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Outside Heel Hook from Saddle

Leg LockKnee ligament attackBelt: blue+Risk: highADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The outside heel hook from saddle (inside sankaku) is a high-leverage submission targeting the lateral knee ligaments using rotational force. It is a staple of modern leg lock systems, especially in no-gi and ADCC rulesets, due to its finishing mechanics and positional control.

Start
Inside sankaku / saddle
End
Submission
Prerequisites: Ashi garami entry · Breaking mechanics for heel hooks · Hand fighting for leg locks · Controlling inside sankaku · Leg pummeling basics

Steps

  1. 1
    Establish Inside Sankaku (Saddle) Position
    From ashi garami, pummel your outside leg deep and across opponent’s far hip, locking your inside knee over their thigh with a triangle configuration. Keep your hips glued to their thigh and your knees pinched tightly.
  2. 2
    Isolate the Opponent’s Far Leg
    Use your top leg’s knee to wedge against their far hip, preventing them from turning or running. Keep your bottom foot flexed and hidden to avoid cross-ashis or counters.
  3. 3
    Secure the Heel Exposure
    Reach across with your top arm and establish a C-grip on the opponent’s far heel, pulling their toes towards your armpit. Rotate your chest slightly towards their foot to maximize heel exposure.
  4. 4
    Lock the Finishing Grip
    Switch to a tight two-on-one grip: your outside hand grabs their heel (palm facing you), your inside hand reinforces by cupping your own wrist or forearm. Keep your elbows tight and wrists flexed.
  5. 5
    Control Knee Line
    Slide your hips back and adjust your triangle to ensure their knee is trapped above your hip line. If their knee slips free, re-pummel or reset before proceeding.
  6. 6
    Apply Rotational Force
    With your chest heavy over their shin, rotate your torso away from their knee while simultaneously twisting their heel towards their butt. Focus on using your whole body, not just your arms.
  7. 7
    Finish and Monitor Reaction
    Continue to rotate until you achieve the break or force the tap. If the opponent attempts to roll, maintain knee line control and follow their movement, keeping your grips and triangle locked.

Key details most people miss

  • Heel exposure is best achieved when your chest is angled slightly away from their knee, not square to their shin.
  • The knee line must remain above your hip crease; if their knee escapes, the submission loses almost all breaking power.
  • Use your whole body to rotate, not just your arms—think of driving your hips and shoulders in unison.
  • Keep your finishing elbow tight to your ribs to prevent the opponent from hand-fighting or slipping their heel.

Common mistakes

  • Failing to control the knee line allows the opponent’s knee to slip out, making the heel hook ineffective and exposing you to counters.
  • Letting your triangle loosen gives the opponent space to rotate or cross their legs, reducing your control.
  • Trying to finish with just arm strength instead of rotating your torso and hips results in weak breaking mechanics.
  • Allowing your finishing elbow to flare out lets the opponent hand-fight and escape the heel.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent hand-fights your grip on their heel
You do: Switch to a wrist-to-wrist (figure-four) grip and clamp your elbow tighter to your ribs to deny hand access.
They try: Opponent attempts to rotate and roll out
You do: Follow their roll by keeping your triangle locked and hips glued to their thigh, maintaining knee line control throughout.
They try: Opponent tries to pummel their free foot onto your triangle to break your lock
You do: Hide your triangle foot behind their far hip and flare your knee outward to block their pummel.
They try: Opponent pushes your top knee to open your triangle
You do: Re-pummel your top leg deeper and re-lock the triangle, or switch to a backside 50/50 configuration if needed.

Drill prescription

5 rounds × 3 minutes; 50% resistance; goal: achieve clean heel exposure and finish from saddle 5 times per round without losing knee line.

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
John Danaher — Systematized the saddle as a primary leg lock position and emphasizes knee line retention and breaking mechanics.Gordon Ryan — Focuses on relentless control and transition chains to maintain saddle and finish even against high-level escape attempts.Craig Jones — Popularized the saddle in competition with aggressive entries and rapid transitions to outside heel hook finishes.Lachlan Giles — Known for precise heel exposure and micro-adjustments in the saddle, especially against larger opponents.
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