Lachlan Giles introduces the modern 50/50-centric leg lock system and lays down the conceptual foundations — position naming, knee anatomy, the three finishes, knee-line and rotation control, the three-phase finishing system, and the full defensive hierarchy.

developingUpdated 2026-05-11

Distilled from the verbatim transcript. Every concept is preserved; verbal filler, partner demos, and repetition are not. Each section header links to the exact moment in the Bilibili video. Volume 01 is entirely conceptual — there are no specific finishing techniques, no entries. It is the foundation everything else builds on.

Part I — Foundations

Anti-piracy disclaimer · 0:00–0:23
Series overview: why 50/50, 80/20, 90/10 · 0:23–2:17
Influences and credits · 2:17–4:32
Naming the leg entanglements · 4:32–9:00
When to tap to a heel hook · 9:00–11:41
Safe progression for learning leg locks · 11:41–13:48
Where to start if you're new · 13:48–15:45
How this instructional is structured · 15:45–20:14
Current trends in leg locks · 20:14–22:30

Part II — Knee anatomy and finishing mechanics

Knee anatomy: ligaments and meniscus · 22:30–27:00
Rotation range: bent vs straight knee · 27:00–27:53
The three ways to finish a heel hook · 27:53–31:36
Ankle pressure vs knee pressure · 31:36–33:09

Part III — The two pillars of control

Controlling the knee line and controlling rotation · 33:09–34:34
Knee line: the tight triangle · 34:34–38:34
Knee line: bending the knee · 38:34–42:43
Knee line: lock height trade-off · 42:43–44:47
Knee line: controlling the far leg · 44:47–45:48
Knee line: distal control grips · 45:48–50:32
Reclaiming the knee line when lost · 50:32–53:35
Knee line: full summary · 53:35–55:24
Rotation control: leg configuration · 55:24–58:55
Rotation control: grips, bending, out-rolling · 58:55–1:02:55

Part IV — The three-phase finishing system

The three phases of finishing · 1:02:55–1:03:43
Phase 1: exposing the heel · 1:03:43–1:10:42
Phase 2a: the non-catching hand's many grips · 1:10:42–1:15:48
Phase 2b: securing the grip · 1:15:48–1:23:25
Phase 3: applying the finish · 1:23:25–1:28:38

Part V — Defense

Defense: introduction and the principle of hiding the heel first · 1:28:38–1:30:42
Defense: hiding the heel · 1:30:42–1:33:07
Defense: crossing the feet · 1:33:07–1:33:43
Defense: pushing the thigh, keeping heel shallow · 1:33:43–1:35:23
Defense: the heel slip · 1:35:23–1:38:04
Defense: the toe slip · 1:38:04–1:41:38
Defense: hand fighting from 50/50 · 1:41:38–1:43:11
Defense: the open-guard rolling escape · 1:43:11–1:43:23
Defense: full summary of the defensive layers · 1:43:23–1:45:28

Part I — Foundations

1. Anti-piracy disclaimer

0:00–0:23 · ▶ Watch

If you have a pirated copy, please buy the real one. It hurts athletes trying to make a living.

2. Series overview: why 50/50, 80/20, 90/10

0:23–2:17 · ▶ Watch

This series is about leg locks, and specifically about the leg lock game Lachlan currently plays. The strong focus is on 50/50 and its variants — particularly 80/20 (when the knee is freed from 50/50, putting the odds in your favor) and 90/10, also called outside Sankaku (feet locked outside the legs, foot in front of partner's stomach, leg over the top like a triangle).

He used to play a more "traditional" modern leg lock style — outside ashi and the saddle. He no longer does. He considers 50/50, outside Sankaku, and 80/20 superior leg-locking positions, and the entire series is built around getting to them and finishing from them.

3. Influences and credits

2:17–4:32 · ▶ Watch

In jiu-jitsu you can't always track where each detail came from, but the explicit influences on this system are:

Ryan Hall — his 50/50 instructional (~10 years before recording) was Lachlan's entry point into 50/50 play.
The Danaher guys and Eddie Cummings — watching them apply this against high-level competitors pulled him back into leg locks four or five years ago after a long period focused on positional jiu-jitsu.
Craig Jones — major influence on the system, developed alongside Lachlan.
Jason Rau — fantastic leg locker, seminars worth attending; has his own instructional.
The Mendes (Meow) brothers — not primarily leg lockers, but probably the world's best at getting to leg entanglements in the 50/50 region. He has studied their entries closely.

