Inside Heel Hook Game
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomFinish the inside heel hook from the saddle, or transition to outside ashi and finish the outside heel hook from there. Hide the inside heel, break hip connection, extract, or reverse the saddle.
IBJJF No-Gi: a listed finish is restricted.
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Notes (this phone)
TOP PLAYER
POSITION
Attacker in cross ashi (saddle) with hip connection active and the partner's inside heel exposed. Inside heel cup grip established before the clock.
OBJECTIVE
Finish the inside heel hook from the saddle, or transition to outside ashi and finish the outside heel hook from there.
CONSTRAINTS
Elevated safety. Confirm tap-release reliability before running it. Coach present. Both practitioners confirm tap protocol before the first rep (two taps plus verbal tap; rotation stops before grip releases; signal at first knee awareness; no bridging while the heel is held; ten-second pause between resets). Do not run in the same session as Outside Heel Hook vs Extraction. Reset when the attacker achieves a tap, when the defender achieves clean extraction with three seconds of separation, or when either player requests a reset. Mandatory ten-second pause between every reset. Default rounds 3:00. Cap at five rounds per session.
WIN CONDITION
Force the tap with rotational load on the knee line from inside ashi (saddle); or transition to outside ashi garami and force the tap by rotating the knee line from there.
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
Extractor trapped in the saddle with the inside heel exposed.
OBJECTIVE
Hide the inside heel, break hip connection, extract, or reverse the saddle.
CONSTRAINTS
Same tap protocol, no-bridge rule, ten-second pause, coach presence, and session separation from the Outside Heel Hook game.
WIN CONDITION
Extract the leg cleanly from cross ashi with three seconds of separation, or reverse the saddle to a non-entangled position.
In competition
See it in competition: 60+ Leg Locks From ADCC History | ADCC Submission Series →
See it in competition: Tezos WNO Submission of the Night: Sophia Cassella :35 HEEL HOOK ⚠️ →
Drill first
Original positional game. Inside Heel Hook Game. GAME-LL-03.
Problem
Attacker in cross ashi (saddle) with hip connection active and the partner's inside heel exposed.
Setup
Attacker in cross ashi (saddle) with hip connection active and the partner's inside heel exposed. Inside heel cup grip established before the clock. Extractor trapped in the saddle with the inside heel exposed.
Score
Force the tap with rotational load on the knee line from inside ashi (saddle); or transition to outside ashi garami and force the tap by rotating the knee line from there. Extract the leg cleanly from cross ashi with three seconds of separation, or reverse the saddle to a non-entangled position.
Rules
- Elevated safety.
- Confirm tap-release reliability before running it.
- Coach present.
- Both practitioners confirm tap protocol before the first rep (two taps plus verbal tap; rotation stops before grip releases; signal at first knee awareness; no bridging while the heel is held; ten-second pause between resets).
- Do not run in the same session as Outside Heel Hook vs Extraction.
- Reset when the attacker achieves a tap, when the defender achieves clean extraction with three seconds of separation, or when either player requests a reset.
- Mandatory ten-second pause between every reset.
- Default rounds 3:00.
- Cap at five rounds per session.
- Same tap protocol, no-bridge rule, ten-second pause, coach presence, and session separation from the Outside Heel Hook game.
Progressions
Harder constraint variants from the source. Same game, tighter problem.
- Allow the defender to reverse the saddle actively — train the full offensive and defensive saddle exchange.
- Add the transition: if the inside heel hook is blocked, the attacker may transition to outside ashi and attempt the outside heel hook. This creates the full inside/outside heel hook decision game.
- Run with a role-rotating structure after each score. This ensures both practitioners develop both roles of the saddle game.
leg locks
Wall card
Inside Heel Hook Game
Proficient
TOP PLAYER
Position
Attacker in cross ashi (saddle) with hip connection active and the partner's inside heel exposed. Inside heel cup grip established before the clock.
Win condition
Force the tap with rotational load on the knee line from inside ashi (saddle); or transition to outside ashi garami and force the tap by rotating the knee line from there.
Constraints
Elevated safety. Confirm tap-release reliability before running it. Coach present. Both practitioners confirm tap protocol before the first rep (two taps plus verbal tap; rotation stops before grip releases; signal at first knee awareness; no bridging while the heel is held; ten-second pause between resets). Do not run in the same session as Outside Heel Hook vs Extraction. Reset when the attacker achieves a tap, when the defender achieves clean extraction with three seconds of separation, or when either player requests a reset. Mandatory ten-second pause between every reset. Default rounds 3:00. Cap at five rounds per session.
BOTTOM PLAYER
Position
Extractor trapped in the saddle with the inside heel exposed.
Win condition
Extract the leg cleanly from cross ashi with three seconds of separation, or reverse the saddle to a non-entangled position.
Constraints
Same tap protocol, no-bridge rule, ten-second pause, coach presence, and session separation from the Outside Heel Hook game.
Elevated safety. Confirm tap-and-release before the first rep. Stop at the tap. Do not run this if the room is not already serious about it.