Mikey Lock
Submission · Leg Locks
A heel hook variation in which his foot is trapped between your neck and shoulder instead of under the armpit: the heel twist and sideways pressure of your hips on his knee come together. It is made for the moment he defends a heel hook by pointing his toes to slide the heel out; here, from 50-50 with his knee stuck and the heel open. Pin the knee line first, his knee past your hips. Cup the heel and clasp your hands, bring his foot up beside your neck and pinch it there with your head, elbows tight to your chest. Finish by turning your upper body slowly while your hips press sideways into his knee. It needs much less rotation than a normal heel hook and comes on very fast. Brown and black belt no-gi only under IBJJF: never rotate in drilling, tap early.
How to do it
- In 50-50, keep your own heel turned away and pin his knee line first: his knee past your hips, your thighs pinching his thigh, so he cannot pull the knee back or spin out.
- Cup his heel with your hand and forearm, as for an inside heel hook, and clasp your hands so the heel cannot slip out of the grip.
- Instead of trapping the toes under your armpit, bring his foot up beside your neck: the foot sits between your neck and shoulder, and you pinch it there by tilting your head toward that shoulder.
- Pull your elbows tight to your chest. Head, shoulder and hands now hold the foot together, so pointing the toes no longer slides the heel out.
- Finish: turn your upper body slowly as in a heel hook while your hips press sideways into his knee. The twist of the heel and the side pressure on the knee arrive together, so the lock comes very fast; stop at the first tap.
Key details
- The foot goes between neck and shoulder, not under the armpit: the head pins the foot, and his usual defense of pointing the toes stops working.
- Knee line first: with a free knee he rotates with the lock and nothing happens; with the knee pinned the force goes into the knee at once.
- The hips finish, the arms only hold: the sideways press of your hips on his knee adds to the heel twist.
- Much less rotation is needed than in a normal heel hook: expect the tap early and turn in small steps.
Common mistakes
- Setting the grip with his knee line free. — He spins with the rotation and the foot pops out from beside your neck. — Pin his knee past your hips first, then move the foot to your neck.
- Rotating fast, as in a normal heel hook. — Two forces hit the knee at once, and the ligaments tear before he feels pain. — Turn and press in small steps and give him time to tap.
- Forgetting your own heel in 50-50. — He has the same heel hook on your leg while your hands are busy with the grip. — Keep your heel turned away and your leg tight on his hip while you set the grip.
How to drill it
From 50-50 your partner points his toes to hide the heel. Pin his knee line, move his foot from your armpit to your neck, clasp the heel and hold the position without any rotation for three seconds. Five times on each side, then switch roles.
Safety
A heel hook with extra pressure on the knee: it comes on faster than a normal heel hook and the ligaments tear before pain. Never rotate in drilling, turn very slowly in sparring and release at the first tap. Under IBJJF heel hooks are allowed only for brown and black belts in no-gi.
Where it comes from