Background note: Lachlan is a physiotherapist with a PhD whose thesis was on knee injuries, which informs how he understands and teaches leg-lock mechanics.

4. Naming the leg entanglements

4:32–9:00 · ▶ Watch

Getting names right matters because every later technique is described relative to one of these positions.

The naming has two axes:

Where is partner's foot relative to your body? Either outside your body or across your body.
Where are your feet relative to their leg? Outside it, centered, or inside it.

When the foot is outside, you're hunting an outside heel hook. When it's across the body, you're hunting an inside heel hook (the higher-percentage, higher-damage submission).

The named positions

Outside ashi (outside ashi garami) — partner's foot outside; your feet locked on the outside. Naming convention from the Danaher team.
Single X — partner's foot outside; your feet centered (not committed to either side). Same name whether partner is standing or down.
Reap — partner's foot outside; one variant where the geometry produces the "reap." Used less often by Lachlan.
50/50 — partner's foot across your body; your feet on the outside. Both practitioners have the exact same leg position — hence "50/50." Technically even, though with correct play it isn't really even.
Saddle (inside Sankaku) — partner's leg across your body; your feet on the inside.
80/20 — 50/50, but your knee is now freed. No longer an even position. Knee is free; you're safe from attack; odds are in your favor.
90/10 / outside Sankaku — feet locked outside the legs, foot in front of partner's stomach, leg over the top in a triangle. Lachlan's strongest leg-locking position.

Same position keeps its name whether the bottom player is lying or standing.

Why heel hook over everything else

The strong focus on heel hook — particularly the inside heel hook from across-the-body positions — is because it's much higher percentage than knee bars, toe holds, straight ankle locks, or calf crushes. The damage potential is greater, which means partners actually tap. Calf crushes and the rest occasionally land on high-level opponents, but the heel hook is what proves out at the top level. If you're going to invest training time, invest it in what works.

5. When to tap to a heel hook

9:00–11:41 · ▶ Watch

In training there aren't many injuries because the person applying is going slow and would rather release than damage. In competition — especially at the level of ADCC — the attacker applies maximum force as fast as possible, and there's very little time to tap. By the time hands connect and the hips are driving, damage is already being done.

Rule of thumb: once your heel is caught and you realize you cannot slip it, tap. Once they start bridging, you're already on borrowed time. As you get more experienced, you'll learn the counters that buy you more time — but if you're new, tap early.

A surprising number of training partners ignore this advice repeatedly and get injured in competition.

6. Safe progression for learning leg locks

11:41–13:48 · ▶ Watch

The biggest barrier to learning leg locks is fear. If you're worried about getting cranked, you don't actually try the correct escape — you just clutch and hold on. The progression that fixes this:

Train the positions, no finishes. Holder tries to keep the position; bottom tries to free the knee. Both sides learn what it feels like.
Catch and release. Catching the heel counts as a win — let go and restart from the position.
One-arm finishes. Harder than two arms, but still controlled.
Two-arm finishes. Only once everyone can roll without panic.

The point: progress in a way where panic doesn't get baked in.

7. Where to start if you're new

13:48–15:45 · ▶ Watch

Pick the 50/50 position and build everything around it.

Learn the leg lock concepts (this volume).
Learn how to dig the heel from 50/50 and catch the basic heel hook.
Learn how to upgrade your legs to outside Sankaku.
If partner stands up in your 50/50, learn how to tilt, expose the heel, and catch from there.
For entries: the two easiest are (a) elevating to single X (both feet on hips, lift, take their leg across) and (b) the basic K-guard entry (knee inside, grab the leg, pull the knee up, feel the outside leg over the top → 50/50 or outside Sankaku).

That's your framework. Everything else fits onto it.

8. How this instructional is structured

15:45–20:14 · ▶ Watch

The full series progression:

Concepts (this volume) — most important section for troubleshooting.
Leg lock finishing mechanics — foot and rotational mechanics that apply to every heel hook regardless of position.
Counters — the main ways partner prevents the heel hook.
Countering the counter — what to do when partner is escaping correctly.
Pros and cons of each leg-locking position.
50/50 — options from the position.
Outside Sankaku — options from the position.
Bottom 50/50 vs partner on top — attacks, then sweeping and back-take options.
Top 50/50 — attacks and maintaining top position.
Knee freed scenarios — pulling them back in.
Distal control — when you only have the end of the leg, foot inside or outside.
Countering partner's leg lock attempts — saddle, outside ashi, etc.
Entries — three families: inside positioning (working from feet inside toward 50/50), outside positioning (open guard, ala heba, reverse ala heba, inversion to kaga), entries from on top, and entries from standing.
Summary — moves to drill heavily.

