Last updated: June 7, 2026
What is the penetration step?
When a wrestler decides to attack the legs, they cannot simply reach for them from arm’s length. The penetration step is how they get there. It carries the body forward and downward in one motion, so the attacker ends up under the opponent’s hips and close enough to lock onto a leg or both legs.
Coaches group it among the sport’s seven basic skills, alongside stance, motion, level change, the back step, the back arch, and the lift (Mysnyk, Winning Wrestling Moves). Those skills sit underneath almost everything else a wrestler does. A double-leg, a single-leg, or a high-crotch all begin with some version of this entry, which is why beginners drill it long before they learn any specific takedown.
The word “step” undersells the movement. A clean penetration step moves the whole body toward the opponent, hips included, rather than sliding a foot forward.
How the penetration step works
Picture a wrestler in a low stance facing an opponent. The movement starts with a level change, dropping the hips so the attacker is already lower than the target. From there, the lead leg drives forward and lands deep between the opponent’s feet rather than in front of them.
As that foot plants, the rear knee drops toward the mat and the trail leg swings through to replace the lead leg, returning the wrestler to a balanced position to finish. Olympic bronze medalist Adam Wheeler describes the rhythm as “knee bend, knee drop, replace,” a handy shorthand for the three beats of the motion.
The chest stays upright, and the head stays up the whole time. That posture is what separates a controlled entry from a reckless dive, and it is the detail most often missing when the movement breaks down.
Penetration step vs. shot vs. level change
These three terms get used loosely in gyms and fight commentary, and they overlap, which is where the confusion starts. They describe different things.
| Term | What it refers to |
| Level change | Lowering the hips and body to get under the opponent’s center of gravity. A position change, not a forward movement. |
| Penetration step | The forward, driving entry that carries the body deep into the opponent after the level change. |
| Shot | The whole takedown attempt, from the setup through the entry to the finish. The penetration step is the engine inside it. |
A shot contains a level change and a penetration step. A wrestler levels first, penetrates second, and the full sequence is the shot. Commentators often say a fighter “shot in” when what they watched was a level change followed by a penetration step into a double-leg.
Where you’ll see the penetration step
Folkstyle and freestyle wrestlers use it constantly, since leg attacks are the bread and butter of the sport. In MMA, it appears the moment a fighter drops under a punch and drives in for a takedown, whether against the fence or in open space. Wrestlers who built their game on strong entries, like ONE Championship standout Anatoly Malykhin, rely on it to dictate where a fight happens.
It turns up in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu too, usually in a calmer form. Standing exchanges under IBJJF rules reward clean entries to the legs, and a controlled penetration step lets a competitor get there without overcommitting and exposing the neck to a guillotine. Freestyle standout Jordan Burroughs is known for how explosively he covers that distance, catching opponents before they can sprawl.
Once a viewer knows what the motion looks like, they will spot it in almost any grappling exchange.
Common misconceptions
The most common mistake people make when describing the penetration step is treating it as the takedown itself. It is not. It is the entry that makes a takedown possible, and a wrestler can hit a perfect penetration step and still fail to finish.
Another mix-up is confusing it with the level change. Dropping the level is part of the setup, but a wrestler who only changes levels has not penetrated anything. The forward drive is the part that closes the gap.
People also assume bigger or stronger athletes have the edge here. Reach matters less than expected. Shorter wrestlers often enter more easily because they already operate at a lower level, which is part of why the skill rewards technique over size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the penetration step the same as shooting?
Not quite. A shot is the full takedown attempt. The penetration step is only the driving entry inside that attempt, sitting between the setup and the finish.
Which takedowns use the penetration step?
Most leg attacks rely on it, including the double-leg, the single-leg, and the high-crotch. The angle and depth of the entry shift depending on which takedown the wrestler is going for.
Why is the penetration step considered a basic skill?
Because so much of wrestling depends on it. Coaches teach it among the seven fundamental skills because a wrestler cannot reliably score on the feet without a sound entry to the legs.
Do shorter wrestlers have an advantage with it?
Often, yes. A naturally lower stance makes it easier to get under a taller opponent’s hips, which is one reason smaller athletes can be tough to defend against on the mat.
Sources
- Mysnyk, Mark. Winning Wrestling Moves. Human Kinetics, 1994 (via Wikipedia, “Collegiate wrestling moves”). Accessed June 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegiate_wrestling_moves - Evolve Daily. “Mastering the Penetration Step for Better Takedowns in MMA and BJJ.” Accessed June 2026.
https://evolve-mma.com/blog/mastering-the-penetration-step-for-better-takedowns-in-mma-and-bjj/ - DICK’S Sporting Goods Pro Tips. “Wrestling Offense: Penetration Step” (Kyle Borshoff). Accessed June 2026.
https://protips.dickssportinggoods.com/sports-and-activities/wrestling/wrestling-offense-penetration-step - Fanatic Wrestling. “Learn the Penetration Step and Develop Your Shot With Adam Wheeler.” Accessed June 2026.
https://fanaticwrestling.com/blogs/news/learn-to-shoot-with-adam-wheeler - Keep Kids Wrestling. “Offensive Takedown Shots: Different Types and Setups.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.keepkidswrestling.com/post/different-wrestling-shot-takedowns
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