Heel Hook

Heel Hook from Leg Locks is a finishing attack built around a handful of repeatable controls. Bottom player trapped with one leg captured in an inside Senkaku or 50-50 entanglement, opponent reaching for the heel. Another common starting shape: the attacker has begun a cross-ashi entry from a top butterfly or back-step position but has not yet seated the defender on the mat with double leg control. It is worth attempting once comfortable with: Heel hook capture when opponent turns in to escape. The ideas that hold it together are heel hiding, knee co-rotation, and escape before the finish loads.

The heel hook chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Pointing the toes of the trapped foot toward the attacker's hip to take the heel off the centerline. Rotating the captured knee in the same direction as the heel to deny the rotational pressure on the joint. Reaching for the attacker's top knee to start a boot or scoop escape rather than just defending in place. Looking to expose the back to scramble out before the attacker can re-grip the heel. Recognize the partial-entry stage before full cross-ashi is locked. Rotate the foot to the outside of the attacker's hip rather than allowing the cross. If forced into 50/50, prefer the configuration where the foot is outside. Secure the heel with a deep palm-to-palm or figure-four grip. Heel rotated away from the opponent's hands with the trapped leg posted out so the entanglement cannot finish.

Later in the heel hook, mid-stage defense beats late-stage defense, prefer outside foot positioning, and rotation creates the break tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Letting the heel float free in the line of the attacker's hip, gifting them the finish. Defending in place without making an escape attempt, eventually losing the rotational battle. Waiting until the late-stage cross-ashi to begin defending. Treating outside-ashi as equally dangerous as cross-ashi. The high-percentage version of heel hook from leg locks is the one you can still chain when the first squeeze is defended.