9. Current trends in leg locks

20:14–22:30 · ▶ Watch

The leg-lock landscape is shifting fast. From the North American ADCC trials (the part of the world most current on leg locks), Lachlan counted more 50/50 heel hooks than saddle or outside ashi finishes combined.

What's happening:

Outside ashi — people are getting very good at not exposing the heel and setting up counters. Increasingly a bad position to enter.
Saddle — people are getting good at rolling out by hiding the heel and turning (an escape Lachlan and Craig put on YouTube years ago that's still widely missed). The direction you escape the saddle is the same direction that hides your heel.
50/50 — harder to escape, so you buy more time to set up the attack. New entries are appearing all the time.

That's why this series is built around 50/50 / outside Sankaku rather than saddle / outside ashi.

Part II — Knee anatomy and finishing mechanics

10. Knee anatomy: ligaments and meniscus

22:30–27:00 · ▶ Watch

You need to know what you're attacking and defending.

MCL (medial collateral ligament) — inside of the knee. Resists the knee being forced inward. The inside heel hook puts pressure here.
LCL (lateral collateral ligament) — outside of the knee. Resists the knee being forced outward. The outside heel hook puts pressure here.
ACL — inside the joint; stops the shin sliding forward relative to the femur (or equivalently, the femur sliding back over the tibia).
PCL — the opposite; stops the femur sliding forward over the tibia. ACL and PCL together form a cross (cruciate = "cross" in Latin).
Meniscus — cartilage between femur and tibia. Acts like a malleable rubber pad that molds to the joint as it bends and twists. Rotational injuries and forces beyond normal range tear it.

In a heel hook, the visible motion is rotation, but the damage cascades through these structures depending on how the force is applied.

11. Rotation range: bent vs straight knee

27:00–27:53 · ▶ Watch

The knee can rotate when bent. The knee cannot rotate when fully straight.

When bent, there's significant rotational range available at the joint itself (the shin can twist relative to the femur). When straight, the joint locks; there is zero rotational range. This single fact governs all heel hook finishing mechanics.

12. The three ways to finish a heel hook

27:53–31:36 · ▶ Watch

Three distinct mechanisms. You'll use each in different scenarios.

Finish 1 — Pure rotation

With the knee slightly bent, twist the heel through the rotational range until the joint can't take any more. Pure rotation, no bridge.

Finish 2 — Side bridge into the knee

Get your hips to the side of the knee; bridge. This puts pressure on the MCL like a side knee bar.

Critical detail: rotate first, then bridge. If you bridge with the foot facing upward, the knee moves through space but no pressure builds. Take up the slack in the rotation first — get the heel turned — then the bridge causes the joint to load. When done right, the knee barely moves in space and the tap comes hard.

Finish 3 — Straighten the leg with rotation locked in

Less common but useful. With the knee bent, rotate the heel to maximum. Then start to straighten the leg. The joint can't accommodate that rotation when straight, so it gets jammed — the act of straightening produces the submission. Take your thigh across the top of the knee and chop down as if stepping on the ground; the leg straightens and the tap comes.

Why bent knee is preferred during the catch

The hip can rotate independently of the knee. With the leg straight, partner can use hip rotation to fake additional knee rotation and hide the heel. With the leg bent, the hip can no longer assist — what you see at the heel is what you get. This is why so much of the system keeps partner's knee bent.

13. Ankle pressure vs knee pressure

31:36–33:09 · ▶ Watch

Partner often taps to ankle pressure before the knee loads. Don't worry about it. The ankle is part of the chain; rotating up takes up slack at the ankle first, then transmits to the knee. The early ankle tap is on the way to the knee load — it's not a different submission, just an earlier stop along the same path. Some opponents won't tap to ankle pressure; for those, keep going until the knee loads. Either way, the end-goal mental model stays the same: hips aligned to the side of the knee, ready to bridge.

