Inside Trip

Takedown
Also known as:
Trip (Inside)

The inside trip is a close-range takedown where you hook your leg behind your opponent's leg from the inside while driving them backward over it. It is highly effective in clinch situations, works in both gi and no-gi, and lands you directly in top position.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Head position on the side you are tripping toward controls their posture and direction of the fall.
  • · Your chest-to-chest pressure and forward drive are what breaks their balance backward over the hooked leg.
  • · The tripping leg hooks behind their calf or ankle while your hips drive through, not just your upper body.
  • · Anticipate them stepping back by timing the trip as they plant their weight on the targeted leg.
  • · Underhook or collar tie control on the trip side prevents them from circling away or counter-wrestling.

Execution

  1. 1 Establish a clinch with a strong underhook or collar tie on the side you plan to trip, keeping your head tight against their jaw or chest on that same side.
  2. 2 Step your lead foot to the outside of their lead foot, positioning your hips close to theirs and angling slightly toward the trip side.
  3. 3 Thread your rear leg between their legs and hook your instep or calf behind their same-side ankle or calf from the inside.
  4. 4 Drive forward with your chest and hips while simultaneously reaping their hooked leg backward, turning the corner slightly to direct them diagonally to the mat.
  5. 5 Follow them down maintaining chest pressure to land in side control or mount.

Common mistakes

  • × Attempting the trip without sufficient upper body control or forward pressure, allowing the opponent to simply step back and disengage.
  • × Reaching the tripping leg too far without closing hip distance first, which compromises your own balance and exposes you to counter-takedowns.
  • × Hooking too high on the thigh instead of the calf or ankle, reducing leverage and making the reap ineffective.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the Inside Trip shows up.

Standing Position

Where it lands

The position you end up in.

Side Control Top