Straight Ankle Locks From 50-50

[Harry Evans]

We have been doing a series in my advanced class this week on 50-50 (in gi, though it's basically the same). It's my first time working this position. A lot of our time was spent on a series of straight ankle locks (as in, wrap the ankle in your armpit, grab a kimura grip under his heel and over his shin, etc). I have heard often that straight ankle locks "never work", but they are one of the few leg locks that are legal at basically any competition, gi or no-gi, and they don't seem nearly as dangerous to practice with my team as heel hooks and knee bars.

If they could actually be decently high percentage, they would be worth adding to my competition game, but I don't want to waste my time for too long on a low-percentage move. Your thoughts? Does anyone here use a lot of straight ankle locks, or for that matter, does anyone have luck with some basic foot-locks in 50-50?

[Compella]

They're necessary to the 50/50, like having a good arm-bar is necessary for your triangle. The straight ankle lock supplements the inverted heel hook so you can alternate between attacks based on your opponents defense.

[Harry Evans]

Thank you. By defense, do you mean whether they extend their leg and "right-angle" their ankle to stop the straight lock? Or do you mean whether they shift the side their leg is on? Again, thanks in advance.

[VJ Bella]

my progressions:

1.) Inverted Heel Hook
2.) Texas Cloverleaf
3.)Toe hold on protecting leg
4.)Ankle lock on protecting leg

here is a vid from our gym with some nice little details on how to finish the ankle lock and keep your opponent from easily hipping out to avoid the pressure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toLvo...e_gdata_player

[VJ Bella]

[AJ Camacho]

A good straight ankle lock can break the ankle or at least a ligament. It's a serious submission if you put the proper time into it. The way I line mine up is with their toes pointing sideways along the back of my shoulder blade as my wrist cuts upward directly into the ankle.. the torque at that angle is almost like a toe hold.

[Mike Nall]

We have been doing a series in my advanced class this week on 50-50 (in gi, though it's basically the same). It's my first time working this position. A lot of our time was spent on a series of straight ankle locks (as in, wrap the ankle in your armpit, grab a kimura grip under his heel and over his shin, etc). I have heard often that straight ankle locks "never work", but they are one of the few leg locks that are legal at basically any competition, gi or no-gi, and they don't seem nearly as dangerous to practice with my team as heel hooks and knee bars.

If they could actually be decently high percentage, they would be worth adding to my competition game, but I don't want to waste my time for too long on a low-percentage move. Your thoughts? Does anyone here use a lot of straight ankle locks, or for that matter, does anyone have luck with some basic foot-locks in 50-50?

Not low % at ALL! Read this article with Rodrigo Cavaca about his ridiculous footlock. He tapped 5 guys with it, 4 times from the 50/50 in the 2010 Worlds.

http://www.graciemag.com/en/2010/06/...adly-footlock/

Just youtube Rodrigo Cavaca for a shitload of straight footlock vids.

The straight footlock is a great sub no matter if it's from the 50/50, the regular leglock position, or the outside leg triangle, etc. It's often said you can judge a person's leglock skills by how good their straight ankle lock is. It's almost as powerful as the heel hook, and it's most definitely not JUST a pain sub like many people think.

Other good footlock guys to watch in BJJ are Braulio and Victor Estima. Braulio broke Rafael Lovato Jr.'s foot in ADCC 09 with a straight footlock. I mean immediately. He did a really unique set up and finish I haven't seen before. Marcelo Garcia actually has an incredible straight footlock from the cross-body position (basically the same angle to finish, but Marcelo does not use the 50/50.) Marcelo wraps his arm actually about halfway up the calf with the toes as deep as possible in the armpit and finishes with one arm.

The key for any straight footlock is the toes. They need to be deep in your armpit so that you aren't simply pinching the Achilles. You'll actually be using your own body mechanics to sheer and tear the foot off of the ankle. That's the idea. I vary between the Kimura grip and the Guillotine grip. I'm using the Guillotine grip more now. Try to keep their leg with a serious bend in it, get those your lat/armpit right on the toes without them slipping out, and secure your arms low on the leg in either grip. It's hard to describe, but as yo do your bridging motion try and flex your lat while rotating your upper body slightly up and away in the direction of the trapped foot. Here's a good example of this motion in the cross-body or 50/50 footlock:

[Mike Nall]

my progressions:

1.) Inverted Heel Hook
2.) Texas Cloverleaf
3.)Toe hold on protecting leg
4.)Ankle lock on protecting leg

here is a vid from our gym with some nice little details on how to finish the ankle lock and keep your opponent from easily hipping out to avoid the pressure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toLvo...e_gdata_player

Awesome video and cool progression. I think the Texas Cloverleaf is awesome, even though I've only seen a few people at the high level finish it, like Daniel Aguilar for example. Really great video man.

A good straight ankle lock can break the ankle or at least a ligament. It's a serious submission if you put the proper time into it. The way I line mine up is with their toes pointing sideways along the back of my shoulder blade as my wrist cuts upward directly into the ankle.. the torque at that angle is almost like a toe hold.

Reilly Bodycomb is a Sambo guy that's a leglock machine with a lot of media out there on Lockflow and at least one DVD. Check out this video where he talks about doing exactly what you said: turning the footlock into a rotational toehold.

[AJ Camacho]

Yup, I learned that detail from one of his DVDs. There's a lot of dudes at my gym with flexible ankles, Reilly's details have made them all tap-able now.

[Jonathan Wylie]

Awesome video and cool progression. I think the Texas Cloverleaf is awesome, even though I've only seen a few people at the high level finish it, like Daniel Aguilar for example. Really great video man.



Reilly Bodycomb is a Sambo guy that's a leglock machine with a lot of media out there on Lockflow and at least one DVD. Check out this video where he talks about doing exactly what you said: turning the footlock into a rotational toehold.

Anybody notice where that was filmed at?