Learn how the heel hook went from a forbidden technique barely anyone knew to the “king of submissions,” the core principles of applying it, and the key elements that will help you defend and keep your knees healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is A Heel Hook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The heel hook is a leg lock that damages the knee ligaments by twisting the foot laterally or medially through control of the heel. For the submission to work, you first need control over the opponent\u2019s hip, knee, and foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only after the knee is tightly controlled can you apply twisting pressure to the heel, which will immediately create immense tension on the joint and can rupture ligaments in a second if they don’t tap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two types of heel hooks, depending on the type of leg entanglement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Outside heel hook- the opponent’s leg is placed on the outside of your hips, and you attack the outside part of the heel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Inside heel hook- the attacked leg is inside your hip, and you attack the inside part of the heel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Leg entanglements are crucial for heel hooks. The move was considered a tool for the unskilled because, back in the day, leg locks were most commonly used as a last resort to get a quick submission without first obtaining a dominant position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, John Danaher, his students, and other high-level practitioners created a complete system of control based on leg entanglements. Now, leg locks, including heel hooks, are as technical as other submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How To Do A Heel Hook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Heel](\"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Heel-Hook-BJJ.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThere are numerous ways to enter for a heel hook, with new ones being discovered constantly, but some details remain the same regardless of how you end up in the heel hook position. Here are the main points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- 3-point Control<\/strong>: You need control over the opponent’s hip, knee, and foot. Otherwise, the submission won’t work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Knee control- <\/strong>The control over the knee is more specific and must be applied by pinching your knees above the opponent\u2019s knee. This ensures the twisting force will go directly to their knee joint. It\u2019s best if the opponent’s knee is bent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Foot control- <\/strong>The opponent\u2019s foot must be placed and trapped between your elbow crease and armpit<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Grips- <\/strong>Having a good grip is crucial for finishing, and there are 3 main options. The most common one is palm-to-palm, followed by butterfly and reverse butterfly grips. The palm-to-palm is the easiest to get but least secure, while the butterfly and reverse butterfly are progressively tighter but more challenging to obtain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
As I said, there are many ways to get into a heel hook position, and dozens of hours of instructional on the topic. We will cover the most common and basic ways to do outside and inside heel hooks from the leg entanglements from which the two variations are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside Heel Hook<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The outside heel hook is done when the opponent’s trapped foot is on the outside of your hip, and one of the most common positions this happens in is the basic Ashi Garami. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This leg entanglement is the first you will likely learn; the same goes for the heel hook variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ashi Garami involves isolating one of the opponent’s legs between your legs and on the outside of your hip. You control their hips with your outside foot and pinch the thigh with your inside knee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This triangle prevents the opponent from rotating and relieving the pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Knee control- <\/strong>The control over the knee is more specific and must be applied by pinching your knees above the opponent\u2019s knee. This ensures the twisting force will go directly to their knee joint. It\u2019s best if the opponent’s knee is bent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 3-point Control<\/strong>: You need control over the opponent’s hip, knee, and foot. Otherwise, the submission won’t work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n