For a long time, attacking your opponent with a foot lock in competition was considered unsportsmanlike. In training, the partner who went for one was practically sentenced to death. I believe it’s because of the culture that grew out of this that few people use leg attacks.
The fact is that these attacks are effective, and the submission I’m showing today is rarely used and can be done from white belt.
In this article I show a few details for an effective straight ankle lock, better known in Brazil as the “Botinha” (“little boot”). In the video lesson I show a very basic situation, but the details apply to more advanced movements too, though that’s a topic for another video lesson.
Let’s get into the details?
Video lesson – Straight ankle lock - Botinha
Catching the foot
The first step in this movement is to wrap your opponent’s ankle well. In this video lesson I show it gripping my own lapel, but the movement can also be done without grips, using only the help of the other arm.
Avoiding disqualification
Whenever I go for a straight ankle lock, I need to fall to my side on the mat, which gives me more leverage to submit my opponent.
But which side should I fall to?
What you need to look at is which of your opponent’s legs you’re wrapping, and that determines which side you should fall to. Under the CBJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation) rules, I can only fall to the same side as my opponent’s leg. If I fall to the opposite side, the referee will stop the match and I’ll be disqualified.
Squeezing the knees
As I lie down on the mat, I need to keep applying pressure with my knees, locking my opponent’s leg.
Once I’m on my side, it’s important to tighten it even more by squeezing my knees together, which makes it harder for them to come up and defend the attack.
Turning the thumb up
To be successful with the straight ankle lock, the position of my thumb is very important. It may seem silly, but when I turn my thumb up, the radius (a forearm bone) presses into my opponent’s tendon, which increases the chances of making them tap even more.
Lifting the elbow off the mat
The last detail to check is whether my elbow is on the mat. To get the right leverage, I need to lift my elbow off the mat. That way I can arch my back, get more leverage and finish my opponent with the “botinha”.
Questions
So, did you already know all these details?
I hope this helped, and see you in the next lesson!
OSSSS
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