Heel Hook
- BJJ
- Leg Locks
- advanced
- Ashi garami
- 3 steps
Control the leg, trap the heel and rotate it to torque the knee. Extremely dangerous, drill with care. Also known as the Inside/outside heel hook. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 3 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.
When to use it
Use the heel hook only once you control the knee line from ashi garami or an inside leg entanglement. It works when the opponent tries to turn or step out, which exposes the heel. Check your rule set and your training partners before you use it, because many rule sets and gyms restrict it.
Step by step
- 01
Ashi garami
Secure a strong leg entanglement so their knee line is controlled.
- 02
Catch the heel
Trap the foot, cup the heel in the crook of your elbow and lock your hands.
- 03
Rotate the heel
Keeping the knee pinned by your legs, rotate the heel to torque the knee. Apply slowly in training.
Key details
- Control the knee line with your legs. The rotation must load the knee, not just the ankle.
- Cup the heel, do not grip the foot.
- Apply slowly; the heel hook gives almost no warning before injury.
Common mistakes
- Attacking the heel without controlling the knee.
- Cranking fast. This injures training partners.
- Letting them rotate their knee to safety by losing the entanglement.
Common counters
Opponents hide the heel, clear your outside leg, or turn their knee out of the line before the hold is set. Spinning the wrong way out of a heel hook injures the defender, so in training let go the moment a partner spins. Keep the knee pinned and apply slowly.
How to drill it
From ashi garami, secure the knee line, cup the heel and lock your hands without rotating, five reps on each side. Then do three rounds of one minute of positional work on keeping the entanglement, with no finishing.
Related techniques
Train it with the AI coach