A leglock is a
joint lock that is directed at
joints of the
leg such as the
ankle,
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
or
hip joint. A leglock which is directed at
joints in the
foot
The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...
, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the
hip
In vertebrate anatomy, hip (or "coxa"Latin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) in medical terminology) refers to either an anatomical region or a joint.
The hip region is ...
as a hip lock. Leglocks are featured, with various levels of restrictions, in
combat sports and
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
such as
Sambo,
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
,
catch wrestling,
mixed martial arts,
Shootwrestling and
submission wrestling
Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...
, but are banned in some sports featuring
joint locks such as
judo. The technique has been seen across a wide range of different combat sports and is reportedly over 2,500 years old, having been seen in the lost art of
Pankration in the original Olympic Games.
As with other jointlocks, leglocks are more effective with full body
leverage. Some attack the large joints of the knee or hip and involve utilizing leverage to counteract the larger muscle groups, while others directly attack
ligaments in the knee or the smaller joint of the ankle. Leglocks can involve control positions such as the inside leg triangle or leg knot to maintain control while applying the attack or transitioning between two attacks, though they and some other control positions are banned in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competition. Some other leglock control positions have been adopted into modern BJJ and submission grappling competitions as "guards" such as the snake guard, one-legged X-guard, and 50/50 Guard, where they are used for both leglocks and to reverse into dominant positions from the bottom.
In training or sparring, leglocks are applied in a slow and controlled manner, and are often not hyperextended such as in the case of the comparatively dangerous
heel hook. Instead,
submission is signalled before the lock is fully applied. In
self-defense application, or when applied improperly or with excessive force, leglocks can cause
muscle
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...
,
tendon and
ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal li ...
damage, even
dislocation or
bone fracture
A bone fracture (abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a partial or complete break in the continuity of any bone in the body. In more severe cases, the bone may be broken into several fragments, known as a '' ...
s.
Some examples of the many types of leglocks are found below.
Kneebar
A kneebar (also known as legbar, kneelock or hiza-juji-gatame) is a leglock that can hyperextend the
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
. The basic kneebar technique is similar to that of an
armbar. The practitioner will trap the opponent's leg in between their legs and secure the leg with their arms so the opponent's
kneecap points towards the body. The practitioner then applies pressure with their hips, forcing the opponent's leg to straighten, hyperextending the knee joint. A variation of the kneebar is similarly accomplished, but instead of holding the leg with the hands, the practitioner will trap the opponent's foot behind one armpit. The practitioner will then apply pressure using their upper body as well and their hips, yielding a greater amount of force applied to the knee, therefore rendering the lock much more difficult to escape before tissue or ligament damage occurs.
Ankle lock
An ankle lock (occasionally referred to as a shin lock) is a leglock that is applied to any of the
joints in the
ankle, typically by hyperextending the
talocrural joint through
plantar hyperflexion. Ankle locks are often applied in a manner which simultaneously causes a
compression lock to the
achilles tendon, and sometimes also to the
calf muscle.
Straight ankle lock
The straight ankle lock (depending on how it is performed is known in judo as an akiresuken-gatame or ashi-hishigi) is what is usually thought of as an ankle lock. It is typically performed using the legs to isolate one of the opponent's legs, and placing the opponent's foot in the armpit, while holding the foot with the
forearm at the lower part of the opponent's
calf, usually at the
achilles tendon. By leveraging the hips forward, the foot becomes forcefully
plantar flexed, hence creating a potent
joint lock on the
ankle. The forearm serves as a
fulcrum in the leveraging, and may cause severe pressure on the
achilles tendon, especially when the bony parts of the forearm are used. Such a straight ankle lock is sometimes referred to as an "
achilles lock".
Toe hold
A toe hold (also known as ashi-dori-garami in judo) involves using the hands to hyperextend and/or hyperrotate the
ankle, typically by grabbing the
foot
The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...
near the
toes, and twisting or pushing the foot while controlling the opponent's leg. A common type of toe hold is the figure-four toe hold, where a
figure-four hold is used to hold the opponent's foot. This type of toe hold is performed by holding the foot by the toes with one hand, and putting the other hand under the opponent's
achilles tendon, and grabbing the wrist. By controlling the opponent's body, and using the hands to
plantar flex
Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relative ...
the foot either straight or slightly sideways, hence putting considerable
torque on the
ankle. The toe hold can also be applied in a similar position as an ankle lock.
Heel hook
A heel hook is a leg lock affecting multiple
joints, and is applied by transversely twisting the
foot
The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...
either
medially or
laterally. The
torsional force
In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...
puts severe
torque on the
ankle, which in turn transfers torque to the
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
.
There are several variations of heel hooks, with the most typical being performed by placing the legs around a leg of an opponent, and holding the opponent's foot in the armpit on the same side. The legs are used to control the movement of the opponent's body while the opponent's foot is twisted by holding the
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
with the
forearm, and using the whole body to generate a twisting motion, hence creating severe medial torque on the
ankle. A similar heel hook can be performed by holding the opponent's foot in the opposite armpit, and twisting it laterally; a move which is referred to as an inverted, reverse or inside heel hook.
Many practitioners considered the heel hook to be a dangerous leg lock, with a high rate of injury, especially to
ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal li ...
s in the knee. The heel hook is illegal in many forms of competitive grappling with notable exception being the advanced categories of competition
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
and
Sambo.
Calf crush
A calf crush or calf slicer (also known as calf cutter, knee slicer, or knee separator), known in judo as hiza-hishigi, is a technique wherein one compresses their opponent's leg (heel to butt) while placing one's forearm or shin behind the knee to crush the calf muscle while potentially separating the knee joint. As with biceps slicers, there is a common misconception that this technique causes only pain. Calf locks can cause very serious injuries to the knee as well as damaging the calf muscle, and caution should be a priority when finishing the lock.
See also
* For leglocks involving a separating motion of the knee, see
Leg slicer.
*
Armlock
An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that Anatomical terms of motion#General motion, hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow, elbow joint or glenohumeral joint, shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the ...
*
Small joint manipulation
*
Spinal lock
*
Wristlock
*
Compression lock
References
External links
Knee Bar Basic knee bar.
Foot Pull Knee Bar Kneebar from the
half guard position.
Kneebar Leglock Q & A Information about common problems in performing kneebars.
Achilles Lock Basic straight ankle lock.
An ankle lock that can be performed from the top in the
guard.
Figure 4 Toe Hold Basic toe hold.
Knee Crush Toe Hold A toe hold from the top in the
guard
Tyrone Glover's Toe Hold
Basic heel hook.
Bicep Grip Heel Hook(sic). Variation of the grip in the heel hook
Heel Hook Basic inverted heel hook.
Another inverted heel hook.
Heel hook using the legs.
{{Martial arts
Grappling positions
Joint locks