I've been looking for a solid resource on wrestling takedowns for a while, specifically the double leg, and Kevin Lee's instructional on BJJ Fanatics ended up being exactly what I needed. It's the kind of content that rewards you for paying close attention rather than just pressing play and nodding along into a sleepy situation. By the way, the link above is an affiliate link, just putting that out there. If you purchase the instructional, we both get some benefit.
But yeah, one of the first things Lee talks about is his study of GSP and Jordan Burroughs. That context matters because you immediately understand the level of intentionality behind his approach. He's not just showing you a technique; he's showing you a system built from watching two of the best in the world break opponents down with the same move over and over at the highest levels of grappling.
The core of what he teaches centers around keeping the strong leg in the back and using it as the driving leg when you shoot. You step in with that back leg, land heel first, then toes, then the knee, and then bring the other knee in. The key detail is the replacement when you bring the other one in. Once the lead knee is down, you're immediately sliding it forward with the other knee and bringing the other foot through to reestablish your base. If your replacement knee forms less than a 90-degree angle, you're already behind. The geometry of the shot matters more than most people think.
He's also very specific about posture. Your hips need to be lower than your shoulders, and you have to be angled as if you're about to sprint when you get a hold of one or both legs. If you're square and upright, you're easy to defend and easy to sprawl on. The athletic position he keeps referencing is essentially the foundation everything else is built on.
One concept that stuck with me is what he calls the triangle of death. This is the spatial relationship between you and your opponent and where your knee lands. When you understand it, the shot starts to make more mechanical sense rather than feeling like you're just diving at someone's legs and hoping for the best.
There's a timing piece too. He's very clear that you want to shoot when your opponent has their hips squared up to you. That's the window. Miss that, and the shot becomes harder to finish. And once you're driving, you don't pause. You transition immediately. Hesitation is where shots die.
Defensively, he explains that the head and hands are the first lines of defense against the shot, which is obvious in hindsight but easy to forget when you're drilling. And when you do finish, he's emphatic about pressing your ear to their back, eliminating all the space. That detail alone is worth the price of this instructional. Leaving space there is how you get guillotined while trying to score a takedown.
Overall, this was a well structured instructional that gave me a clearer mental model of a technique I thought I already understood. The difference between watching someone do a double leg and actually knowing why each piece of it works the way it does is significant. Lee bridges that gap well.