As much as everyone would like to Bruce Lee sidekick their opponent through a wall, in reality, fighting is difficult and often quite messy. The fact of the matter is, even an untrained guy can be dangerous with an overhand, but most people are defenseless off their back. In addition, very few people wrestled enough to have a good takedown defense. If someone is being offensive and winging hard punches at you the way most guys do in street fights, landing a takedown could be easy. Because of these factors, taking someone down and controlling them might be the safest way to win a street fight. Just be sure someone is there to watch your back and make sure you aren’t attacked from behind while you’re on top of the guy. 

The keys to a good blast double are the distance from which you shoot, the quality of your penetration step, the position your body is in once you hit your opponent, and your drive through the shot. Whether you’re wrestling or fighting, a shot from too far away will never work. Your opponent will see it coming and you won’t be able to penetrate in a good position. You need to either punch your way into the shot, or time one of your opponent’s punches to disguise your leg attack. When you shoot, you need to “penetrate” deep into your opponent’s stance with your lead leg (the same side leg as the shoulder you hit him with). We call this a penetration step. Failing to step past your opponent’s lead leg will force you to bend over and reach for him which weakens your posture.

As you take your big penetration step in, make sure your head is up and your butt is down. Your opponent will put his weight on you to defend so it’s vitally important you are in a strong position. Note that your step into your target should cause your shoulder to hit him naturally. You shouldn’t feel like you’re reaching for his legs. As you hit him, grab the back of his knees with your hands and drive through him as you chop your feet. Even if you take a good penetration step, failure to run your feet will give him time and space to sprawl and break your posture. Once he hits the ground continue to drive your weight into him and secure a strong top position.

In order to learn the variations of the double leg and to get the proper practice in, head to your local wrestling club or MMA gym.

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