The ankle lock is a BJJ submission where you extend your opponent’s ankle joint.

It’s often the first leg lock that you’ll learn as a white belt or blue belt.

Even though it’s a simple technique, it can be a dangerous part of your game as a guard player.

When I’m in seated guard, I’ll go shin-on-shin into single leg x (or “ashi garami” if you prefer Japanese jiu-jitsu terminology), sweep the top player, and then go for an ankle lock. This is one of my best attacks.

In this article, I’ll break down how to set up and finish the ankle lock.

Ankle Lock For Beginners: Table Of Contents

• How To Do An Ankle Lock
• 3 Tips To Make Your Ankle Lock Unstoppable
• How To Defend The Ankle Lock
• Ankle Lock: Takeaway Thoughts & Discussion

How To Do An Ankle Lock: 5 Steps To Get The Tap

The ankle lock — often referred to as the “straight ankle lock” — can be done in both gi and no-gi.

But it’s more effective in no-gi because your opponent cannot grab your gi to defend it.

Here’s how I set up the ankle lock after sweeping them from single-leg X guard / ashi garami.

Step 1: Wrap The Ankle

Initiate your ankle lock by wrapping up their ankle.

Think about getting a guillotine. But instead of around their head, you’re grabbing around their foot.

This control will help immobilize their foot so you can establish more control over their leg.

Step 2: Establish Single Leg X

Solidify your control over their leg by establishing your single-leg X guard.

Make sure your bottom ankle is close to your knee to lock their leg up tight.

You can do the ankle lock from other leg control positions, but this works most seamlessly, especially if you sweep them from single-leg X.

TIP: At this point, you simultaneously want to shift your lat muscle around the foot. Think about preventing your opponent from flexing their toes towards themselves.

Step 3: Figure Four Grip

To make your control around the ankle joint even stronger, get a figure-four grip on their lower leg.

Imagine you’re doing a kimura, but instead of on their arm, you’re grabbing their tibia.

Use this configuration to push their leg away from you, which will make it harder for them to move it.

Step 4: Nose To Knee

Bring your head down to your nose.

This will prevent them from sitting up and defending the ankle lock.

And it will prepare you for a super strong extension and finish.

Step 5: Extend & Finish

Finish the ankle lock by extending their ankle.

You’ll put immense pressure on their ankle joint by looking behind you.

Make it even stronger by pushing their tibia away while you extend the ankle.

3 Tips To Make Your Ankle Lock Unstoppable

Follow these tips, and you’ll minimize the chance your opponent can escape and maximize the chance you’ll tap them out.

1. Control The Leg

Position before submission!

For ankle locks, that means having strong control over their leg you’re attacking before you go for the finish. 

Once you wrap up that foot, forget about the ankle lock for a second.

Put your focus on establishing complete control over their leg.

That’s why I like the single-leg X guard position here.

It offers control and movement over their leg so you can attack with the ankle lock.

With proper control over their leg, they’ll struggle to turn out of the ankle lock or come in towards you to grip and stand up.

You’ll use your guard like you’re supposed to use it: to manage distance.

2. Use Your Lat

The simplest way to defend the ankle lock is to dorsiflex: to pull your toes towards you.

So, don’t let your opponent do that!

This is where your lat comes into play.

Ankle lock pros bring their lats backward onto their opponent’s toes.

(Remember that rhyme.)

They’ll use their lat muscles to prevent their opponent from flexing their toes.

And then, it will be much easier to extend the ankle and get the tap.

When you’re going for the ankle lock, make sure your opponent cannot flex their toes. Use your lat to accomplish this.

3. Specifically Train The Ankle Lock

If you want to get better at the armbar, you have to practice the ankle lock.

Here’s a challenge for you: in your next class, make it your focus during each roll to hit the ankle lock.

Trying to hit specific moves during sparring is called “specific training” — and it’s how Gordon Ryan masters submissions.

Then, after class, write down in your BJJ journal…

• What worked (example: “During one roll, I got into single leg X, swept the top player, and finished with the ankle lock.” )
• What didn’t work (example: “During another roll, I got into the ankle lock position, but the top player was able to shove their foot in and stand up.”)
• Questions or notes for next class (example: “Ask coach what to do if my training partner puts their foot inwards and I can’t extend their ankle.”)

Ask your training partners if you can start from single-leg X guard. This will make hunting for the ankle lock much easier.

Do this for 4 weeks, and I guarantee you’ll get much better at the ankle lock.

NOTE: I teach this specific training and journaling process in my BJJ Journal Of Champions Course.

How To Defend The Ankle Lock

Here are three tips to prevent, defend, and escape the ankle lock.

1. Prevent Them From Controlling Your Leg

If they’re going to attack the ankle lock, they need firm control over your ankle and leg.

Don’t let them!

As soon as they start to go for grips on your leg, strip their grips away with your hands.

Use your other foot to prevent them from gripping you.

If you’re in the gi, grab their gi jacket and pull them towards you to prevent them from extending your ankle.

All of these tactics will prevent them from gaining control over your ankle and leg.

And it will help you in the next stage of your ankle lock defense.

2. Put On The Boot

As I mentioned earlier, the easiest way to defend the ankle lock is to flex your toes towards you.

And this is much easier when you can stick your leg further through the attacking player’s armpit.

Imagine their control over your foot is a boot. You want to “put on the boot.”

By sticking your leg further in “the boot,” you’ll gain more control over your ankle.

It will be easier for you to flex your toes and prevent them from extending your ankle joint.

To make this easier, grab their gi jacket. Pull them towards you as you put on the boot.

If you’re in no-gi, you want to focus on their legs. Strip their feet off you, so you can move closer towards them and put on the boot.

3. Just Stand Up

Once you’ve put on the boot, you’ll have more movement with your leg.

From here, I like to bring my hips towards the attacking player and start to build up my base.

And then, I’ll look to stand up.

From here, they’ll fall back into some type of supine guard.

But now that I’m on top, I’ll strip their legs away and get on top of them.

If they don’t have good control over your ankle, move toward them and stand up!

You’ll be in a much more dominant position.

Their ankle lock opportunities will be gone if you can stand on the foot they’re attacking.

Ankle Lock: Takeaway Thoughts & Discussion

If you’re a beginner to BJJ, the ankle lock is an awesome first leg lock to learn.

It’s both easier and safer than other leg locks like the knee bar or heel hook.

And it will teach you a lot about controlling your opponent’s lower body.

What is YOUR favorite way to set up the ankle lock?

Let me know in the comments below.

And if you hit this ankle lock technique in class this week, make sure to let me know!

Happy rolling. 🤙

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Tsavo Neal

Tsavo is the founder of BJJ Equipment, author of BJJ For Beginners, creator of the BJJ Missions app, and a brown belt instructor at InFighting. He launched BJJ Equipment to help grapplers at every belt level train smarter, make faster progress, and find the best gear for their game.