Sprawl

What it is

The sprawl is the standing defence to a takedown: as they shoot for your legs, you throw your legs back, drop your hips and land your chest on their shoulders. Their arms close on nothing, and their head is under your weight. It is the first thing to learn before anyone shoots on you.

When to use it

• They drop their level and reach for one or both of your legs.
• Your partner goes for a double leg or single leg from a collar tie or a snap down exchange.
• After a failed snap down, when they try to drive forward into your legs.

How to do it

1. As they shoot, throw both legs straight back behind you, feet wide, so their arms miss your legs.
2. Drop your hips to the mat and make them heavy, with the legs out behind you.
3. Put your chest on their upper back and shoulders and let your weight run down through them.
4. Get an overhook (a whizzer: your arm over the top of theirs) on the arm that reached for you, or a crossface on their head, so they cannot drive forward.
5. Circle your feet to one side, keeping your chest on them, or spin behind them toward the back.
6. Stand up, snap them down, or take the back. Do not rest in the sprawl.

Key details

• Hips down to the mat. Low hips are what stop them getting under you.
• Chest on the shoulders, not on the head. Your weight should be on their upper back.
• Legs long and wide. Short legs give them a knee to grab.
• Sprawl early. The moment their level drops, your legs go back; waiting is losing.
• Follow it with something: circle, snap down or spin behind.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: hips left in the air. They drive under your hips and finish the takedown anyway.
• Mistake: bending at the waist and reaching down with the arms. Your head drops and the double leg goes through.
• Mistake: sprawling with the legs together. One knee is in reach and they grab it for a single leg.
• Mistake: staying in the sprawl. They recover their stance and shoot again, or sit out to escape.

What they will try

• They keep driving with the head up and circle to one side to get hold of a leg.
• They sit out or roll through to get out from under your chest before you get behind them.