How do I get better at heel hooks? - Project Sports
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How do I get better at heel hooks?

6 min read

Asked by: Jacqueline Castro

How do I get better at heel hooking?

Generally speaking, you will want to turn your ankle into the wall and turn your pinky toe out. Your foot should be about 10 to 45 degrees out from the wall. Angling your foot this way will help you to engage those big leg muscles and take more weight off your upper body. Realize that not every heel hook is the same.

How do you force a heel hook?

Control your opponent’s leg above their knee. You have to do this along with keeping your hips aligned with your opponent. The other thing is get their leg to bend at an angle to be able to get the heel hook. So after getting control of the opponent’s leg, you can now go for their heel.

How do you know when to heel hook?


I reach for that hold and this is what I do I engage my heel hook I bring my body towards the wall I puck the wall that is my goal. And once I hug the wall.

Why cant you do heel hooks BJJ?

Heel hooks do impose a danger. And this is one reason IBJJF has not allowed them. When a grappler doesn’t respond properly when trying to escape, they can cause damage to the knee. However, proponents of heel hooks argue that so do other submissions which involve a rotation of the joint, like kimuras.

What does a heel hook damage?

Arguably the most damaging submission hold across all grappling styles, the heel hook works by isolating your opponent’s femur and rotating the tibia beyond its normal range of motion. In addition to attacking the ligaments in the knee, certain variations of the heel hook also attack the ligaments in the ankle.

What is good climbing technique?

Your big toe. Walk on the staircase on the footholds. Put a lot of pressure on your feet and you should be golden.

Who invented heel hook?

Ivan Gomes and Brazilian Catch Wrestling



It is a popular theory (albeit one nearly impossible to verify) that heel hooks originated in catch wrestling. This may be the case, but we do know and can confirm that they were utilized by Brazilian grapplers prior to jiu-jitsu becoming known overseas thanks to Ivan Gomes.

How do you ankle lock in BJJ?

So guys we're gonna start here in the double. Pull. Okay. Now he's gonna switch his left leg in his left foot underneath my leg. And he's gonna hook my leg over there.

Are heel hooks illegal in gi?

This year, brown and black belt adult competitors will be allowed to apply heel hooks and reaping techniques in no-gi divisions. Heel hooks and reaps will remain illegal for masters competitors and for purple, blue and white belts.

Why are there no heel hooks in gi?

So I’ve asked a couple people this question and have gotten two answers. One was that because of the friction it is too easy to control the leg and too hard to pull out of. And the other was that the ref can’t see the knee to step in if the competitor isn’t tapping in time.

Can you leg lock in gi?

IBJJF Adult White Belt Leg Lock Rules



Thus, the IBJJF only allows white belts to perform straight ankle locks. This applies in both gi and no-gi competition. When performing a straight ankle lock, the white belt competitor must turn away from the knee of the ankle he or she is attacking.

Can purple belts do Toeholds?

In most jiu-jitsu competitions the only leglock that is permitted for blue and purple belts is the straight ankle lock. Toeholds and kneebars are reserved for brown and black belts only, meaning many people don’t even start learning leglocks until they’re already considered “advanced” jiu-jitsu practitioners.

Can white belts do ankle locks?

Thus, the IBJJF only allows white belts to perform straight ankle locks. This applies in both gi and no-gi competition. When performing a straight ankle lock, the white belt competitor must turn away from the knee of the ankle he or she is attacking. Turning towards the knee is illegal.

Can white belts do leg locks?

If You’re A White Belt and You Want to Train Leg Locks with a Colored Belt, Say Something Ahead of Time and Get Their Agreement – most colored belts are happy to safely train leg locks with White Belts.

Are Kneebars legal in gi?

For gi competition, the IBJJF is the predominant rule set and heel hooks are illegal (at all belt levels) with straight foot locks, knee bars and toe holds allowed at different belt levels.

What is a knee reap?

The IBJJF rulebook defines knee-reaping as “when one of the athletes places his thigh behind the leg of his opponent and passes his calf on top of the opponent’s body above the knee, placing his foot beyond the vertical midline of the opponent’s body and applying pressure on his opponents knee from the outside, true …

Are leg locks legal in BJJ gi?

In addition to twisting leg locks and leg reaping, the new rules also allow competitors to apply outside pressure on toeholds and turn toward the non-attacked leg when applying a straight footlock. The new leg entanglement and submission rules apply only to the adult brown and black belt divisions.

Are toe holds legal for blue belts?

Grappling Industries will now allow toe-holds and knee bars from blue belt and intermediate No-Gi competitions.

Can white belts use wrist locks?

The answer is, ‘Mostly yes. ‘ The table on page 24 of the IBJJF rulebook clearly shows that wristlocks are illegal for kids, adolescents, and white belt adults. But for adults at blue belt level and above they are allowed.

Is Kneebar legal in BJJ?

The kneebar is one of the best leg attacks you can hit. It is legal and effective in any tournament, regardless of the rules and it happens to be one that Varella teaches frequently.

What is straight ankle lock?

Secure your opponent’s ankle near the bottom of the achilles tendon with the same side arm. Lock your arms together by covering the wrist of your attacking arm high in the center of your chest. Control your opponent’s hip with your outside leg and foot pointed out, preventing your opponent from coming up.

What are the rules of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

17 IBJJF BJJ Competition Rules to Remember

  • No Slamming Your Opponent. …
  • Pulling Guard vs Guard Counts as a Sweep. …
  • Don’t Talk to the Referee. …
  • No Stalling Unless You’re at the Top of the Mountain. …
  • You Have a Time Limit to Tie Your Belt. …
  • You Can’t Leave the Mat to Escape a Submission.

What moves are illegal in BJJ?

Illegal Techniques In All Divisions

  • NO heel hooks or twisting knee locks of any kind.
  • NO striking of any kind.
  • NO biting, hair pulling or eye-gauging.
  • NO slamming of any kind.
  • NO cervical neck cranks of any kind.


What should you not do in Jiu-Jitsu?

4 Things To Avoid in BJJ

  • Don’t be the “Let’s just go easy” ~ LJGE guy. Every academy has the LJGE guy. …
  • Not tapping. Just about everyone who trains bjj for any length of time has learned this the “hard way”. …
  • Too much strength. …
  • Training hurt.