Heel Hook

The heel hook is one of the most dangerous and effective leg locks in modern grappling, targeting the knee ligaments and twisting the foot. By controlling the heel and applying rotational force, the attacker threatens severe joint damage, forcing a tap.

Execution requires precise control of the opponent’s leg and hips to prevent escapes and maximize leverage. Its high-risk nature typically restricts it to advanced practitioners and no-gi competitions.

Heel hooks are central to modern leg-lock systems, allowing grapplers to chain attacks and dominate positional control in organizations like ADCC and EBI.