The straight ankle lock is the basic BJJ leg lock: the foot is trapped under your armpit and your wrist blade presses the Achilles tendon as you arch back. In Portuguese it is the botinha, the little boot.
- In BJJ: the first leg lock most schools teach, and the entry point to every other leg attack.
- Name: BJJ Heroes gives Achilles lock as the catch wrestling name and ashi-hishigi as the judo name, and says it was never a recognized Kodokan technique.
- History: BJJ Heroes credits Rodrigo Cavaca with the 2010 surge of the botinha in gi competition.
What is a straight ankle lock?
BJJ Heroes defines the lock by the position of the foot: wrapped around the attacker's arm with the top of the foot tucked into the armpit. The Achilles lock name describes the original target, pressure on the Achilles tendon; the botinha, the same page says, is Cavaca's newer version that attacks the top of the foot with a straight ankle lock grip.
The same source notes that Helio Gracie named the ankle lock as his favourite submission in a 1932 newspaper report, long before foot locks became popular in the sport.
How do you do a straight ankle lock correctly?
- Get the leg. From open guard or a failed pass, bring one of their legs between yours and put your outside foot on their hip, the inside leg across their thigh.
- Tuck the foot. Trap their foot under your armpit with the top of the foot against your ribs, as the definition says.
- Set the blade. Lay the bony edge of your wrist across the back of their ankle, on the Achilles tendon, and grab that wrist with your other hand.
- Pinch the knee. Squeeze your knees together on their knee so they cannot turn it out and roll.
- Arch slowly. Lie back, drive your hips forward and arch your back, lifting the wrist into the tendon until they tap.
The common mistake is pulling with the arms while the hips stay still. The finish is a hip movement with the blade set; the arms only hold. Foot locks hurt before they injure, which is why tap early is the rule on both sides.
Is the straight ankle lock legal for white belts?
Under the IBJJF Rules Book's table of illegal moves, the straight foot lock is illegal for children aged 4 to 15 and legal from age 16, adult white belts included.
It is the one leg lock open to white and blue belts. Turning in the direction of the foot that is not under attack while applying it is illegal below adult brown belt.
In judo the IJF Sport and Organisation Rules allow joint locks on the elbow only; a lock on any other joint, such as ashi-garami on the leg, is hansoku-make.
Who made the straight ankle lock popular in competition?
BJJ Heroes records Cavaca winning the 2010 world championship with three straight ankle lock finishes, including the final, after learning the lapel-grip version from Roli Delgado and Max Bishop in Arkansas. For the 50/50 battles that followed, grips and mats are in our BJJ training gear.
Sources
- BJJ Heroes gives Achilles lock, BJJ Heroes
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation
Related terms
Heel hook, Kneebar, Toe hold, 50/50 guard, Open guard, Joint locks.