Toe Hold
Submission · Leg Locks
An ankle lock that twists the foot: a figure-four grip turns the foot inward around your forearm behind his ankle. It follows a straight ankle lock when he points his toes and the foot slips out of the armpit. Keep the leg controlled in ashi garami first, knees pinching and your foot on his hip, so his knee cannot turn with the foot. Grip across the top of the whole foot near the little-toe edge, not the toes, reach the other arm under the Achilles and grab your own wrist. Keep the foot below your chin and his knee bent, then finish with two forces: the top hand folds the toes toward his buttocks while the forearm under the ankle pulls toward you and lifts. If he straightens the leg, return to the straight ankle lock; if he turns the knee away, go to the kneebar. Brown and black belt only under IBJJF; the ligaments tear quickly.
How to do it
- Control their leg with ashi garami first: your knees pinch their leg and your foot is on their hip, so the knee cannot turn out of the lock.
- Grip the top of their foot with the hand on the same side, across the whole foot near the little-toe edge, not on the toes.
- Reach your other arm under the Achilles, behind their ankle, and grab the wrist of your gripping hand: a figure-four with the ankle inside it.
- Pull your elbows in and keep the foot close to your chest, so the forearm behind the ankle acts as the fulcrum.
- Finish with two forces: the top hand folds the toes inward toward their buttocks while the forearm under the ankle pulls toward you and lifts, like pulling the elbow back in a rear naked choke. Go slowly and stop the moment they tap.
Key details
- Two forces, not one: folding the toes alone barely works on a tough opponent; the forearm behind the ankle must pull toward you and lift at the same time, so the foot breaks over it.
- Grip across the whole foot, not the toes: the whole foot gives a long lever and does not slip out of the hand.
- Keep the leg in ashi garami while you finish: if the knee turns with the foot, the twist goes into the knee instead of the ankle and they can roll out.
- Keep his knee bent and the foot below your chin: a straight leg loosens the twist and lets him spiral out, while a bent knee kills his roll.
Common mistakes
- Gripping the toes. — Toes give nothing to hold; the hand slips and the lever is lost. — Grip across the whole foot, near the little toe side.
- No leg control. — Without ashi garami the knee is free, and they turn with the rotation and out of the lock. — Keep ashi garami on their leg, knees pinched, before you start to rotate.
- Rotating fast. — The ankle ligaments tear before pain arrives, so a fast turn injures. — Rotate slowly and stop the moment they tap.
How to drill it
Toe hold grip from ashi, 10 reps without rotation; then slow finishes on a partner who taps early.
Safety
Brown and black belt only under IBJJF. The ankle ligaments tear quickly.
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