Body Lock Takedown
Also known as: Bodylock · Bear Hug Takedown · Outside Trip from Body Lock
Lock your hands around the torso with at least one underhook, squeeze chest-to-chest, and finish with an outside trip or an angle drive.
Takedown · Gi & No-gi · Difficulty 2/5 · Usually learned at White belt
Starts from Clinch as the either grappler → lands in Side Control.
The details that make it work
- Win an underhook first; a body lock over two overhooks is a throw waiting to happen against you.
- Lock palm-to-wrist at the small of their back, hips lower than theirs, head on the pressure side.
- Trip the near leg or run the angle — take away their step, then take away their balance.
Where it goes wrong
- Locking high around the chest where their hips are free — the lock lives at the waistline.
How opponents counter it
- Frame the crossface and sprawl the hips back
- Uchi-mata or hip toss against the squared entry
Is the Body Lock Takedown legal in competition?
Legal in all major rulesets at all levels (IBJJF, ADCC, sub-only). Rules change — always confirm against the current official rulebook for your event.
Related techniques
All moves from Clinch · Back to Grapplepedia