Leg Locks

Inside space, heel exposure, connection through the finish.

Adapted from InGrappling, Leg Locks. System Games did not invent this curriculum.

Straight ankle lock, heel hooks, kneebar, toe hold, calf slicer, and more. All submission finishes from leg entanglements. No-gi grappling reference.

Canon pages

Inside Ashi / Inside SaddleInside space first (LE01). Heel line second (LE02). Do not chase the foot without the hip.Outside AshiOutside entanglement. Same heel and connection invariants; different entries.Straight Ankle LockThe foot is the handle (LE04). Finish only while the connection holds (LE03).50/50The 50/50 is the symmetric leg entanglement — both players have equal structural access to each other's heel.50/50 Ankle LockThe straight ankle lock from 50/50 and the inside entanglements in no-gi — why the inside-line version is a different attack from the ashi a 70/3070/30 (80/20) — asymmetric leg entanglement where one player controls a larger share of the leg, creating heel hook advantage.70/30 (also 80/20) — DefendingDefending 70/30 in no-gi — 50/50 with the hips offset, and the offset is what frees the inside heel. Chase the angle back, hide the heel, an Aoki LockThe Aoki lock — an inside heel hook and ankle lock combined, attacked from the outside line. The mirror of the Woj lock.Ashi GaramiAshi garami (single leg X) — foundational leg entanglement; inside space prevents extraction and creates heel hook access.Ashi Garami Ankle LockThe straight ankle lock from ashi garami and single leg X in no-gi — the outside-line ankle lock, the first leg submission most grapplers le Ashi Garami / Single Leg X — DefendingDefending ashi garami and single leg X in no-gi — the entanglement where you still have options. Stand up early, clear the knee line, and de Ashi Garami Toe HoldThe toe hold from ashi garami, mutual ashi and outside sankaku in no-gi — the outside-line toe hold, and why the space it needs makes it a t Backside 50/50Backside 50/50 — asymmetric 50/50 where one player has back exposure advantage; primary submission is the outside heel hook.Backside 50/50 — DefendingDefending backside 50/50 in no-gi — a dual-line position where both heels are live. Hide both, deny the back of the entanglement, and stop r Banana SplitThe Banana Split is a hip and adductor submission applied from cross ashi / saddle / honey hole.Butterfly Ashi GaramiButterfly ashi — butterfly hook becomes ashi garami when top player steps in. Entry to the leg entanglement cluster.Butterfly Ashi Garami — DefendingDefending butterfly ashi garami in no-gi — elevation is the control. Get your weight back to the mat, post wide, and the position degrades o Calf SlicerCalf slicer — calf compressed against attacker’s bone; loads the knee through combined compression and rotation.Cross Ashi GaramiCross ashi garami — inside heel hook position: saddle, inside sankaku, honey hole. Hardest to escape; shortest injury timeline.Cross Ashi Garami — DefendingDefending the saddle in no-gi — the shortest clock in the leg game. Hide the heel, deny the second leg, and understand why every reliable es Diagonal Ashi GaramiDiagonal ashi garami is a transitional leg entanglement position — the specific angle that makes the Z-lock hip submission Diagonal Ashi Garami — DefendingDefending diagonal ashi garami in no-gi — an inside structure with an ashi name. Square up, hide the inside heel, deny the hip, and do not f Estima LockThe Estima lock is a rapid foot and ankle submission using a rear-naked-choke-style grip on the foot, finished by driving the foot into the False ReapFalse reap — outside leg threads across the near leg, mirror of the reap. Access to ashi, outside ashi, cross ashi, and 50/50.Game OverGame Over (Z-lock, Leg Knot) — an entanglement in which the attacker controls both of the opponent's legs in a crossed configuration.Game Over / Z-Lock — DefendingDefending Game Over and the Z-lock in no-gi — three live finishes from one position. Deny the second leg, hide the heel, and understand why Inside Heel HookThe inside heel hook — primary submission from cross ashi and the saddle. Internal rotation loads the ACL and medial knee, the highest-finis Inside SankakuInside sankaku in no-gi: the triangled upgrade of cross ashi (the saddle) — a figure-four around the