Part III — The two pillars of control

14. Controlling the knee line and controlling rotation

33:09–34:34 · ▶ Watch

Two skills underlie everything in this system:

Knee line control — prevent partner from freeing their knee, or pull it back in when it's been freed. Without the knee line, no heel hook.
Rotation control — prevent partner from rotating in either direction. They rotate one way to hide the heel before it's caught; they rotate the other way to roll out after it's caught. You need to shut both off.

When something goes wrong with a leg lock, the troubleshooting starts here: which of the two did you lose?

15. Knee line: the tight triangle

34:34–38:34 · ▶ Watch

Most people lock a triangle at the knee — top foot tucked behind the knee. This leaves a gap. When the back heel pulls, the top leg doesn't tighten.

The fix:

Line up your shins. Both shins in the same line.
Hook the calf, not the knee pit. Top foot catches mid-calf of the bottom leg. Now when you back-heel with the bottom leg, it pulls the top leg down — both legs double up on the squeeze.
Back-heel hard. Heels curl toward your butt. A strong back-heel is non-negotiable for leg locks.
Knees toward your chest. Not just the heels — also pull the knees in. This draws the knee line back toward you. You can even grip your own legs and pull them tighter to your chest.

Everything closes around the leg. Partner tries to drag back; instead of slipping out, the leg drags your hips along with it.

16. Knee line: bending the knee

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If partner's leg is straight, the only thing holding them in is friction. They free the leg by sliding back, especially if their gi or skin is slippery. If you can bend the knee, you eliminate the slide — the bent leg is a hook; sliding back drags your whole body with it.

How to bend the knee:

Hip-into-the-back-of-the-knee. Open the triangle if needed; drive your hip into the popliteal space; press the ankle down.
Two large levers, one fulcrum. One foot near the hip, one elbow near the ankle. The bend forms around the hip-fulcrum. Arch the back, open the hips out to add pressure.
Pinch with chest and armpit. When you're up over the leg, the thigh-against-chest pinch holds the bend; partner can't straighten the leg.
Inside leg bends, outside leg straightens. A working pair you'll use constantly while digging the heel.

Special case from 50/50: if partner's foot is on the ground, his knee can't drop to the ground. So pressing the foot down levers the knee out. From the top of 50/50 you sometimes only need this single point of control.

You can also use a forced bend when partner is belly-down and trying to run away — force the bend, trap the knee line, reclaim and finish.

17. Knee line: lock height trade-off

42:43–44:47 · ▶ Watch

How high should your hips lock on partner's leg?

High (at the hips) → maximum control; partner can't free the knee. But your bridge drives into their thigh, not their knee — finishing pressure is weak.
Low (at the knee) → much easier to finish (bridge lands on the joint), but easier for them to free the knee.

Match the lock height to the phase. Earlier, while you're still securing position, lock high. Once you're ready to finish, drop to the knee line.

Tall opponent standing up changes things: against a tall partner who's standing, outside ashi at the hips is too overstretched to apply pressure, and at the knee they free easily — Lachlan considers outside ashi against a tall standing partner a bad position.

18. Knee line: controlling the far leg

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Partner's free leg is their most powerful tool for kicking the trapped leg free, especially from the saddle. From outside ashi with high hips, it's harder for them to bring the free leg in. The further down you slide (toward the knee), the more space they get to insert it. From saddle particularly, look immediately for the far-leg grip — if you control it, escape becomes very hard.

Same logic from outside Sankaku — the over-top leg blocks the kick somewhat, but the far-leg grip still helps.

19. Knee line: distal control grips

45:48–50:32 · ▶ Watch

When you've lost hip control and only have the end of the leg, several distal grips keep you attached:

Kneecap grip. Hold the top of the kneecap and pull your knee to your chest. If partner tries to slide back, you can twist the knee inward to force a bend and stay attached.
Ankle-up grip. Forearm hooks right behind the heel, forearm pointing up. If partner runs away, you follow well.
False grip (single-handed heel grip). Palm up at the ankle; pull back; chest comes over the top. Your elbow and chest pinch together over the foot. Partner runs straight back — you stay locked on. The free hand stays available for grip fighting.
Rear-naked-choke grip on the Achilles. This is the one Lachlan uses most when the knee line isn't yet established. Elbow at the back of the Achilles, pulled tight. The right hand pushes the ankle into the bicep (not pulling — pushing), maximizing how stuck the heel is against the forearm. Squeeze the left arm tight to the chest. The grip is locked, the heel is jammed, partner can't pull free. From there, work back to the knee line.

