The single leg is wrestling's most versatile takedown. How to grab one leg, choose between single leg and high crotch, and find the right finish.
Honest context: the single leg is perhaps the safest takedown in wrestling — because you only have to grab one leg and still have many ways to finish it. "Single leg" means: you control one of the opponent's legs, lift it and take him down through his balance.
The big difference from the double leg: you don't need to go through both legs. A single leg can be set up from more angles and is harder to fully defend — but the grip alone is worth nothing. The takedown counts only with the finish, the movement that actually brings the opponent to the ground.
A particularly strong entry is the high crotch — a single leg where your head sits outside his hip instead of inside. It combines the tight focus of the single leg with the powerful penetration step of the double leg — the best of both worlds. From there you have several finishes, from "running the pipe" to driving across his hip.
In the single leg, the winner isn't who holds the leg tightest, but who breaks the opponent's balance most cleanly.
As with every leg attack: hand fight first, then sink. Lower your center of mass through the knees, back straight, and provoke a reaction. The single leg fits especially well when the opponent loads one leg forward — that's exactly the one you attack.
Shoot in and wrap his leg with both arms, usually at the thigh or knee. Pull the leg tight to your chest — and really tight: between your chest and his leg there must be no gap. Every inch of air gives him the chance to pull the leg back.
With your head inside at his belly, you have a classic single leg; with it outside at the hip, it's a high crotch. The high crotch is often stronger because it brings you closer to his center of mass and allows more finishes.
One proven finish is "running the pipe". Your head sticks to his hip, his thigh tight to your chest. You press forward with your inside leg and take a back step with the outside foot so his leg buckles like a pipe and he falls. A second, often better finish is to drive across through his hip — which leaves him barely any counter.
As always: the throw counts only with control. Follow the opponent down, land with low hips on top and keep working immediately. If you give away the position after the fall, you give away the points.
The single leg often brings you into a low position with your head near his body — keep the back straight and the neck stable, especially when you lift the leg. Lift from the legs, not from a rounded back, or your lumbar spine pays the bill.
And be fair when drilling: a leg under control is a sensitive joint. Never wrench your partner's knee jerkily, but take him down through his balance. Knee pads and a clean touchdown protect you on your own knee contact.
If your opponent defends the grabbed leg well, change levels instead of tugging: the high crotch converts into a double leg as soon as you thread in your second leg. Advanced wrestlers never think in a single attack but in chains — defend one, and the next is already open.
Second trick: keep his foot near your body and off the ground. As long as he stands on one leg only, the balance belongs to you.
With the double leg you grab both legs and drive through the opponent; with the single leg you control only one leg and take him down through his balance. The single leg can be set up from more angles and is harder to fully defend, but needs a clean finish.
A high crotch is a single leg where your head sits outside the opponent's hip instead of inside. It combines the tight focus of the single leg with the powerful penetration step of the double leg and gives you several finish options — which is why it's one of the most reliable leg attacks.
Two ways: "running the pipe" — head to his hip, leg tight to your chest, press forward with the inside leg and step back with the outside. Or, often cleaner, drive across through his hip, which leaves him barely any counter. If he recovers his hip, change the finish instead of forcing it.
Almost always because a gap stays between your chest and his leg. Pull his leg tight to the chest with no air between — only then can you control and lift it. A loosely held leg is practically already lost.
Wrestling: The Sprawl and Takedown Defense