Dan Faggella is a No Gi Pan Am Champion, a BJJ School Owner, and Writer for Jiu Jitsu Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style (UK), and More. A Recognized Leg Lock Instructor, Dan is Giving Away a Free Heel Hook DVD (with Breakdowns of “Toquinho’s” Awesome Matches) with his Leg Lock Mastery Program at www.BJJLegLocks.com/Mastery
Here’s the particular technique we’ll be breaking down in this article – it’s a technique taken from a number of Toquinho’s best MMA bouts – and it’s also one of the most unexpected leg lock setups from the feet that most people have ever seen in the UFC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7vJOXPnANY
Here’s the phases of hitting this technique on a resisting opponent:
Step 1: Control the Leg from Standing
Toquinho is known to “Flat Back” takedowns, probably he’s so darn strong he can get away with it! The fact of the matter is, so long as you have a half-way decent grip on the opponent’s legs, you’re “in business,” particularly if one leg of theirs is closer to yours than the other one.
This same takedown attempt to leg lock is equally applicable up against the cage – so be wary of that as a possibility (if you watch Toquinho’s fights you’ll see that he’s hit this technique directly off of the cage on a number of occasions).
Step 2: Slip Under and Attain Leg Lock Position
Whichever of the opponent’s legs is closer to you is the one you’ll be attacking. Take your leg on the same side and shoot it under his near leg so far that your hip is essentially under the leg. In this transition, make sure that your attacking leg ends up going all the way through and comes over the top of the opponent’s attacked leg.
If possible, you also want to be as tight as possible to the opponent’s thigh with your thighs, immediately getting a real CLAMP on their leg with yours.
Step 3: The Old “Chop and Twist”
Staying on bottom in this position is not the point, you’ve got to break the opponent down brutally by chopping the back of your knee into the back of his knee and forcing a bend in his leg. This way, you’ll end up with his heel facing up instead of having to “dig” to find it, and all of his weight will be off of that leg as well.
There’s no better recipe than this for a heel hook (watch the video again to see what I mean). Be nice to each other when you’re drilling this one, and keep it locked right here for more leg lock awesomeness!
All the best,
-Daniel “Micro” Faggella
Dan Faggella is a No Gi Pan Am Champion, a BJJ School Owner, and Writer for Jiu Jitsu Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style (UK), and More. A Recognized Leg Lock Instructor, Dan is Giving Away a Free Heel Hook DVD (with Breakdowns of “Toquinho’s” Awesome Matches) with his Leg Lock Mastery Program at www.BJJLegLocks.com/Mastery