One takedown, done properly, chosen because it is the lowest-risk high-percentage start in grappling: no lifting, no slamming, no diving at legs. The snap-down wins the head, the go-behind wins the body, and gravity does the rest politely. Rotate the waves every four minutes so the whole room drills fresh. Say the safety line before the first rep: we lower partners to the mat, we never spike them — anyone who slams sits out the standing rounds.

The technique, step by step

Fight to a collar tie with your right hand — palm cupping the back of the head, forearm on the collarbone — and cup their left wrist with your other hand.
Take a small step back and drop your weight through the tie — the snap — so their posture folds forward and their hands drift towards the mat.
As they fold, shove the head past your hip line with the tie and drag the wrist across — their eyes now point at the floor, not at you.
Circle to their back, chest gluing to their shoulder blades, and lock your hands around their waist — a rear bodylock.
If they collapse to turtle, follow them down glued. If they stay standing, tighten the lock, step your leg in front of theirs and steer them gently down over it — lowering, never lifting.
Settle behind the turtle with knees tight and hands still locked — this is where next class's back attacks begin.

Key details

The snap works when their posture is already leaning in — invite it by pushing the tie forward for one second first, then snapping as they push back.
Your forehead stays lower than theirs through the exchange — lose the head height and you get snapped instead.
The go-behind is a circle, not a sprint — one big step past the shoulder beats three small ones around the front.

Common mistakes

Snapping with a bent arm and no body drop — it becomes an arm-wrestle and burns your grip out inside a minute.
Hesitating behind them at arms' length — a bodylock without chest contact is an invitation to be rolled over.

What to say

“Snap with your body weight dropping a step back, never with an arm yank.”
“Circle past the shoulder, not around the head — the shortest path is over their ear.”
“Chest glued to their back before you even think about the mat.”

Easier

Partner gives their posture freely on each snap; go-behind walked at half speed with no trip to the mat.

Harder

Partner fights posture honestly at half effort and circles with you — earn the angle twice before taking the back.

Drill12 min

Drilling — Waves of Ten

Setup: Three groups: one drilling in the middle third, two seated along the edges resting and watching. Rotate groups every three minutes.

How it works: The drilling pair alternates: ten snap-to-bodylock reps each at building pace, finishing every second rep all the way to the mat with a controlled lower. Watching pairs have a job — call out the best rep they see and why. Standing work gasses people faster than they expect; the wave structure is the conditioning plan and the safety plan in one.

Rounds: 3 waves × 3 min drilling · 6 min total rest each · reps in tens

What to say

“Fresh pairs drill honestly — that is the whole point of the waves.”
“Every trip to the mat finishes with the falling partner slapping a proper breakfall.”
“Watchers watch with intent — name the detail, not just the name.”

Easier

All reps stop at the bodylock; nobody goes to the mat during drilling.

Harder

Last two reps of each set start from a live collar-tie pummel — earn the tie before the snap.

The rest of this lesson is free — along with 3 more this week.

MatPlans curriculum team

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