My number one rule is to NEVER SHOOT for takedowns without establishing a grip or at least a connection first. Otherwise it's just a waste of energy especially for us un-athletic types. Learn set ups to grab high singles and combo them with hip/waistline control. Takedowns become so much easier once you get to a power position. Demian Maia is a prime example of this approach. He had a very successful MMA career based on high singles and working from the power position towards the back control.

So, what I said. Just better and with a Demian Maia example. Demian Maia what a stud.

At this point maybe just pull guard 😄 🤷🏼‍♂️

Watch Christian’s video on how he teaches wrestling to adults. Absolute game changer for me and my whole gym. Also Andrew Wiltse’s arm drag single leg entry is beautiful and fast and explosive, but it doesn’t have to be. You can do the whole thing basically in slow motion and it’s still super effective. Same with a collar drag in the gi. The Globetrotters videos on into to Greco-Roman parts 1 & 2 are also excellent. A Russian tie when your opponent gets a collar tie is a great solution. But both my arm drag single and Russian tie were developed from playing Christian’s wrestling game. Things like a blast double, low or outside single, these require explosiveness (lol it has blast in the name) which is a young man’s game. The stuff I’ve mentioned above just works and is much less timing and quickness dependent.

What are some solid go-to takedowns for us 'non-wrestlers' ? I'm trying hard to fill this gap in my game this year.

collar drags & arm drags are your friend my dude.

Been working pretty hard on my wrestling and takedowns lately. We are blessed to have some former D1 college wrestlers and also some experienced Judoka in our gym, so I try to pick their brain as often as I can. One of the biggest things that has helped me is learning to hand fight and learning the grips I like to establish prior to really hammering takedowns. It's like Jiu-jitsu in the sense that you will have submissions, sweeps, etc. that tend to speak to you because of the types of guard you play or top game you prefer. Might as well get good at the takedowns that fit YOU and what you do. Also - as a basic idea, takedowns tend to work better when your opponent is providing you with energy by pushing into you. So learn how to manipulate your opponent's balance from those established grips and get their weight where you want it before working for your takedown. I personally agree with the first couple of responses you got in regards to single-legs being a good entry point for takedown finishes. You don't have to bang your knee every time you go for one, and you are already working to off-balance your opponent when you've isolated a leg. Lots of finishing options, and single-legs provide gateways to other positions you can take people down from (i.e.: body lock). It's super easy to hit a double if you've already captured one leg, as well. Just my .02 - but I'm far from a wrestling guru.