Master The Crackdown with JDJ!
You find yourself in a room with a bunch of wrestlers and you hear a few talking about using the crackdown. Crackdown? What is that? Like a snap down? Not exactly.
The Crackdown is the position coming off a single leg takedown, but instead of getting exposure the opponent is on at least one hip ( often the same side as the leg you were attacking) and is using a body lock or crotch lock to prevent the takedown.
Think of the crack down as a 60/40 position, as the attacker if you continue your momentum you can get the takedown plus some uncontrolled back exposure if you play the game right. On the other side your opponent could use a body lock and turn you and get the points for themselves.
Ben Askren was known for his strange usage of the crackdown position. Just one of the few strange approaches that earned him the nickname “funky”
Logan Stieber also used the crackdown position to score consistently over his career that saw him capture multiple NCAA National Titles. Logan Uses the crackdown as a defensive scoring position. He even touches on it in his instructional found here.
Another wrestler who’s name comes up when the crackdown conversation appears is one of the best wrestlers to come out of Ohio State, Johnni Dijulius. Johnny racked up over 100 career wins at Ohio State and won the Cliff Keen wrestling tournament.
Where Logan and Johnni are different Is Johnni uses the crackdown as an offensive way to score. He takes advantage that if his opponents lock on him they do not have the base to prevent exposure.
Instead of fighting hard and struggling by pulling up on the leg, watch how Johnni captures the near side leg and “Collapses” onto his opponent's upper body finishing the takedown.
Johnni has no illusions that his opponent is going to just sit there and let him just walk over the near side leg. If the option is there, he takes the easy points. If the option is not open, he literally goes the other way.
Rolling with the leg he has had from his initial single leg attack it resembles the idea behind a gramby roll. Holding the limb and joint tight to the body and rolling through. What makes this possible is if the opponents leg is put back to prevent the reach, it creates the room for the roll.
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Johnni does not lay flat and roll, he starts on his knees and he starts to do a sit out motion. Yet instead of trying to get away, he is going through. As his outside leg “Sits” under on his hip he lets go of the knee (while maintaining the ankle) and post his hand on the outside.
This provides a strong base, to finish the roll.
As you start finishing the roll, be aware the leg you couldn’t reach before will now be right in front of you. Hook it for more control and adjust your top position.
This is not a hard technique and is truly a useful tool for any wrestler as the body lock is one of the more common defenses to a low single. The body offers lots of control with plenty of its own attacks and counters.
If you are an attack style wrestler you will need different ways to finish single legs and that is just one way. Yet if you never get in on a deep single you may never see a use for the step over finish.
Johnni is great at getting in on attacks, and is known for his ability to hand fight and attack. He likes the concept of exchanging grips and levels to create openings for shots. He has a great instructional that will open up this world of engaging.
Johnni was hired as the assistant wrestling coach at Harvard. Yes that Harvard. Where they could pay for anyone to come in and train their team. They wanted Johnni, and after this quarantine we are going to see what he has done with that program.
Yet until then try practicing this offensive maneuver in the crackdown and let us know what you think.
