Locked in - Ankle lock

 

The ankle lock is a basic technique that is often misunderstood. For years you'd hear that it doesn't work or in high level comp people won't tap to it. This has now proven to be false, but even now the finishing mechanics of the ankle lock are generally not well understood. Some people however have taken the time to master this move and can constantly hit it at the highest level. 

The ankle lock isn't the easiest submission to finish, however it is generally easy to get to and there is little to no risk of going for it. Traditionally ankle locks were riskier because the typical attack was to try to pass and failing that, drop back for an ankle lock. In a modern grappling context this isn't the case anymore. Many times people find themselves caught in some type of leg spaghetti when someone initiates a berimbolo, a scramble occurs, or you get caught in the 50/50 position. Often you'll find yourself in these position whether you want to be there or not, so why not have an effective low risk weapon that can end the match. 

Now that I've talked about the good, I should mention that finishing the ankle lock can be difficult and in my opinion it is one of the techniques that requires the most adjustment and feel. You can of course muscle an ankle lock, but by doing so you'll eventually run into someone you can't tap using that method. By using proper technique you can ensure you'll at least get a break, so let's look at how the technique is done.

Technique

Let's first look at the science behind the ankle lock, so we can understand what are where we need to be attacking. 

An ankle lock can actually cause pain in many different areas, but generally you should be targeting the ligaments that connect the ankle to the foot. In the past it was often taught to use the sharp part of your wrist to grind into your opponent's Achilles tendon, but I'd recommend against this. This does cause pain, but this isn't the most efficient way to damage the ligaments in the ankle. Instead of using your arm as something to grind into your opponent's leg, it is better used as a fulcrum and focus on creating a "break" in the ankle instead. 

Mikey has perhaps the best ankle lock in grappling history and his instruction here demonstrates lots of interesting concepts. One of the most important is forcing the foot into plantarflexion. By doing this you are stretching the ligaments to the end of their range and less force is needed to get the tap. Setting up the proper position using the grip will save you a lot of energy later.

Here Mikey explains more about his theory behind breaking mechanics. If you can get the arm position locked correctly you can get the finish with very little strength, but of course you can't always get the perfect position. Using the legs and back can help add more power if needed, but it is always best to start with proper hand positioning instead of relying purely on leg and back strength.

Here Jon Thomas goes over the ankle lock with some slightly different details. If you watch at the end he shows how he turns his body to fold the foot inwards for toe hold style pressure. This targets the ligaments running along the outside of the foot and feels similar to a ankle sprain. I prefer this method and it can make the finish much easier. The ankle lock can actually be finished in quite a few different ways, so experiment to find which works best for you and then drill it until it becomes automatic. If you find that you really love the ankle lock practice multiple ways to finish it and target different areas of the foot.

Examples

Mikey Musumeci vs Rodnei Barbosa

Here Mikey shows how this can be used at the highest level to finish his opponent in less than 15 seconds and win the world championship. It was thought that smaller competitors couldn't finish ankle locks or at the world championship level people wouldn't tap. Mikey proves this isn't true. 

Mikey Musumeci vs Jonas Andrade

Here Mikey again shows how you can use the ankle lock from a double guard pull situation. Mikey is mainly a berimbolo player, and because of this people to to avoid entering this game with him. When they do this they often leave themselves exposed to the ankle lock. 

Bianca Basilio vs Ffion Davies

Here Bianca Basilio goes after the straight ankle lock on Ffion Davies. Unlike other submissions, you often have to adjust things repeatedly until you are in the perfect position, so try not to go 100% from the start. Bianca slow adjusts and adds pressure until she goes belly down and finishes. 

The previous clip wasn't a fluke, Bianca has been able to consistently hit the straight ankle lock at the highest levels. As you can see from this highlight, she is very dangerous with this submission and those that tried to "tough it out" ended up injured. 

Andre Porfino vs Pedro Marinho 

Here Andre Porfino shows how it can be used from 50/50. In the gi the lack of heel hooks can make the 50/50 position very frustrating, but with a solid ankle lock you can turn this position into an exciting and useful tool. The crossbody ankle lock can be easier to finish than the normal version, but often you need to make sure you put your feet on your opponent's hip. 

Fillipe Andrew vs Roberto Jimenez

The match starts with Roberto diving for a leg lock of his own. He eventually ends up with a toehold on Fillipe's  leg. Fillipe defends this for a while and gets his legs into position. As Roberto rolls Fillipe gets into an outside ashi position. Usually I don't think this is a good position to finish the ankle lock, however he is belly down, which can produce lots of force. Roberto's knee is blocked by the ground and thus Roberto has no way to relieve the force. Fillipe actually breaks the foot to the inside instead of the usually outside or straight back configuration. This is somewhat similar to an Aoki lock, but this sometimes happens depending on how the person turns or how you position your hands. This match is a perfect example of why you should invest time into the ankle lock. You can get it from some strange positions and quickly counter attack to win a match. 

Strengths

Of course one of the greatest strengths of the ankle lock is the accessibility. It can be hit from places that other submissions can't be accessed from. If you're passing and someone is lying on their back, there is an opportunity for an ankle lock. The same can be said for the bottom position when someone is standing up tall denying you access to their head and arms. 

Another reason to use it is simply based on the rules. It can be used gi or nogi and in the IBJJF even white belts can use it. Anyone can start working on it and use it in almost any ruleset. This might seem like a small factor, but this allows you to get lots of practice in against a variety of opponents. On top of that it is one of the safest leg submissions to use, so you don't have to be as careful as you would with other techniques. The pain will occur well before any breaks or pops. Of course you always need to be careful of how much pressure and speed you're using, but the ankle lock is less likely to cause a catastrophic injury than something like a heel hook or a toe hold.

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness of the ankle lock is the time it takes to master. Unfortunately it isn't the easiest technique to learn. It might actually be one of the hardest and sometimes when you think you have it mastered, you later realize that maybe you haven't. 

Another problem is that fact that some people will just eat ankle locks and allow their foot to break. In fact many people will allow one small pop, so although you think you're doing it right it might not be enough to stop your opponent. 

The last problem is one that is a problem with all leg locks and that is the tendency to hold on for too long and get your back taken. You often see people insist on the ankle lock and their opponent is moving towards their back. The ankle lock grip makes you feel as though you can still get the submission, but because your legs aren't in the correct position you can't and your grips leave you venerable to being choked.

Why you should add it to your game

The ankle lock is one of the easiest submissions to get to and can be caught from the top or bottom. You don't need to pass anyone's guard and it is usually very hard to people to hide their legs from you without drastically changing their game. These days it is becoming more and more common for people to get caught in double guard pull scenarios where 2 people are trying to manipulate each other's legs. The ankle lock gives you a submission opportunity and that can cause your opponent to stop defending the berimbolo, guard pass, etc. On top of all of that it can be used from a variety of different leg entanglements, making it one of the most versatile submissions. I've been keeping track of all the submission for major no-gi events this year and as far as leglocks go, the ankle lock is in 3rd place right now(5/08/2022) behind the inside and outside heel hook. It might be the number 1 leg lock in gi competition, but I don't have any stats on that unfortunately. 

Years ago the ankle lock wasn't thought of as a real submission, then it became something only strong people could do. Now it has been proven to work at all levels and sizes. If you find yourself in positions such as single leg X guard or double guard pull, adding this to your repertoire is something you should definitely look into. I'm not going to lie and say it is an easy submission to master, but I believe the juice is worth the squeeze.