The Double Leg Set Up With Ben Askren
Ben Askren Fixes Your Double Leg
A good double leg showcases all the finer points of wrestling; timing, explosive movement, and a chance to land and opponent on his back and pin. It is a fundamental skill in wrestling, mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, and sambo. Jordan Burroughs has been dominating at the highest levels for years with his double leg, winning Olympic and world golds.
Good double legs can finish matches but the set up can for the takedown can be difficult, and a poor shot leaves the wrestler vulnerable to counters. Ben Askren, two time NCAA champion and accomplished MMA fighter, has some tips to make that setup much easier in this clip from his instructional, Ultimate Askren Wrestling.
The set up:
Askren does two things to help set up for the shot. First, he stays at a distance in a open tie situation, where he is free to stay mobile. Well maintaining that distance, he constantly hand fights by posting on the opponent’s head. The posts to head are distracting and combined with snaps disrupts any ability to keep good posture or movement.
This combines with Askren’s second detail, is lateral movement. Askren shifts around during this hand fighting, and with the constant head posting the opponent has a difficult time following. This makes them slower to react when Askren does take his shot for the double leg.
This is a simple set up that leaves the opponent too preoccupied to think about and prepare for the double leg takedown that follows.
Now to finish the takedown:
The shot that Askren uses is slightly different. Instead of the normal penetration step, he gets low and explodes forward onto his lead knee. This allows for him to close the distance faster, giving the opponent less time to react. He aims his shoulder into the stomach while wrapping is hands as low down the legs as he can,.
A good double leg eliminates scrambling opportunities for opponents to take advantage of that available in a single leg. Further, the double leg can be chained into either a pin or ankle lace to easily win a match.
Are you ready to learn more from Ben and his brother? Get your copy of Ultimate Askren today and fix all of the holes in your wrestling game. You can get it here at Fanatic Wrestling.
