One of the simplest ways to get someone to fall is tripping them. If you want to be a jerk and trip your friend while they’re carrying a bunch of stuff or you need to take the fight to the ground, you can do it by tripping. I find when sparring, trip opportunities come up often in clinch situations.

I found in my experience that successful trips can only be executed if you have your opponent focusing on something else. For instance, when clinching, throw some knees or do some dirty boxing and feel for the shift in balance. Once they’re off balance, you can really get in and trip them. Judo is the gentle art of knocking your opponent off balance and requires perfect timing and technique.

I particularly like the end of the video where they show a drill you can do if you have a wall or a ring. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Key points

• Head control is important
• Set up the trip, jerk them around fake a throw and chain it to a leg trip.
• Remember: Break balance, then trip. Timing is everything.

Related posts:

1. Escaping the Clinch with Judo
2. Judo vs BJJ – The Answer is Judo AND BJJ
3. Yoga and MMA