Heel Hook from Saddle
Chain finish · Leg Locks
An inside heel hook from the saddle: the heel is turned against a knee that cannot move, so the twist goes straight into the knee ligaments. The moment is when he stops turning to escape and the heel is open. Your legs are triangled around his thigh with his knee past your hips; keep that knee line pinned tight, because with a free knee he spins and the lock disappears. Trap his toes under your armpit, cup the heel on your forearm near the wrist, clasp your hands palm to palm and pull the elbow to your ribs. Finish slowly: flare your knees and bridge your hips into the side of his knee while the chest turns with the grip. If he straightens the leg to hide the heel, switch to the kneebar. The knee tears before it hurts: under IBJJF only brown and black belts in no-gi; rotate slowly and release at the first tap.
How to do it
- In the saddle, triangle your legs around their thigh, your knees pinching, so their leg is trapped between your legs.
- Pin the knee line tight: their knee sits past your hips and your thighs squeeze their thigh, so they cannot turn or pull the knee back.
- Trap their toes under your armpit to stop them turning the foot and hiding the heel.
- Expose the heel and catch it on your forearm near the wrist, not deep in the crook of the elbow, where it has room to slip.
- Clasp your hands palm to palm and pull the elbow tight to your ribs, so arm, heel and chest move as one piece.
- Finish: with the heel locked tight, flare your knees open and bridge your hips into the side of their knee while chest and shoulders turn with the grip. The twist goes into the knee, which tears before pain arrives, so go gradually and release at the first tap.
Key details
- The pinned knee line is the hold; the heel is the lever. If the knee comes back in front of your hips, they turn with you and the lock is gone.
- Rotate with the body, never with a jerk: a smooth turn of the chest gives them time to feel the lock and tap.
- Toes under the armpit: they cannot turn the foot to hide the heel from your elbow.
- Keep your legs triangled around the thigh while you work the heel: if they open, the leg slides out.
Common mistakes
- Reaching for the heel with a loose knee line. — They turn toward you and pull the knee out before you can rotate. — Squeeze the thigh in your leg triangle, knee past your hips, then take the heel.
- Rotating with the arms. — Arms alone are weak, and the heel slips out of the grip. — Elbow tight to your ribs, turn your chest and shoulders together with the grip.
- Rotating until the partner says it hurts. — The knee is damaged before pain arrives, so pain is no warning. — Turn slowly with the torso and release at the first tap; partners tap as soon as the heel is caught.
- Flaring the knees before everything is set. — Open knees make room: before the heel is locked he kicks and frees the knee. — Pinch to control while you set the grip; flare the knees and bridge only for the finish.
If they defend
- They spin toward the heel. → Follow the spin and keep the knee line.
How to drill it
Heel exposure and grip, no rotation, 10 reps each side; then positional rounds where only control scores.
Safety
Heel hooks damage the knee before pain warns you: rotate slowly with the torso, release on the tap and tap early. Banned in the IBJJF gi; in no-gi only for brown and black belts.
What comes next
Where it comes from