Leg Locks: The Straight Ankle Lock & Staying Safe
Leg locks are the fastest-growing part of modern jiu-jitsu — and the most misunderstood. The smart way in is to master the safest, most fundamental one first: the straight ankle lock. Then learn to recognize and defend the rest. Here is how, featuring our podcast guest James Driskill.
By the numbers: Leg attacks are the biggest movement in modern grappling — see the leg-lock trend in our submission study. But not all leg locks are equal: the straight ankle lock is beginner-legal and low-risk; heel hooks are not.
What is the straight ankle lock?
The straight ankle lock (Achilles lock) attacks the ankle by hyperextending it. From an ashi garami leg entanglement, you trap your opponent's foot high in your armpit, lay the blade of your forearm across their Achilles tendon, pinch your knees, and arch your hips to force the tap. It is legal at every level, and it is the safest entry point into the leg-lock game.
See it on The BJJ Project
Our podcast guest James Driskill — a Rickson Gracie black belt — teaches leg locks, and Chris “Bones” Burns of The BJJ Project breaks down the defense every grappler needs:
▶ “Leg Locks with James Driskill” — James Driskill (Alliance BJJ Houston).
▶ “Leg Lock Defence” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
The details that make it finish
- Control the hips with a leg entanglement (ashi garami) — no control means no finish and no safety.
- Trap the foot high, above your sternum, so it cannot slip out.
- Blade on the Achilles, not the bony point — the edge of your forearm on the tendon.
- Finish with the hips. Pinch your knees, point their toes toward your shoulder, and bridge — do not just pull with your arms.
A word on safety
Leg locks — heel hooks especially — attack joints that give little warning before injury. The straight ankle lock is the safe place to start; treat heel hooks as advanced techniques that require a qualified coach and a trusted partner. Tap early, apply slowly, and never crank. The goal is a long, healthy training life — not a fast tap.
How to defend leg locks
Defense matters more than offense here. Learn to recognize the entanglements, clear your heel and hide it, hand-fight the finishing grip, and turn your knee toward their control to relieve the pressure — and when in doubt, tap. Chris Burns' breakdown above is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest leg lock to learn first?
The straight ankle lock (Achilles lock). It is legal at every level and low-risk when applied under control — the right entry point before any heel-hook work.
Are leg locks dangerous?
They can be. Heel hooks in particular attack the knee with little warning. Start with the straight ankle lock, train with a qualified coach, apply slowly, and tap early.
What is the difference between an ankle lock and a heel hook?
The straight ankle lock hyperextends the ankle and is beginner-legal; the heel hook rotates and torques the knee, is far more dangerous, and is restricted in many rule sets.
Learn from the source: the Rickson lineage
Featuring our guest James Driskill and Chris “Bones” Burns of The BJJ Project. Hear more on our podcast with Rickson-lineage black belts Driskill and Scott Burr, and go deeper with Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu.
Part of the BJJ Encyclopedia. Videos are the property of their creators and are embedded from YouTube with credit — please support these instructors. Train safely and tap early. Catch the podcast on YouTube and Spotify.