Baiana Takedown

In wrestling and Judo the purpose of the sport is basically to get the takedown or throw, then it’s game over. Jiu Jitsu is totally different, getting to the ground is just the start not the end.

Therefore the baiana, whilst resembling shooting a double or Judo’s morote gari, is different because whilst the purpose is still to take it to the ground you have to consider the position you will land in when you get there.

The lift and twist of the baiana is crucial as you are effectively passing guard in the air and saving yourself a lot of trouble later down the line.

So remember, as you lift to get the takedown pull your arms across one way and use your head to push the other way as the video above.

Also note the angle in which you approach the takedown and the angle in which you are driving.

In the first example, you level change correctly by bending the knees. Keeping the driving force parallel to the ground so if your opponent moves back you can still drive through.

The second example is the INCORRECT way. By bending forward and grabbing at the legs instead of level changing you are creating a downwards-diagonal force that has a vanishing point and therefore you cannot go any further than that. This will assist your opponent in sprawling on you so should be avoided unless that is your game plan.

DC