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Outside Ashi to Heel Hook

Leg LockEntry + finishBelt: blue+Risk: highADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The Outside Ashi to Heel Hook is a high-percentage leg lock attack from the outside ashi garami position, targeting the opponent’s exposed heel. Mastery of this technique is crucial for no-gi and submission-only competitors due to its direct path to a powerful submission and its prevalence in modern leg lock exchanges.

Start
Outside ashi garami
End
Submission
Prerequisites: Breaking mechanics for heel hook · Proper ashi garami leg positioning · Controlling opponent’s knee line · Two-on-one heel exposure · Basic leg pummeling

Steps

  1. 1
    Establish Outside Ashi Garami
    Sit facing your opponent’s leg, threading your outside leg over their thigh and your inside leg under their knee, pinching your knees together tightly with your feet flexed to anchor around their hip and hamstring.
  2. 2
    Control the Knee Line
    Slide your hips back so their knee is fully past your hip line, ensuring their knee cap is trapped between your thighs; keep your outside foot active and posted on their far hip to prevent knee escape.
  3. 3
    Isolate the Heel
    Reach across with your top arm and use a C-grip to pull their toes toward your chest, exposing their heel; your bottom arm wraps under their heel, palm facing up, to create a tight hook.
  4. 4
    Secure the Heel Hook Grip
    Lock a tight two-on-one grip: your top hand covers their heel, while your bottom hand reinforces by grabbing your own wrist or the back of your hand, keeping your forearms parallel to the floor.
  5. 5
    Rotate for Breaking Alignment
    Rotate your chest and shoulders toward the opponent’s toes (externally), keeping your elbows tight to your ribs, so their knee is pointed away from your body at a 45° angle.
  6. 6
    Apply Rotational Force
    With your legs pinching and your hips engaged, slowly rotate your torso and forearms in unison, using your whole body to torque their heel toward the mat while keeping their knee immobilized.
  7. 7
    Finish with Controlled Pressure
    Increase rotational pressure until you feel their resistance give or they tap, maintaining full control of their knee line and heel exposure throughout the finish.

Key details most people miss

  • Pinch your knees tightly and keep your outside foot active on their hip to prevent them from extracting their knee line.
  • Your forearms should remain parallel to the mat for maximum rotational force and to avoid slipping off the heel.
  • The finish is generated by rotating your torso, not just your arms; use your whole body for control and breaking power.
  • Maintain a slight backward lean with your hips to keep their knee line trapped and prevent them from rolling out.

Common mistakes

  • Allowing your knees to separate lets the opponent free their knee line, escaping before the finish.
  • Trying to finish with just arm strength causes your grip to slip off the heel, losing control.
  • Failing to control the opponent’s far hip with your foot gives them space to turn and relieve pressure.
  • Not rotating your chest enough toward their toes reduces the torque and makes the submission ineffective.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent rolls in the direction of the heel hook (running man escape)
You do: Switch to a backside 50/50 or transition to inside ashi, following their hip turn and re-trapping the knee line.
They try: Opponent tries to kick their trapped leg free by straightening it
You do: Reinforce your knee pinch and pull their toes toward your chest to re-bend their knee and re-expose the heel.
They try: Opponent hand-fights your grip aggressively
You do: Switch to a wrist-to-wrist (gable) grip for extra security, or transition to a toe hold if they overcommit to hand-fighting.
They try: Opponent sits up to pressure your top knee and force a scramble
You do: Post your free hand behind you and scoot your hips back, re-establishing distance and re-securing the knee line.

Drill prescription

5 rounds × 3 minutes; partner gives 50% resistance including knee-line escapes and hand-fighting; goal: 5 clean heel exposures and finishes per round, with no more than 2 knee-line escapes allowed by partner.

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
John Danaher — Emphasizes strict knee line control and hip positioning, with detailed breaking mechanics and safety protocols.Gordon Ryan — Focuses on seamless transitions between ashi variations and relentless control of the opponent’s ability to roll or escape.Craig Jones — Known for aggressive heel exposure and creative entries into outside ashi, especially in no-gi and sub-only settings.Lachlan Giles — Highlights micro-adjustments in leg positioning and grip sequence for maximum control and breaking power.
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