Jiu-jitsu borrows takedowns from wrestling and judo but changes the objective. You are not chasing a scoring throw for its own sake; you are trying to arrive in a passing position with your hips above theirs and your head on the correct side. That reframing narrows the list considerably. A handful of entries covers most situations: a snap down into a front headlock off a collar tie, a low single or a high crotch behind a level change, and a forward trip when they lean their weight into you. Each one begins with a grip you established before you moved.
Key points
- Change levels by bending the knees while the chest stays tall, since folding at the waist offers your neck.
- Win the grip exchange before anything else, because a takedown attempted from a neutral tie is a coin flip.
- Use motion to build the entry: two steps of pressure and direction beat any attack launched from standing still.
- Land already passing, with the head on the far side and your hips connected tightly to theirs.
- Rehearse the recovery for a failed attempt, since a stuffed shot ends in front headlock or in turtle.
Common mistakes
- Shooting from too far out, arriving on both knees with the head down and no penetration step underneath.
- Reaching for guard the instant a grip is contested, so standing skill never gets any repetitions at all.
- Releasing the grips during the landing, which lets the bottom player insert a knee and recover guard immediately.
Put it into practice
Entries from motion
- Circle with a partner for one minute establishing and breaking collar and sleeve ties, with no attacks permitted.
- Add level changes while moving, twenty per side, checking the chest stays tall and the hips stay underneath.
- Take ten entries per side through to a finish, pausing to confirm head position and hip connection each time.
- Close with standing rounds from grips only, ending the round the moment either person begins to pass.
standinglevel changetiestop position