near leg with the top leg crossing past Inside Sankaku — DefendingDefending the inside sankaku in no-gi — the saddle with the triangle closed. Why every reliable answer happens before the lock, and what to Junny LockThe Junny lock — an inside heel-hook variant hit on the opponent's reaping leg while they reap you. Their own entanglement supplies the knee K-GuardK-Guard is a specific guard configuration designed as a direct inside heel hook entry system.K-Guard (Entanglement Context)K-Guard in the entanglement context — when the K-guard configuration transitions from a guard position to a confirmed leg K-Guard (entanglement context) — DefendingDefending the K-guard entanglement in no-gi — an outside entry that arrives inside. Kill the transition, keep the knee line, and stop prepar KneebarKneebar — hyperextends the knee by trapping the foot and driving the hip into the back of the knee. Legal in ADCC and EBI.Lateral Knee BarLateral knee bar — kneebar applied from back exposure or leg ride positions, where the attacker is positioned behind the opponent's leg.Leg Entanglement EntriesEvery entry route into the leg entanglement cluster. Ground entries, standing entries, and the matrix of which entry reaches which entanglem Leg Drag PositionLeg drag position — the held state between completing the leg drag and achieving side control, where the top player controls the legs but ha Leg Drag Position — DefendingDefending the leg drag in no-gi — a passing position that uses a leg. Follow the drag rather than resisting it, recover the inside position,Position / Submission MatrixWhich submissions are available from which leg entanglement positions. A reference matrix mapping every Phase 1 position to its available su Mikey LockThe Mikey lock in no-gi — the opponent's foot beside your neck rather than under your armpit, attacking the foot and the knee at once. The g Mutual Ashi GaramiMutual ashi — also called criss-cross ashi — is the position where both players are in overlapping single-leg entanglements.Outside Ashi GaramiOutside ashi garami — outside leg entanglement variant; outside heel hook is the primary submission from this position.Outside Ashi Garami — DefendingDefending outside ashi garami in no-gi — four finishes and one real counter-attack. Keep the knee driving in, hide the heel, and never push Outside Ashi KneebarThe kneebar from outside ashi garami in no-gi — the outside-line kneebar and the one most people learn first. Entry from outside ashi, rever Outside Ashi — Standing ContextOutside ashi standing — transitional leg control while the opponent is upright; entry into ground leg entanglement system.Outside Heel HookThe outside heel hook — primary submission from ashi garami and outside ashi. Loads lateral knee structures through external rotation.Outside HeistOutside heist in no-gi: the come-up from outside ashi where you clear the hip, sit up, and end seated on the opponent's hips — the outside-a Outside Heist — DefendingDefending the outside heist in no-gi — the entanglement that passes instead of finishing. Keep a connection, contest the come-up, and stop d Outside SankakuOutside sankaku in no-gi: the triangled leg control around the opponent's outside leg that serves as the primary outside heel Outside Sankaku — DefendingDefending the outside sankaku in no-gi — a locked triangle on the outside line. Deny the triangle before it closes, hide the heel, and know Reverse GuardReverse guard is a facing-away guard position — the bottom player's back is toward the opponent.Reverse Guard (Entanglement Context)Reverse guard in the entanglement context — facing away from the opponent with a leg captured.Reverse XReverse X is the inverted X-guard variant that creates direct cross ashi entries and back takes.Reverse X — DefendingDefending reverse X in no-gi — a waypoint that platforms nothing. The danger is where it leads, the exits are cheap right now, and that is e Saddle Banana SplitThe banana split from the saddle in no-gi — the inside-line version, taken when the heel is denied. One free arm has to capture the outside Saddle Calf SlicerThe calf slicer from the saddle in no-gi — the wedge is already there, and hiding the heel is what completes it. The attack a correct heel h Saddle KneebarThe kneebar from the saddle in no-gi — the inside-line kneebar, taken when the heel is hidden. Entry, mechanics, why it is a second option r Saddle Toe HoldThe toe hold from the saddle and 50/50 in no-gi — the inside-line toe hold, and why the position that makes it available also makes it a sec Shin-on-ShinShin-on-shin is a fundamental seated guard entry position — the connecting configuration between seated guard and single leg X Single Leg XSingle Leg X in the guard context — where ashi garami is established as a guard configuration before the entanglement is Straight Ankle LockThe straight ankle lock — Achilles lock — is the foundational lower limb submission. Legal in all major rulesets.Suloev StretchThe Suloev stretch is a posterior knee submission from back control, hyperextending the opponent's isolated leg by driving hips down against The ReapThe reap — seated guard entry threading inside leg across. Creates ashi, outside ashi, or cross ashi depending on the response.The Reap — DefendingDefending the reap in no-gi — the entanglement entry you answer before it becomes a position. Clear the threading leg, hold the knee line, a Toe HoldThe toe hold attacks the foot and ankle through rotation. Available from multiple leg entanglement positions. Restricted in some competitive Tren LockThe tren lock in no-gi — a V-lever under the knee, closed with a leg triangle, finished by opening the knee against a short Achilles lock. E Truck / Crab RideTruck (crab ride) — elevated control of one leg behind the turtled opponent; heel hook and back take access.Truck Ankle LockThe straight ankle lock from the truck in no-gi — the ride-line ankle lock, taken from beneath and behind. Distinct from the tren lock, whic Truck Banana SplitThe banana split from the truck in no-gi — the common entry, and the one the position is built for. Your legs stretch one leg, your arms pul Truck Calf SlicerThe calf slicer from the truck and the leg rides in no-gi — the signature finish of the position, where the hook that holds the leg is also Truck / Crab Ride — DefendingDefending the truck in no-gi — the calf slicer, the kneebar and your back, all live at once. Free the hooked leg, do not turn away, and use Truck KneebarThe kneebar from the truck in no-gi — the ride-line kneebar, taken when the twister and the calf slicer are denied. Entry, mechanics and why Truck Toe HoldThe toe hold from the truck in no-gi — the ride-line toe hold. Your legs hold the leg, your hands take the figure-four, and the rotation dir Woj LockThe Woj lock — an outside heel hook and ankle lock combined, attacked from the inside line, everting the ankle rapidly. The mirror of the Ao Z-LockThe Z-lock is a hip submission — the only submission in the lower limb system that targets the hip joint rather than the knee 50/50 Positional DilemmaFrom the catalog Ankle Lock Finish GameFrom the catalog Ankle WarsFrom the catalog Capture the FootFrom the catalog Finishing MechanicsFrom the catalog Inside Heel Hook GameFrom the catalog Leg Lock Full System GameFrom the catalog Maintain ControlFrom the catalog Outside Heel Hook vs ExtractionFrom the catalog Passing the Ankle LineFrom the catalog Staggered AnklesFrom the catalog Stand Against the AnkleFrom the catalog Toe Hold GameFrom the catalog Turtle Ankle AttacksFrom the catalog

Games

50/50 Positional Dilemma50/50 · leg entanglements · ankle lock · toe hold · CLA · nogi-friendly Ankle Lock Finish Gameashi-garami · ankle-lock · leg-locks · extraction · CLA · nogi-friendly Ankle Warsscramble · positional games Capture the Footleglocks · straight ankle lock Finishing Mechanicsleglocks · straight ankle lock Inside Heel Hook Gamecross-ashi · saddle · inside-heel-hook · leg-locks · CLA · nogi-friendly Leg Lock Full System Gameleg-locks · full-system · ankle-lock · toe-hold · heel-hooks · CLA · nogi-friendly Maintain Controlleglocks · straight ankle lock Outside Heel Hook vs Extractionoutside-ashi · outside-heel-hook · leg-locks · extraction · CLA · nogi-friendly Passing the Ankle Linepassing · ankle-line · open-guard · pin · ladder · CLA · nogi-friendly Staggered AnklesGuard · Guard retention Stand Against the AnkleGuard · Standing Toe Hold Gameashi-garami · toe-hold · ankle-lock · leg-locks · extraction · CLA · nogi-friendly Turtle Ankle Attacksturtle · slime mold original · untested