Straight Ashi
Straight Ashi
Section titled “Straight Ashi”Straight ashi is the most common and accessible leg entanglement, and the foundation of your leg lock game.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Core Mechanics and Concepts
Section titled “Core Mechanics and Concepts”Alignment in straight ashi
Section titled “Alignment in straight ashi”Primary vs secondary leg
Section titled “Primary vs secondary leg”Foot on hip (outside leg)
Section titled “Foot on hip (outside leg)”Inside leg controls
Section titled “Inside leg controls”Hands to the mat
Section titled “Hands to the mat”Controlling their foot
Section titled “Controlling their foot”Keeping their hips high
Section titled “Keeping their hips high”Distance management
Section titled “Distance management”Sub-positions
Section titled “Sub-positions”Straight ashi (SLX)
Section titled “Straight ashi (SLX)”- Outside foot on hip, inside foot on inside
- The default and most common leg entanglement
- Also called “irimi ashi”
Butterfly ashi
Section titled “Butterfly ashi”- Outside foot transitions to inside, inside foot moves to hip
- Works in synergy with straight ashi
- Better angle for certain attacks (aoki lock)
Reverse ashi
Section titled “Reverse ashi”- Inside foot stays on hip when outside foot moves inside
- Subtle variation of butterfly ashi
Getting on Top
Section titled “Getting on Top”Lumberjack sweeps
Section titled “Lumberjack sweeps”Get up sweep (kneeling opponent)
Section titled “Get up sweep (kneeling opponent)”Technical stand up
Section titled “Technical stand up”Transition to X-Guard
Section titled “Transition to X-Guard”Dealing with grips that prevent the get up
Section titled “Dealing with grips that prevent the get up”Straight Ankle Lock
Section titled “Straight Ankle Lock”Anatomy and breaking mechanics
Section titled “Anatomy and breaking mechanics”- Linear submission attacking the ankle
- Causes some pain before damage (safer end of leg locks)
- Legal at all belt levels
- Figure 4 grip
- Elbow grip
- Wind up grip
Finishing positions
Section titled “Finishing positions”- On your side
- Turned in
- Belly down
Winning the leg pummel
Section titled “Winning the leg pummel”Preventing their rotation
Section titled “Preventing their rotation”Straight Ankle Lock Defense
Section titled “Straight Ankle Lock Defense”Methods of defense
Section titled “Methods of defense”Before leg position is established
Section titled “Before leg position is established”Seated SLX defense
Section titled “Seated SLX defense”Butterfly ashi defense
Section titled “Butterfly ashi defense”Belly down defense
Section titled “Belly down defense”Standing defense (SLX and butterfly ashi)
Section titled “Standing defense (SLX and butterfly ashi)”Defending Straight Ashi
Section titled “Defending Straight Ashi”Clearing the knee line
Section titled “Clearing the knee line”Backstep passing
Section titled “Backstep passing”Standing up and out
Section titled “Standing up and out”Preventing the sweep
Section titled “Preventing the sweep”The Reap
Section titled “The Reap”What the reap is
Section titled “What the reap is”- Inside ashi: your legs cross to the inside of their leg
- Creates extreme heel hook danger
- Also called “inside ashi” or “game over”
Why it’s restricted
Section titled “Why it’s restricted”- Not allowed at your belt level in most rule sets
- Extremely dangerous attacking position with minimal escape options
- Legal only at advanced belt levels (brown/black no-gi in IBJJF)
How you’ll stumble into it
Section titled “How you’ll stumble into it”- Overzealous leg pummeling from straight ashi
- Transitioning butterfly ashi and crossing too far
- Your training partner may also accidentally reap you
What to do
Section titled “What to do”- Recognize the position immediately
- Stop and reset if you find yourself there
- Communicate with your training partner
Summary
Section titled “Summary”Coaching Guide
Section titled “Coaching Guide”Common entries and sequences
Section titled “Common entries and sequences”Common problems and cues
Section titled “Common problems and cues”- What you will observe: Students not keeping foot on hip, losing control What to cue: “Foot on hip first, everything else second”
- What you will observe: Students going for submissions without positional control What to cue: “Control the knee and hip before you go for the ankle”
- What you will observe: Students accidentally reaping What to cue: “Check where your feet are. If both feet are inside, you’re reaping. Move your outside foot back to the hip.”
- What you will observe: Students holding a dead straight ankle lock too long What to cue: “If it’s not working after a few seconds, transition. Don’t burn energy on a lost grip.”
Recommended games
Section titled “Recommended games”- Leg Spaghetti (straight ashi start): one attacker, one defender; restart if position changes to anything other than straight ashi / butterfly ashi
- SLX to sweep: start in SLX guard, goal is to sweep to top; defender tries to pass
Resources
Section titled “Resources”Podcasts
Section titled “Podcasts”Ep. 270: The 3 Joint Rule, feat. Jeff Shaw (BJJ Mental Models) Apple Podcasts
Submeta courses
Section titled “Submeta courses”- Straight Ankle Lock, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Single Leg X and X-Guard, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Single Leg X and Butterfly Ashi, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Straight Ankle and Aoki, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Ankle Lock Defense, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
- Outside Ashi, Lachlan Giles (Submeta)
Submeta course notes
Section titled “Submeta course notes”See hubs/admin/submeta-notes/leg-entanglements-courses.md for detailed chapter breakdowns of each referenced course.