Each grip has a context. The kneecap is for when partner is moving; the false grip is for when you also need a free hand; the renaked-style grip is for when you need maximum locking but haven't yet captured the leg with your legs.

20. Reclaiming the knee line when lost

50:32–53:35 · ▶ Watch

Four methods to drag the knee back past your hip line:

Bend-and-rotate the knee. Hold behind the knee, drive your elbow in, bridge — this sucks the knee forward and back in.
Belly-down sit-up. From 50/50 with their knee freed, sit up and turn belly-down. The hip rotation drags the knee back across the line. Anchor the back into their leg as you arch.
Roll through with distal control. With a renaked-choke grip or false grip, swing over and roll. The hips shoot back in past the knee line at a funny angle that pure forward pressure couldn't reach.
Stand up and step forward. When partner is scooting back and making space, stand, then step forward. You can run forward faster than they can scoot back. Reattach the knee line with your forward motion.

21. Knee line: full summary

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The full hierarchy of knee-line control:

Tight triangle (back-heel, shins aligned, knees to chest).
Control the far leg (the kicking weapon).
Bend the knee (most important single mechanic).
Grips: top of kneecap, ankle-up, wedge through to your own shin, false grip, renaked grip.
Chest pinch between thigh and chest.
Belly-down posture (makes freeing the leg much harder than face-up).

22. Rotation control: leg configuration

55:24–58:55 · ▶ Watch

Your leg configuration determines how well you can control partner's rotation in each direction.

50/50 — your free leg can cut across to expose partner's heel even when they try to hide it. Strong for exposing the heel. But the same geometry makes it easy for partner to roll out of a caught heel hook. The system has answers to that, covered later.
Saddle — your leg over the top of theirs means you can't easily cut across to expose the heel; harder to dig. But once caught, the over-top leg makes rolling out very difficult. That's why saddle is a strong finishing position even though it's a worse digging position.
Reap — excellent for exposing the heel (the leg lifts well), terrible for finishing (partner can roll right out with little to stop them). That's why reapers typically reap to expose, then shift to a different configuration to finish.
Outside ashi — opposite of the reap. Very hard to expose the heel because the inside leg doesn't lift well. But once caught, very hard for partner to roll out, and the inside leg gives a good bridging platform.

Understand the configuration; know what it gives you and what it costs you.

23. Rotation control: grips, bending, out-rolling

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Other rotation-control tools:

Toe grip. Holding partner's toes makes it hard for them to roll either direction — the lever creates pressure on the knee or ankle as soon as they try to turn. Also useful to slow them down while you set up.
Heel grip. Similar idea, less lever; some people use it.
Bend the knee. A straight leg rolls easily; a bent leg creates a new plane partner has to negotiate. With the knee bent and pressure applied outward or inward, the roll stalls.
Far-leg control. Once both feet are in traffic, partner can roll left or right but ends up in the same relative position to you. Without it, the roll generates new positioning.
Out-roll partner. When you can't prevent the rotation, you may be able to outpace it. Don't try to roll flat on your side — come up onto your elbow, take the shoulder through, and roll faster than they can.

Part IV — The three-phase finishing system

24. The three phases of finishing

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Most failures happen because people do these out of order. The order is fixed.

Expose the heel.
Secure the heel (connect the hands).
Apply the finish (hips and bridge).

The most common mistake: trying to connect the hands before the heel is fully exposed. The heel just slips.

25. Phase 1: exposing the heel

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The mechanical work of getting partner's heel out into the open where you can catch it.

Pull the knee across your body

Partner's knee should end up on the opposite side of your chest from where it started. Either pull the leg across, or bring your chest across, or both. This gives the geometry you need to attack. Use your legs to do this — back-heeling, knees pulling toward chest, sometimes a grip over the top of the calf with your elbow drawing in. Once you have some exposure, pinch your knee to your chest so the leg can't slip back.

Foot dangling

A common error: putting the foot up at the armpit first. From there you can't dig — the heel is already hidden against your body. The foot must dangle in space in the gap before you go for it. Some people hold the ankle once they're in position to ensure the foot stays exactly where they want it.

