Coaches Corner Article: Down Position

Leg Counters From Base Position

Countering legs when you are still on your base, involves following a few basic rules:

1. Learn to Keep your position and don't let yourself get broken down. Wide knees and arms for starters.

2. Fight with the feet - this is a technique I teach the athletes in my club and also is on my DVD. Its hard to explain here, but basically, you hook the ankle with your free leg, then move your tied up leg inside his. You also use the free leg to kick off a scissors if he has it. This technique keeps you from reaching with your arms and getting into trouble. It works very well against the majority of leg riders, because most of them hook the ankle and go into cross-body. A cross body leg rider can always be countered in our system.

3. If you do fight using your arms - use the Inside Arm technique, get the same-side arm inside their leg and get that arm wide! In other words, don't grab the leg - just Position the arm. You still have to be able to hold your position when they go to break you down. Then you can circle away from that leg to escape.

Here are a few drills to help your athletes fight off legs.

1. Keep the Legs out. Bottom guy holds his position, doesn't get broken down, keeps the legs out.
2. Get the Legs out. Top guy starts with legs in and tries to keep them in, bottom guy tries to get them out. Also a good drill for the legman trying to keep them in.
3. Flat, keep them out. This one's even harder, but very important for athletes. Bottom guy has to be able to bring an elbow to a knee before basing up so top guy doesn't sneak a leg in.

The above 3 are actually live drills. The next one is not a live drill.

1. Block the knee or catch the leg. If the top guy brings the knee across the thigh, or close to it, bottom guy just blocks it with the palm of his hand and forces it away.

If top guy brings the leg out, or tries to throw it in, bottom guy makes sure the elbow on the inside arm (attacking side) goes to his knee and he catches the leg and plants his hand on the mat. Important point - tell him Not to hang onto the leg - just bring the arm inside and post it.