Takedowns from The Knees in BJJ Are a Waste of Time

[@olemew]

Couple options: 2:00 play guard 2:30 underhook trap 3:26 grab to turtle

[@unadulteratedtruth8716]

Hey bro.... I have been watching and enjoying your vids for a while. I was watching this yesterday and saw the 'Derby City' t-shirt. That's when it dawned on me that my step-daughter, Sarah, has been training with you for quite some time. She raves about how great of a guy and teacher you are. I trained in Philly at BJJ United under Jared Weiner, and introduced her to BJJ way back then. She actually decided to try it after her move to Louisville. Thanks for the awesome vids, but more importantly, thanks for treating her well and making her a part of your BJJ family!!! Good training l!!!

[@cwalker587]

This is a massive help as we always start from kneeling in my system, can't wait for my next class!

[@stanley3895]

6 years later, how do you do?

[@yed3629]

thank you so much chewy you always upload the right video at just the right time :)

[@fieldstripped]

Excellent video chewy! Especially like the point at the end, I used to be worried about pulling guard against big heavy guys when rolling but once I started doing it I've gotten much more comfortable. If we start on the knees I usually try to pull guard and go for a sweep right away

[@AeolethNionian]

From the kness is really good for practicing grip switching. It improves your standup by simplifying it. Just started in judo recently and I started getting ideas in standup from ne waza sparring. Also I feel like if someone's overwhelming you and you feel like it's a tug of war with a bigger guy on top you could try letting them get something real on you so you can practice getting out of it. That's what I see in it. Maybe it's just more compatable with judo? Maybe you can make it useful? I don't know hope my 2 cents helps though.

[@fookc7]

I agree it’s super useful. There are a lot of wrestling or other concepts that can be safely practiced, fight for hand control, underpins, arm drags, schucking and taking back, etc. I agree you don’t want to spend all 6 minutes there but it’s a great way to drill/practice those techniques in a safer/less space use than the feet. Also- I’m always able to get to start in a dominant position with higher belts because they don’t practice these things, on feet or on knees.

[@tonycomerford745]

Thanks, in our class we normally start from the knees so this is very helpful. We do a lot of drills from the gaurd and passing gaurd too :)

[@LuisGarcia-cq9ls]

Watched this video when it first came when I was a blue belt. Haven't started on both my knees since and my jiu jitsu is so much more dynamic as a result. Thanks for the tip Chewy 🤙

[@Tobby4063]

Good video. Nice takedowns too. I like a sneaky single leg from the knees. Even when it goes wrong you can still work on circling to the back and work on some wrestling. It doesn't have to be just guard pulling.

[@leglocksdontwork4243]

Our beginner classes always start on the knees, cause when there are a lot of people on the mat the risk of injuries due takedowns is way higher! For the competition class, we always start from a standing position

[@joshuawagner9545]

very helpful video, we start from knees in mcmap USMC and I never understood it until now, youre meant to be in a guard knees is just a starting position for you to decide what guard to get into or try a takedown

[@jj2r0]

Great advice Chewy!

[@justaname935]

i was really wondering about this- thank you

[@joeyripswell]

same side wrist control->arm drag to take the back. cross side wrist control->outside single leg to side control, knee on belly or mount. i like starting in semi seated combat stance. but there isn't much to do cept wrist control stuff. marcelo is very fun to watch with taking the back

[@BeatOutsideTheBox1]

This is a good idea. If I'm not starting standing I'll just start on bottom in side control or mount and work my way out.

[@adamr7068]

Thanks, I had my first no gi class last night and we ended up on knees at one point and I wasn't sure where to go with it. I had the neck hooked but didn't even think about just pulling them into guard. Good stuff.

[@alexsilvacorp]

I started BJJ in the 80's back in Rio. Then life got busy and I gave up. Then about 10 years ago decided to go back here in Australia where I live now and to my surprise every session started from the knee. I couldn't understand and when I asked someone told me was because it avoids injury on takedowns. There was one class a week specifically for takedowns. I got used to it but still find it silly

[@markfeltner8260]

i had a coach basically ban knee wrestling but later on in my mma career training no gi. I started doing some singles doubles and even slipping under my rolling partner and picking an ankle and going for a back take. i found out its actually useful with chain wrestling and combining your takedowns on the scramble to wrestle on your knees. however thats the only time i found it useful was in the middle of a roll or match to knee wrestle when you and your partner or opponent are scrambling for position after a fail sub or takedown or one or the both of you are backing away. i agree its kinda bad practice to start from your knees.

[@Jacked_R_Us]

This 👌 of course starting on your knees is not good practice but there are many opportunities for kneeling takedowns during scrambles and heisting

[@nielniel8283]

Chewy. I always assumed that the point of starting on your knees was to cut down on injuries to train longer and also learn grips and why they were important. Obviously you know way more than me but is that not the case to a extent at least?

[@Augustin54]

Niel Niel that is the point of starting on the knees but wrestling on the knees for 2 minutes is a waste of time. That's the whole point of the video

[@railroadtrash09]

@@Augustin54 I'm sure their intentions weren't to battle from the knees for that long, unless they are new. My gym can get very crowded and starting from the knees can occasionally be more healthy lol.

[@badoocee1967]

Great Advice Chewy! OSS!

[@redbullrich]

Great advice 👍

[@uipize]

well we have a super easy one .. but i think a lot of people dont know it :D i can hit every one with it ^^ just take a basic judo grip (or any basic no - gi grip ) fall back and put your foot one the same side knee where you have arm controll, and now sweep him and get into side or full mount. its like a scissour sweep against heavy opponents, works very good. hope you understand me and my not even white belt lvl english kappa

[@Jacked_R_Us]

In mordern no gi there is so many times I see someone heist up and stand up where they can be thrown from a kneeling position yet they just let them stand up.