Elbow strike to dorsiflex

If partner has pointed their toes, the foot is a poor lever and the heel won't expose. Strike with your elbow into the bottom of partner's toes and pull back to your ribs. This dorsiflexes the foot whether partner wants it or not. From there they can't re-point easily.

Critical detail: the contact must be the elbow, not the armpit. Armpit-first leaves the foot un-dangling and leaves a big gap to slip through. The elbow locks in underneath the toes, pulls back to your ribs, and there's no slip.

Land on the elbow, not the shoulder

After the strike, stay on the elbow. Going to the shoulder loses elbow pressure and opens a slip gap.

Elbow hop and chest cover

Don't just hit and stop. Pull the elbow behind your back as you land — like you're falling. This twists the knee further and pulls you into a more belly-down style position; everything tightens. Cover with your chest, chest facing the foot, ribs covering the side of the foot. No slip gap, no hand-fighting access for partner.

The same sequence applies for the outside heel hook from the outside: pull the knee across, foot dangling, elbow to the toes, pull to ribs, land on elbow, chest cover, elbow hopped behind.

26. Phase 2a: the non-catching hand's many grips

1:10:42–1:15:48 · ▶ Watch

While the right arm hunts the heel, the left arm has several jobs. Each grip solves a different problem.

Ankle grip. Lachlan's default. Lets you apply bending pressure on the leg, holds the foot exactly where you want it, and you know precisely where the elbow strike will land. Compare to gripping the knee — partner can shift their foot a lot under a knee grip and you miss the strike target.
Heel grip. Some people use it. Lachlan doesn't, much — you end up too close to the armpit and the heel slips easily.
Toe grip (end of the toes). Bigger lever, foot dangles well. Lachlan often uses this during entries to slow partner down for a moment while he gets the elbow over the top. Once the elbow lands, he switches grips.
Reach-across-the-knee grip. Hand reaches across the knee on the inside and pulls the knee to the far side of the chest. Sets up the angle for digging. Used in combination with pulling the knee back and chest tight.
Wedge-through grip. Hand feeds through the gap to grip your own shin (or partner's leg), creating a wedge with downward pressure on the lower part. Good when partner is scooting backward — you stay attached. Not as good for exposing the heel.
Top-of-knee grip. Holds partner's knee down so they can't lift the foot during your bridge. Useful when you've already got pressure stopping the scoot from another source (chest, legs) and you specifically need to stop the foot-lift.
Far-thigh / far-ankle grip. Keeps partner's free foot off the ground and out wide. The wider it goes, the worse their roll. Pull it out and up.

Knowing why each grip exists is the troubleshooting key — if a heel hook isn't working, ask which problem your free hand is failing to solve.

27. Phase 2b: securing the grip

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How to lock the hands once the heel is exposed.

The standard inside-heel-hook grip

Left hand palm up, locked against partner's shin. Elbow tight to your ribs.
Right hand palm down (the hand that caught the heel turns down).
Connect the hands. No gap between your chest and your forearm — pull everything in tight.

The catch sequence

Often the initial catch is a false grip (palm up, curling the wrist). The false grip lets you pull back on the heel with leverage — palm down on the initial catch gives no purchase. So: catch with the false grip first, get the left hand in position with the elbow locked tight against your ribs, then switch to palm-down and pull tighter.

Hand position relative to the ankle

Your forearm sits next to the ankle. A common error is being too deep — whole forearm visible, elbow opening out. Only your hand should poke out the other side. Too close to the heel, partner slips out. Lock the elbow tight; tie everything in; lean over the top.

Standard outside-heel-hook grip

Standard locking when geometry is clean. But if partner pressures in and crosses the body, hip-in becomes hard. In that case the left hand comes behind, you punch up, the left hand takes over the rowing role, the right arm stays locked down — and now you have leverage to extend and finish.

The pronation-to-false-grip sequence (Lachlan's preferred catch)

Sometimes catching straight into a false grip leaves a moment where partner can slip on the catch itself. Lachlan's preferred sequence:

Pronate. Catch first with the palm rotated down — the bony part of your forearm (the radius) lifts the heel up and blocks the slip.
Switch. Once the heel is locked there and can't slip on the spot, change to the false grip with the chest over the top. From this position the only way to slip is to kick in — and if you switched fast, they don't have the chance.

