Body lock takedown: how BJJ players use it
The body lock takedown is the #5 takedown in BJJBuddy logs: 440 people have logged it. How the clinch takedown works and who uses it by belt.
Where it ranks.
People who logged each takedown at least once.
Logged, not scored.
BJJBuddy records which takedowns people work in training. It doesn’t record who took whom down, so these pages show how widely each takedown is used, not how often it succeeds.
A body lock locks your hands around your partner’s waist, chest to chest, and takes them down with a trip or by turning their hips. It is a strong option for grapplers who end up in the clinch.
How the body lock takedown works
- Get past their arms, with underhooks or one arm in, and lock your hands low behind their back.
- Pull their hips into you and keep your head tight on their chest.
- Step your leg outside or behind theirs.
- Turn and drop your weight, tripping them over your leg and following them down.
Common mistakes
- Locking your hands too high, around the ribs instead of the waist.
- Leaning back so they can sprawl or reverse.
- Lifting with your back instead of using the trip.
Learn and drill techniques with a qualified coach and a cooperative partner, and let go the moment your partner taps. This overview is not a substitute for live instruction.
Who logs it, by belt
People at each belt who logged this takedown. Belt is the rank set in the app today.
How to read these figures
The rank orders all 31 takedowns by how many different people logged them. From BJJBuddy training logs, November 2015 to November 2026. Duplicate uploads are removed, so a session is one person on one training day. Each person counts once per technique. Groups smaller than 10 people are not shown.