Today we are reviewing the inverted heel hook (legs on the outside) and a few tips to control and finish the submission.

A standard heel hook has the foot on the outside with the opponent’s knee pointed inwards toward the ground. The inverted heel hook is just as the name states. It has the leg that is being attacked on the opposite side of the hip and the knee is pointed upwards. It can be applied from the 50/50 guard and the leg drag just to name a few.

Below you will see Bas Rutten showing standard heel hook positioning and inverted heel hook positioning.

First tip is arm placement. People unfamiliar with leg locks will make the mistake of hooking the heel with the crook of the arm where the forearm and bicep meet. The problem here is that many times it can slip out especially in no gi. Notice here Dean Lister is using his forearm and wrist to hook the heel while clasping hands together. This provides a tighter lock on the heel and provides less slippage when applying the finish.

Second tip is how to use your legs when they are positioned on the outside. A lot of times people finish the heel hook by triangling the legs. The problem with this is the person can roll out of position and kick out. A great way to prevent this escape is to fully extend the legs that are scissoring together to lock the opponents hips down. Here you can see Ryan Hall locking down the hips with this extension.

Third tip to finish the inverted heel hook is using your legs to open the persons knee by turning your leg outwards to expose the heel. Pull your arm with this rotation to ensure you get the opening. Rotate your body the opposite direction of your legs to catch the heel and finish your inverted heel hook. Rener Gracie applying this movement below.

These are just a few tips for the inverted heel hook. Next time we will look at entries and different leg positioning (legs on the inside). Do you have any tips yourself? If so, let us know!