[@MrHeathcliff83]

haha if you could see my knees right now :-D the are red, blue, yellow, purple... needed this tip so much. but i have to get better in sweeps and get out of sidemount.

[@carzoparazzo9698]

In lot of places still today ppl start from knees, I saw it event in Gracie Academy

[@SuperKayable]

We only start at knees during our rolling but that’s cause of size. If there’s less than standing happens.

[@evangelistjoaquinorosco3391]

Just dislocated my knee from feet. Going to pull guard more often when I go back .

[@thespacebetweenthoughts6560]

I’ve been fighting from my knees for months now because of ankle injuries. It sucks but I have no choice until My ankles are good again.

[@tonyshoeball7759]

When we start on knees I just pull guard or half guard

[@bananapatch9118]

Relson Gracie school…we always start from the knees.

[@alexis.kokkinos]

Hey Chewy. Thanks for the great videos. I am only a 70kg white belt. Everyone is at least 20 kgs heavier and I end up on my back (guard) each time. The constant playing from the guard is hurting/damaging my back (especially against big guys). I don’t want to always go to my back and at least want to get some grips to put some pressure on the bigger guys. Can you please post a video that provides some good tips on getting grips at the start of a roll?

[@statmandemps1154]

Right on, when in doubt use jiu jitsu

[@jjohn56]

Tore my mcl in my knee from starting on the knees. Never again. I either let the other person do a light take down from standing or just start from guard or let them get side control.

[@Bellathor]

I realize it was a year ago, but I'm curious, how did it happen?

[@sergeysobolevsky8408]

Same here. How?

[@MyMucks]

Usually you only start on the knees is when the class is packed and you don't have enough space to start standing.

[@MyMucks]

I guess if you're a white belt or a low ranking blue you knee wrestle but we all know when we start on the knees its either one person plays guard or passes.

[@pyscoandco]

I used to go to a gym where you were not allowed to start on the feet unless you got specific permission from the coach, which was kinda rare

[@MyMucks]

We start standing all the time at our gym but sometimes when there's a lot of people on the mats we start on the knees or we start from some type of guard.

[@Toxic_doc]

THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO/ HELPS.

[@tristanclaxton9329]

My school Startsh from the knees I basically do a deep one side arm drag Bump on my back and then pop in to Is there back side control or taking in the back

[@nilkarma]

Hey what is that opening beat? Driving me crazy I swear I've heard it before!

[@aqdjbcr]

I feel sorry for people who fight so hard for top position they would push back and forth for 6 minutes straight rather than pulling guard

[@Y4J]

I know this is late, but one thing I have issues with is when people start sitting down and even searching for videos there's not a lot that talk about it.. I end up going in, getting caught in their butterfly guard or half guard and it's frustrating. Any videos or suggestions on passing that position ?

[@getfitwithme8405]

Bjj tournaments just got banned in Ontario and I had my official second one next week (first bronze second DQ due to missed weigh in)

[@stupidandboot4507]

Tf??

[@redstonerage5933]

what mat do you use?

[@91lilfrozone23]

sport JJ: practice from the ground self defense oriented JJ: practice takedowns as often as you can, all fights start on the feet

[@aqdjbcr]

Mario F. Not all but a vast majority start standing. Possible to get attacked when you’re sitting down on a bus or something

[@garyhart768]

Just what I needed after last night...just when I thought the wrestler in me was making way for a sorta jiu jitsu guy...he showed back up. 😂

[@ClarenceMain]

I think some schools started from the knees when the people didn’t know how to break fall.

[@rollinOnCode]

what is the best oil for that beard?

[@zacharygolden7077]

had this just this week

[@zacharygolden7077]

thank you

[@Guywithair2]

Its funny to hear people say big guy and then stop at 60lbs. I have rolled with guys who had 120lbs on me easily. Typically, you will find they are a lot slower than you.

[@tannermuncey3379]

Combat base!

[@tomasvalent3876]

One good reason to start from knees (and not standing) is to avoid injuries.

[@coryvore]

Judo tournaments do ground fighting only matches and they start on the knees.

[@xy5844]

knee judo should be an olympic sport

[@eschelar]

Or just tell your partner that they are bigger and ask them to start from bottom. Irony... Most of the better players know how to deal with me so as a bigger guy, I spend most of my time on bottom doing guard. So when I get to the top, I'm trying to figure out an attack, but from bottom, I am relaxed and have loads of tricks at the ready. Hehehehe

[@tylerduarte1968]

Smh I've been doing them for 4 months

[@zivot92]

In my opinion you should start either from stand up or from the knee, there is a lot of tricks how to do takedown from knee and if you are imbecile you will spend 5min there but even when i started i remember myself tricked in many silly ways from knee xD It can be really funny :) Also when you got a massive guy you should start in bottom to tire them down, ground is your friend there trust me.. and when they tire down then you should swap them over and submit or ground pound. I have a lot of experience fighting heavier guys even while being 95kg xD Ofc in street sotuation strategy is a bit different since you should avoid being at bottom but lets leave that a side since that is not jiu jitsu. Oss

[@nobadmojo70]

first

[@Italian81]

Guard pulling is accepting the beta role....Alphas don't play that weak shit 😂

[@Catdog2727]

Calls video take downs from knees are waste of time, then launches into takedown from knees techniques