If you don’t know who Cael Sanderson is please hold control/command and press T on your keyboard to open up a new tab. Go to Google.com and type in his name. Go ahead. No rush….I’ll wait. Ok I’ll spoil it. When it comes to wrestling Cael Sanderson is the man. When it comes to Ankle Pick Takedowns…..Cael is the man.
Ok now that you had a chance to realize how awesome Cael is, it’s time to break down the Ankle Pick! Cael doesn’t spend too much time covering the finishing details of the takedown but instead focuses on the set up. According the Cael, the key to this takedown is the set up.
In the video Cael talks about how he changes his level to get to the ankle by circling back and forth while slowly lowering his level. I really am liking how Cael sets up his level change. Since I’m not the fastest guy out there with my level change, this type of level changing could be a great addition to my game.
I also really liked how Cael talks about how his head placement. Even with my limited knowledge of takedowns, I am beginning to see how crucial head placement can be to a good takedown. The lower Cael is able to get his head, the lower his level is. The lower his level the easier it is for him to reach down and grab the ankle for the takedown.
Awesome Jiu Jitsu 