Adjusting the bend before the finish

The elbow position controls the knee bend. Elbow closer to your hips = more knee bend. Elbow further from your hips = straighter knee. If the leg is fully straight and your bridge isn't loading, drop the elbow and shoulder closer to the mat (don't fall on the shoulder — just lower). The knee bends; you can start applying rotation and bring the hips in line to finish.

Test

The test for a secure grip: get the false grip with one hand and have partner try to slip the heel. If everything is right, they can't.

28. Phase 3: applying the finish

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Now apply one of the three finishes from §12 depending on the scenario.

Pure rotational finish. Elbow stays tight to the rib; rotate through the body. Drop the elbow but don't open it. Never use the arms to finish — the rotation comes through the trunk. Useful when partner holds your leg and you can't turn side-on.
Side bridge finish. Hips fully side-on to the knee. Pure bridge into the joint. Back-heel, step on the hips. Strongest, most damaging — Lachlan's preference whenever the geometry allows.
Combination. Often what actually happens. Some rotation gets the knee side-on to your hips, then a bridge that's not purely sideways finishes via combined rotation + bridge load.
Straighten-the-leg finish. When you don't have a good leg entanglement yet — knee is bent, you've got rotation, your thigh comes across the top of the knee and you chop down as if stepping. Partner's leg straightens with the rotation locked in; the joint loads through straightening.

Getting side-on

Whenever possible, position side-on to the leg. Front-on (facing high) makes catching the heel hard and makes it hard to lock the elbow. Side-on (hips and chest), you almost face the heel — catching is easy and you're already in position to bridge into the side of the knee. This is one of outside Sankaku's biggest advantages: it naturally puts you side-on.

Elbow hop drill cue

When partner can move away after the catch, instead of letting them, bring the elbow up and forward, chest down a bit more as they move. This keeps the hand-fighting out of play and tightens the lock. Then you can scoot your hips into the side of the knee joint, keep the leg flat, bridge in and close the knee down as you bridge.

Part V — Defense

29. Defense: introduction and the principle of hiding the heel first

1:28:38–1:30:42 · ▶ Watch

You don't want to get caught, and you need to understand what partner will do so you can beat their defense when you're attacking.

Plantar flexion range

Before anything else: the range of your plantar flexion (foot pointed down + toes pointed) matters. The more range you have, the harder it is to dig your heel. People with poor range get caught easily because the elbow strike turns their knee immediately. People with good range can absorb the elbow strike side-on without the knee turning. Stretch the forefoot on the ground — push to extend that range.

First principle when your knee line is caught

Hide the heel. Always the first move, regardless of position. Some defenses work in some positions and not others, but hiding the heel is universal.

30. Defense: hiding the heel

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The mechanics of hiding:

Point your toes — plantar flex hard.
Straighten the knee — a straight knee is easier to retract past the knee line.
Turn the foot inward as far as possible — driven mostly from the hips.
Hip out to the side — the more you can rotate your hip out to the trapped-leg side, the better the heel hides. With the hip out, even strong elbow strikes can't catch the heel.

If you stay put, they roll into you to chase the heel. So follow your toes and roll with them, keeping the same hidden geometry.

From outside-leg position

Slightly different orientation: point toes, but keep your heel attached to the side of your ribs. This forces your knee to point outward — exactly the opposite of where partner wants it (across the far side of their chest). Use your outside leg to lift the hips and rotate further. Knee turns even further out; the catch becomes very difficult.

31. Defense: crossing the feet

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Crossing your feet works in 50/50, not in the saddle. From the saddle, crossing gives partner control of your far leg — usually a worse scenario.

When crossing in 50/50: the outside (non-trapped) leg over the top of the trapped leg. Locked the other way around, partner can still dig and finish. Done correctly, heel-hooking the trapped leg becomes nearly impossible.

32. Defense: pushing the thigh, keeping heel shallow

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Pushing the thigh

While hiding the heel, your other leg works to free the knee line. Push through onto partner's thigh — not their shin, which gives poor purchase. The thigh gives excellent purchase, and as long as partner doesn't have a deep heel grip yet, you should always be able to push and escape.

Warning: keep hiding the heel as you push. If you turn the wrong way while pushing, you actually move partner's hips closer to the line of your knee — worse than where you started. Bridges land cleaner on your knee. Don't push your way into a tighter trap.

