Tren Lock
The 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. Entries, defence and the reverse variation.
Adapted from InGrappling, Tren Lock. System Games did not invent this curriculum.
FamilyLeg LocksLevelAdvancedPerspectiveTopIntentOffensiveSafetyElevatedHubLeg EntanglementsMapView on graph →This technique has elevated risk. Make sure you've covered the prerequisites before attempting.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 3 positions across 3 relationshipsOpen in the map →123←Attacked from
The tren lock is a leg control system that isolates one leg at the knee and finishes with a short Achilles lock. The attacker reaps the inside leg over the trapped leg and locks it behind the shin, forming a V around the opponent’s knee with the thigh and calf. That V is the whole technique — it removes the space the defender needs to turn or twist, and the finish is what happens once the space is gone.
The control sits on the knee line rather than the ankle, which is what separates it from the straight ankle lock family it finishes into. A straight ankle lock is a race between the attacker’s extension and the defender’s escape. The tren lock removes the escape first and takes the extension at leisure.
It is catalogued from the outside variants — outside ashi garami is the platform — and the entries below all arrive there.
Elevated RiskTren Lock is an elevated risk technique. The finish loads the ankle and Achilles in extension while the knee is held immobile by the V-lever. Because the knee cannot rotate away, the defender loses the movement that normally signals a leg lock is arriving — the load reaches the joint without the usual slack. The V itself also compresses the knee, so closing it hard on a defender who is already turning can load the knee laterally before the Achilles is attacked at all. Serious injury can occur Fast for the Achilles once the knee is immobilised, and the warning movement a defender relies on has already been removed. Release on the tap rather than at the end of the movement..
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.