Duck Under

The Duck Under is a fundamental wrestling and grappling technique used to transition from a neutral standing position to a dominant angle or takedown. It involves slipping underneath your opponent’s arm or torso to evade their grip fighting and gain access to their back or side, setting up takedowns, positional control, or submissions. This technique relies on precise hip movement, angles, and timing to exploit your opponent's posture and balance.

Key Principles

Breaking Posture

  • Use a collar tie, wrist control, or other grips to destabilize your opponent’s posture and create an opening.

Level Change

  • Drop your center of gravity to duck under their arm or torso while maintaining balance and control.

Angles and Positioning

  • Move to the side or behind your opponent, cutting an angle that eliminates their ability to counter or defend effectively.

Grip Fighting

  • Secure control of their arm or body to prevent them from regaining control or posture.

Steps to Perform the Duck Under

Set-Up

  • Start in a neutral or engaged stance with your opponent. Use grips like a Collar Tie or wrist control to manipulate their posture.
  • Keep a solid base and maintain tight connections to your opponent.

Create the Angle

  • Pull their arm or collar down and across their body while stepping diagonally forward to the side of the arm you intend to duck under.
  • Simultaneously, shift your head and upper body slightly off-center to avoid their center line.

Level Change

  • Lower your center of gravity by bending your knees and dropping your hips while keeping your back straight.
  • Move your head underneath their arm, maintaining tight control of their arm or shoulder.

Circle Around

  • As you duck under, step around to the side or behind your opponent. Use your outside leg to pivot and cut the angle.
  • Keep control of their arm or torso to maintain positional dominance.

Transition to Dominant Position

Variations of the Duck Under

Collar Tie Duck Under

  • Use a Collar Tie to manipulate their posture and duck under their arm to take the angle.

Two-on-One Duck Under

  • Control their arm with a Two-on-One Grip to create space and execute the duck under motion.

No-Gi Duck Under

  • Without gi grips, focus on controlling their wrist or tricep while performing the duck under.

Snap-Down to Duck Under

  • Use a snap-down to force your opponent’s head and posture down, then transition to the duck under.

Common Applications

Against Defensive Opponents

  • Use the duck under to bypass their defenses and secure a dominant angle or back control.

Setting Up Takedowns

Creating Openings for Submissions

In Scrambles

  • Apply the duck under to gain positional advantage during dynamic exchanges.

Defensive Strategies

Head Placement

  • Keep your head close to their torso or hip to prevent them from countering with a Guillotine or front headlock.

Angle Control

  • Avoid moving directly into their center line where they can use their weight to counter your motion.

Follow-Ups and Transitions

Back Control

Takedown Chains

Throws

Tip

The Duck Under works best when paired with strong grip fighting and precise timing. Focus on maintaining tight connections and cutting sharp angles to minimize your opponent’s counter options.

Positioning

The Duck Under can be executed from various standing and grappling positions where you have access to grips or control of your opponent’s arms or posture. Below is a breakdown of positions and scenarios where the Duck Under is most effectively applied:

Neutral Standing Positions

Engaged Neutral Stance

  • Begin in a standing position where both you and your opponent are engaged in grip fighting or hand-fighting.
  • Use grips such as a Collar Tie or wrist control to manipulate their posture and set up the duck under.

Collar Tie

  • From a Collar Tie, pull their head or arm down while stepping to the side and underneath their arm to execute the technique.

Double Collar Tie

  • Use one hand to control their head and the other to clear their arm, creating the space for a duck under.

Inside Tie on Elbow

Takedown Setup Positions

Two-on-One Grip

  • Control their arm with a Two-on-One Grip (Russian Tie), lifting it to create an opening to duck underneath.

Snap-Down

  • After a successful snap-down to lower their posture, transition into the duck under by stepping around and under their arm.

Front Headlock Position

  • When you have a Front Headlock, use the Duck Under to transition to their back or create a dominant angle.

Counter and Dynamic Positions

Counter to Forward Pressure

  • When your opponent pressures forward aggressively, use their momentum to slip under their arm and take the angle.

Scramble Scenarios

  • During dynamic exchanges or scrambles, execute a duck under to gain positional advantage.

Against Defensive Opponents

  • Use the Duck Under to bypass an opponent maintaining a tight defensive posture by manipulating their arm or grip.

Submission and Positional Transitions

Back Control Setups

Takedown Transitions

Throws and Trips

  • Use the angle created by the duck under to execute throws like the Hip Toss or Osoto Gari.

Common Applications

From Wrestling Exchanges

  • Use the Duck Under during wrestling engagements where both fighters are hand-fighting or grip-fighting.

Against Taller Opponents

  • Take advantage of their extended arms or upright posture by slipping underneath for the duck under.

When Breaking Grips

  • Use the Duck Under after disengaging or breaking an opponent’s grips to gain an angle of attack.

Defensive and Recovery Positions

Against Sprawls

Preventing Guillotines

  • Maintain tight head positioning and angles to avoid exposing your neck to a Guillotine during the transition.
Tip

The Duck Under thrives in positions where you can exploit your opponent’s extended arm, overcommitment, or forward pressure. Proper grip fighting and sharp angles are critical to its success.

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