Calf Crusher

The calf crusher is a compression leg lock that attacks the calf muscle while indirectly stressing the knee joint. The attacker traps the opponent’s leg between their own legs or against their forearm and applies pressure, compressing the soft tissue and creating a highly uncomfortable, potentially damaging position.

It can be applied from multiple positions, including guard, half guard, and top control, which makes it versatile for both offensive and countering strategies. Precision and angle are critical: a poorly applied calf crusher can allow the opponent to roll out or counter, but a correctly executed one can be nearly impossible to defend.

Advanced practitioners use the calf crusher not only as a submission but also as a control tool to immobilize the opponent while setting up transitions to knee bars, toe holds, or positional dominance. Its rise in modern no-gi competition reflects the evolution toward leg entanglements in high-level grappling.