Add the Achilles Lock to Your Arsenal Without Making it Your Achilles Heel – A Beginner’s Look at BJJ Foot Locks

This week’s technique video offers some nice, flow drilling options that are perfect for any level of grappling practitioner. The focus of the video is on core concept drills that apply to passing (first part) and the Achilles Lock (second part). As you will see in the analysis that follows, these two are more related than you may intuitively expect.

Today’s technique breakdown will focus on the second part of the video, which discusses straight foot locks (AKA Achilles Lock or Straight Ankle Lock). There has been a resurgence in focusing on these techniques earlier in the training journey. This is largely due to the “reintroduction” of the Straight Foot Lock as an IBJJF approved submission at all belt levels for adult competitors (I use quotes as I actually cannot find proof of the Straight Foot Lock ever not being allowed for an adult IBJJF division). What seems to actually have driven this most recent resurgence was a widely distributed article that the Estima Foot Lock (or Sock Lock) was deemed legal.

Interestingly enough, while I saw the article when it floated around, I have not seen it addressed specifically by the IBJJF as a source. The Estima Foot Lock is a bit of blend between an Achilles Lock and a Toe Hold (utilizing the body). There seems to be some continued controversy around this particular technique and so it is not the focus for this beginner level look at leg attacks. I will keep today’s focus to the technique that I am 100% sure of its legal use at all adult levels of IBJJF competition.

A Brief History

If you take a look at old blog posts and grappling forums, it would lead you to believe that somewhere between 2011 and 2013, the IBJJF reintroduced the Straight Foot Lock as a legal submission for white belts. However, I haven’t found any actual proof that this was ever the case. It seems that it may have always been allowed. More importantly, it is very clear that today the Straight Foot Lock is absolutely legal at all IBJJF Adult and Masters levels.

Full IBJJF Rule Book v4.0

My research seems to indicate that this notion stemmed from a combination of non-IBJJF competitions that eliminated ALL lower body attacks from a beginner or white belt level, or as a whole (such as in modern Judo), the fairly common BJJ teaching practice of holding off on any leg attacks early in a student’s lessons, and the potential to be disqualified by misunderstanding (or accidentally crossing) the line that takes a straight foot lock into a “knee reap” situation.

So, why is there a common practice of holding off this fully approved technique early in a white belt’s journey? There are both some good and some bad reasons:

1. The nonsensical reason – “It’s a low-class or dirty technique.” This reason needs to be eliminated from the grappling community as a whole. Personally, I think all fighting techniques are “dirty”. After all, in competition we are trying to prove that we could have killed, broken bones, torn ligaments, disabled joints, or rendered our opposition unconscious. Sometimes these things happen even when trying to avoid such finality. Only in competition and practice do we allow our opponent to tap out. As a martial art, the technique would likely go to its complete conclusion. Fighting is dirty, even in self-defense. There is danger and pain involved. The use of the goose neck wrist lock fought a similar reputation battle, but I’m glad to see both submissions are becoming more respected again.
   • Stephen Kesting discusses some of this history in an article originally published back in 2005!
2. The well-thought-out reason – “The Achilles Lock becomes an Achilles Heel.” This reason is the actual reason (not competition and safety) that many legitimate Professors and schools hold off from teaching the Straight Ankle Lock (and other leg attacks) from the early part of their white belt curriculum. Beginning students need to focus on position over submissions. Guard passing is one of the most important skills to develop when building a game that allows you the highest level of success. It is also an extremely frustrating exercise against more experienced opponents who have solid guard games; here is the relationship between the two parts of the video and why I would recommend keeping that relationship top of mind as you begin to examine foot locks. The beginning student can “fall in love” with the less frustrating option of dropping back to attack the legs, instead of continuously putting effort into passing tough guards. This can actually become a crutch and significantly slow down their development of a proper top game. Early on, it is far more important to develop your passing skills into a dominant position than it is to learn this submission and its variations. Don’t worry, there is time to learn how to attack the legs just a little bit later down the line. It is better as an option than as the primary path.
3. The competition reason – accidental disqualification. This is a valid reason for white belt competitors to be coached away from even attempting it as they prepare for their first matches and tournaments. The nuances of which direction to turn, foot position, knee position, legs crossing over hips, etc. leave a lot of room for error. Errors tend to be amplified in the heat of competition, and against opponents that are not going to tap as easy as your classroom rolling partners. I’ve witnessed brown and black belt level experienced competitors get disqualified for the slightest mistake in adjustments creating a knee reap foul–and they’ve been training it for years! So, I understand if early on some coaches and instructors simply tell their new competitors to stay away from attempting any lower body submissions. It is one less accident that can take a winning match to a loss in a split second.

Click here to see an IBJJF official discuss the nuances of knee reap disqualifications

Now that we’ve reviewed both the history and the rule specific aspects of the Straight Foot Lock, here is the breakdown for Dan Faggella’s recommended drill to get comfortable with both grabbing and transitioning the Achilles Lock from same-side to opposite-side finishing positions (while keeping your positioning rule compliant for all belt levels). Hope you enjoy, and remember to add this technique as a weapon in your arsenal, and do not allow it to become your Achilles Heel to developing solid guard passing.

Step-by-Step:

1. Starting position has opponent’s legs outside, with own knees inside, and own feet hooking underneath to the outside of opponent’s thighs
2. Grab ankle control on both of opponent’s legs
3. Pick side to attack and kick leg through quickly while snapping opponent’s leg up into same-side arm pit, securing deeper ankle lock control with forearm by driving hand under and through
4. Turn toward opponent’s controlled leg (to the outside) while driving hips tight to the back of opponent’s thigh of the controlled leg, immediately pinching tightly with knees
   • Tip: At the same time, release the opposite-side foot and reach over to control the opponent’s knee and assist with rotation needed to secure a tight Achilles Lock grip
5. Release knee control and take ball-in-socket or Gable grip on the controlled leg and apply pressure by pulling the blade of controlling arm up into the Achilles tendon, while stretching out the controlled foot and applying counter pressure on the instep or top of the foot with armpit
6. Continue drill after applying the appropriate lock pressure by grabbing the controlled leg above the ankle with top hand
7. Release bottom arm and pass leg over own chest while sliding shoulders under and driving the bottom arm back underneath to create Achilles pressure once again with the blade of the bottom arm
8. Without fully releasing control use the top hand to fold opponent’s top of foot under the top (opposite-side) arm pit, and slide down to bicep grip for added Achilles pressure, completing control with by wrapping the top hand back over opponent’s shin for the switch grip
9. Adjust leg position as needed for proper pressure and finish
10. Continue the drill by passing the leg back to the bottom position while shrimping out and bringing knees back to the inside, pulling back into starting position
11. Begin drill on other side

Image credit: http://galleryhip.com/achilles-heel-mythology.html

Image credit: http://www.jiujitsubrotherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/jiu-jitsu-straight-foot-lock.jpg

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