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Reap Entry to Saddle

Leg LockLeg entryBelt: blue+Risk: moderateADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The Reap Entry to Saddle transitions from single-leg-X guard by reaping the opponent’s knee line across your center, entering the inside sankaku (saddle) position. This entry is fundamental for high-percentage inside heel hooks and back takes, especially in no-gi and submission-only rulesets.

Start
Single-leg-X
End
Inside sankaku
Prerequisites: Single-leg-X guard retention · Ashigarami leg positioning · Hip elevation mechanics · Breaking opponent posture · Foot pummeling basics

Steps

  1. 1
    Establish Single-leg-X Guard
    Begin with your outside leg hooked under opponent’s far thigh, inside foot placed on their hip, controlling their ankle with a C-grip and keeping your hips elevated off the mat.
  2. 2
    Control Opponent’s Far Knee
    Use your free hand to grip just above their far knee (C-grip or pant grip if gi), pulling it slightly inward to expose their knee line and destabilize their base.
  3. 3
    Initiate the Reap
    Thread your outside leg over their trapped leg’s knee, bringing your knee across their thigh at a 45° angle, turning your toes down and inward to maximize knee valgus and begin the reap motion.
  4. 4
    Clear Your Own Hip Line
    Scoot your hips out laterally (hip escape) as you drive your reaping leg deep, ensuring your hamstring crosses over their thigh and your heel points toward their far hip.
  5. 5
    Rotate Under Opponent
    Use your inside foot (still on their hip) to elevate and pivot your body under their centerline, creating a perpendicular angle to their stance while maintaining the reap pressure.
  6. 6
    Triangle Your Legs (Inside Sankaku)
    Release your inside foot from their hip and thread it under their thigh, locking a tight triangle (figure-four) with your reaping leg over your own ankle, pinching your knees together to trap their leg and hip.
  7. 7
    Control Kneeline and Finish the Entry
    Clamp your knees tightly, flare your reaping knee, and use your hands to control their far hip or post on the mat for base, ensuring their knee is fully past your hip line (knee line control) to secure the saddle position.

Key details most people miss

  • The reaping leg must cross above their knee joint, not just the shin, to fully expose the knee line and prevent opponent’s knee from slipping out.
  • As you rotate under, keep your hips elevated and avoid letting your butt drop to the mat, which maintains tension and prevents counters.
  • Pinch your knees and dorsiflex your feet aggressively in the triangle to prevent their leg from being extracted.
  • Angle your upper body slightly toward their far hip to maximize control and minimize their ability to turn out.

Common mistakes

  • Failing to clear your own hip line before reaping allows opponent to staple your bottom leg and shut down the entry.
  • Letting your hips sag to the mat during the rotation gives space for opponent to backstep or knee-slide out.
  • Reaping too low (below the knee) results in weak knee control and easy knee extraction.
  • Not triangling your legs tightly allows opponent to rotate their knee out and escape the saddle.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent backsteps over your reaping leg
You do: Follow their movement by rolling with them, maintaining the triangle and transitioning to backside 50/50 or double outside ashi.
They try: Opponent posts on your reaping leg to block the reap
You do: Switch to a double-seated sweep or invert under for a backside entry, using their post as a lever.
They try: Opponent turns their knee outward (external rotation) to slip the knee line
You do: Pinch your knees harder and pull their ankle across your center, re-adjusting your angle to recapture the knee line.
They try: Opponent grips your reaping foot to peel it off
You do: Switch to an underhook on their far leg or attack a toe hold/straight ankle lock as a secondary threat.

Drill prescription

5 rounds × 3 minutes, alternating reps with a partner at 60% resistance; goal: 5 clean saddle entries per round with full knee line control and no knee slips.

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
John Danaher — Pioneered systematic inside sankaku entries from single-leg-X, emphasizing knee line control and transitions to heel hook.Gordon Ryan — Refined the timing of the reap and upper body angle to maximize finishing percentage from saddle in high-level competition.Craig Jones — Popularized aggressive reaping entries and seamless transitions from single-leg-X to saddle in sub-only formats.Lachlan Giles — Utilizes precise hip elevation and leg pummeling mechanics to secure inside sankaku against larger opponents.
#single-leg-x#saddle#inside-sankaku#leg-lock-entry#no-gi#sub-only#knee-line-control#reap#lightweight-friendly#adcc