Straight Ankle Lock
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The straight ankle lock, also called the Achilles lock or straight foot lock, levers the foot back against the ankle and Achilles tendon. It is usually the first leg lock people learn because it is legal at every adult IBJJF belt and teaches the entanglement every other leg lock depends on.
Straight ashi garami
The ankle lock is finished from straight ashi garami: one of their legs trapped between yours, your outside foot on their hip, your inside foot behind their hip or knee, and their foot tucked in your armpit. The foot on the hip keeps them from sitting up into you, and the knees pinched together keep their knee from sliding out.
The grip and the finish
Wrap your arm around their ankle so the hard edge of your wrist sits under the Achilles, low on the leg, not on the calf. Lock the grip to your other hand or their pant leg, keep your elbows tight, and arch back with your hips while you push their knee away with your feet. The break comes from the arch and the hips, not from squeezing with the arms.
Why the ankle lock fails
Most failed ankle locks lose the knee first: their knee escapes past your hips, they sit up, and the foot slides out of your armpit. A grip that sits too high on the calf is the other common miss. When they defend by booting the foot, the same entanglement gives you the toe hold, the kneebar, or a switch to outside ashi for the heel hook.
Defending the ankle lock
Boot the foot by pulling your toes toward your shin so their wrist cannot settle under the Achilles. Sit up toward them, push their outside foot off your hip, and clear your knee past their legs. Once your knee is out, turn and pull the foot free. If the grip is locked low and they are arching, tap.
Rules
Under IBJJF rules the straight ankle lock is legal at every adult belt in gi and no-gi. Turning the lock toward the foot that is not under attack is a different matter: that version starts at brown belt. Most other rulesets allow straight ankle locks for adult beginners as well.
Check any leg lock by belt and ruleset →Frequently asked questions
Is the straight ankle lock legal for white belts?
Yes. IBJJF allows the straight ankle lock at every adult belt, including white belt, in gi and no-gi. Turning it toward the foot that is not under attack is only allowed from brown belt.
Where should the grip go on a straight ankle lock?
The bony edge of your wrist goes under the Achilles tendon, low on the leg. A grip on the calf has no leverage, so the finish feels like a squeeze and rarely works.
How do you defend a straight ankle lock?
Point your toes toward your shin to boot the foot, sit up, push their foot off your hip, and clear your knee before you pull the foot out. If the grip is low and they are arching, tap.
What position does the ankle lock come from?
Straight ashi garami, where one of their legs is trapped between yours with your outside foot on their hip. Single-leg X and 50/50 are common ways in.
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