Diagonal Ashi Garami
Diagonal ashi garami is a transitional leg entanglement position — the specific angle that makes the Z-lock hip submission
Adapted from InGrappling, Diagonal Ashi Garami. System Games did not invent this curriculum.
FamilyLeg EntanglementsLevelAdvancedPerspectiveMutualIntentCounter-offensiveSafetyElevatedHubLeg EntanglementsMapView on graph →This technique has elevated risk. Make sure you've covered the prerequisites before attempting.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 7 positions across 4 relationshipsOpen in the map →123456789←Enters from
Diagonal ashi garami is not a separate entanglement system — it is a specific angular state within the ashi garami family. The position is defined entirely by the attacker’s hip angle relative to the opponent’s captured leg. When the attacker adjusts from standard ashi to a diagonal orientation, the Z-lock hip submission becomes available. Without that angle, the Z-lock cannot load correctly.
This makes diagonal ashi unusual among leg entanglement positions: it is valuable not for the quantity of submissions it offers, but for granting exclusive access to the Z-lock, a hip submission that cannot be finished from any other configuration. Practitioners who understand the Z-lock must first understand this angle.
The position is brief by nature. It exists as a transitional state between standard ashi and outside ashi, used to create the angular window for the Z-lock and then returned to or abandoned. Treating it as a static hold misunderstands its purpose.
Elevated RiskDiagonal Ashi Garami is an elevated risk technique. Diagonal ashi is the entry point for the Z-lock, a hip submission. The hip joint is attacked against its natural range. Hip submissions are uncommon and less understood than knee submissions — practitioners may not recognise the tap signal from hip pressure as distinctly as from knee pressure.
If you are new to this technique: read this section before anything else. Understanding the danger is part of understanding the technique.
The person applying the technique is responsible for releasing immediately.