- They either have the leg fully bent or fully straightened.
Lower-body attacks can be broadly categorised into
two types: those in which the opponent’s leg is bent at
the knee (e.g. heel-hook), and those in which it is not
(e.g. knee-bar). It’s important to identify which of these
conditions is required for the attack you’re using and
then make sure that condition is met.
(Note: One of the smartest things you can do is prac-
tise attacking combinations that switch between the
two. The most basic example of this is the knee-bar /
toe-hold combination.)
ROAD MAP
If you’re predominantly a gi BJJ player, this is the road
map for developing a well-rounded lower-body sub-
mission game that I’d suggest that you follow:
White to Blue Belt:
Master the straight foot-lock. The mechanics and prin-
ciples in this attack carry over to most other leg-locks.
And, even though it’s considered a ‘basic’ attack, when
used properly it can be devastating.
Purple Belt:
Here is where you should start experimenting with toe-
holds and knee-bars. It’s generally good etiquette not
to try them on lower grades unless you have a spoken
agreement that you’re going to use them. You should
also clear it with higher-grades.
Brown Belt:
By the end of your brown belt you should have mas-
tered the three basic attacks (straight foot-lock, toe-hold,
knee-bar) and started experimenting with the more
advanced attacks.
Black Belt:
You should now have a deep repertoire of lower body
submissions and know how to set-them up effective-
ly from several positions. Here is where you can start
mastering the more complex techniques (knee-separa-
tors etc.)DON’T BECOME ONE-DIMENSIONAL
So, if you took the advice above and did a bunch of
intelligent practice, by now you’re probably starting
to become something of a leg-lock wizard and are
enjoying your newfound dominance on the mat. But
therein lurks a danger.... over-specialisation. Here’s a
story to illustrate:On my travels, I found a great academy where the stu-
dents all had amazing ashi-garami-to-leg-lock games,
modelled off a system used by a famous grappling coach.They had obviously trained it intensely and were ex-
cellent at executing it. I spent my first few classes
there tapping a lot. By the third session I had started
to figure the style out and how to counter it. It soon
became apparent that leg-locks were almost all of
their game and that they had over-specialised. Don’t
let this happen to you.Until next time - train smart!NIC
GREGORIADES
Nic is Roger
Gracie’s first
black belt
student and
the founder of
the Jiu Jitsu
Brotherhood