Shallow-heel defense (50/50-specific)

An alternative to hiding the heel: keep it really close to the hips by actively curling it in. Partner tries to dig and can't get good leverage because there's no exposed lever. Often combined with other defenses while you work the locked-down structure.

33. Defense: the heel slip

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The window: before partner's elbow locks fully in. Once locked, you can't slip; the time to act is during their catch.

Target the elbow gap. You can't slip through the forearm (physical block), but you can slip through where the elbow is. Point your toes, drive your foot forward into partner (most people instinctively pull back — wrong), turn, and the heel slides through the elbow gap.

Cues:

Pointing toes hard makes the slip easier.
The more partner's elbow is open, the easier the slip.
Move into partner, not away — this is the most common mistake.
Drive off the ground to slide the foot deeper.

34. Defense: the toe slip

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Rarely taught. The heel slip puts the heel through the elbow gap. The toe slip puts the toes through the gap. Required positioning:

Toes near partner's armpit, not jammed too low.
Back-heel heavy toward partner's hip pretty much constantly, especially while they try to dig.
Use your free (left) foot to push the top of partner's shoulder backward. This creates the space.
Slip the toes through.

Heel slip and toe slip together (50/50-specific)

The two slips work as a pair from 50/50 because each beats a different partner reaction:

Partner grabs the foot to heel hook and twists/rotates outward → opens the elbow → heel slip works easily.
Partner falls more to the side → elbow closes → toe slip is the answer instead.

You need both. The toe slip works in 50/50 (free leg is available to push partner's shoulder) but not in saddle (partner controls the other leg). The heel slip works in both.

When you have toes-near-armpit but no clean slip

From 50/50, you can sit forward and use your hands. The geometry differs from outside Sankaku and saddle, where the feet-across configuration blocks you from closing the gap. From 50/50 you can sit forward and reach.

35. Defense: hand fighting from 50/50

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If partner starts digging the heel from 50/50, hand-fight to kill the bridge. Take away their ability to extend the hips into you.

Focus on the outside arm, not the heel-catching arm.

Bridge against their outside arm. Sometimes lock up something like a renaked-choke grip on the arm and bridge.
This stops them from getting their hips in, because they can't extend through the upper body.
Do not go for the catching hand. If you grab it, partner frees that arm and pulls the heel back into the catch — pull the chest forward, drop the elbow back, "elbow hop," back-false-grip, then pull the elbow behind and turn the knee in. You've made things worse.

Slide in close to partner's outside elbow with your hand, while simultaneously working toe slip or foot fighting with the other leg (push their catching hand clear, take your leg back out, cross feet). The basic sequence: hand fight, foot comes in under the hand, peel it off, get back to good position.

36. Defense: the open-guard rolling escape

1:43:11–1:43:23 · ▶ Watch

Not advised unless partner has a good heel hook but no control of your knee line. Open-guard scenario: partner catches your heel from open legs.

Stack them by coming up into pressure.
With everything open and partner having no knee-line control, you can out-roll how fast they can apply pressure.
Come up, straighten the leg, roll through.

If partner has good leg positioning, this kills your roll and you get badly caught attempting it. Use only when sure.

You can also use stacking less aggressively — drive partner's hips over their head while their elbow is in. While they're trying to extend through, work heel slips.

37. Defense: full summary of the defensive layers

1:43:23–1:45:28 · ▶ Watch

Two big principles, then a hierarchy of techniques.

Big principles

If your knee line is free, you can't be heel hooked — as long as you keep your knee lower than partner's hips, no finish is available.
If your heel is hidden, partner can't dig — they never set up.

Defensive options when heel is exposed

Cross feet in 50/50 (not saddle — gives them your far leg).
Hide the heel continuously: toes pointed, hips out, knee turned in. If partner rolls to chase, keep rolling with them — toes pointed, hip out, everything moves together (not just the foot).
Heel slip if partner is mid-catch: come forward, heel into the elbow gap, transition to hidden-heel position.
Toe slip especially useful from 50/50: kick partner's shoulder back, slip toes through the gap. Easier when the heel is kept close to the hip.

The layers stack. You don't pick one — you flow through them in the order that fits the moment. Hide first; if they catch, slip; if you can't slip, hand-fight to kill the bridge; if all else fails, the rolling escape is there but conditional.

End of Volume 01.

High Percentage Leg Locks — Volume 01: Concepts

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