As the competition approaches, the coach wants me to work on my single-leg takedown. He noticed that I’m quite good at picking up the single leg but have a hard time finishing. I’ve been falling onto my butt recently while trying to catch their waist and drag them back.

I did three 2-minute rounds where I tried to finish the single leg. It was quite exhausting. The coach advised me that as soon as I get the single leg, I should keep my head high, press my ear to their chest, and quickly release the grip to push their chest while also running the pipe.

Another option is to step outside and lift their leg up high. From there, you can trip their other leg and take them down.

If I want to drag them backward, I should go with the Tani Otoshi. Connect your grip at their waist, bring their waist into yours, connect with each other, and squat to create a seat for them to sit down. Drive your head in and trip their heel.

Another note on defending the single-leg takedown is to square up, stay facing your opponent, and don’t let them get the angle. Try to free your trapped leg or connect with them to reverse as soon as they take you down—e.g., with a kimura grip. You can also frame with your arm and push their head away, adjust your leg so their grip is at the back of your knee (where you are strongest), sprawl, and pull the leg out. Maintaining the collar tie would help greatly.