The Concept of Ashi Garami in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

One of the most meaningful growths of BJJ evolution is the approval of the leg lock submission game. This means the leglock submission game was unfamiliar for numerous years in BJJ. It has since gained acceptance and is considered essential in a competitor's submission techniques. In Japanese, the word Ashi Garami means entangled leg lock . The submission targets the knee by twisting the joint and applying extreme pressure . Its Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques continue to evolve generation after generation, including various positions, counterattacks, self-defense strategies, and much more. 

Ashi Garami is a technique that is executed from the ground. This submission attack is made to hyper-extend one's leg of the opponent to make them submit while their face is towards the ground, their legs around, and one leg around yours.

One of the renowned John Danaher black belts trained under Gracie's guidance taught this position to the fighters of BJJ and MMA. He is one of the best trainers in the modern era by bringing up his students and training them hard to become the world's best athletes. His impressive body of work, intense training, and techniques make him one of the best among the BJJ fighters. His leg lock techniques are so dominant many fighters look up to him in today's BJJ terrain.

The most important thing about these positions is that they provide the attacker complete control and leg isolation. You can do this by firmly setting your outside foot towards the hip. Use your inside knee to block space from the inside position as a support mechanism. This will further control the knee, making sure your opponent's knee line will never pass your knee line. Remember, you must always be glued to your opponent to eliminate any chance of escape.

Ashi Garami is a part of the leg lock entry system. This implies that the different entanglements of the legs you usually hear are variations of ashi garami. Ashi Garami is a part of leg lock techniques that are the standard choice of a BJJ fighter.

It comes under the most dangerous tech queues that are used to target the knee joint by twisting it and hyperextending it from a standard range to make opponents submit out of pain and extreme pressure. That can bring about severe injuries like breaking down the ligaments of the leg, dislocations, and even fractures of the bone if allotted out unexpectedly or with intense pressure.

BJJ techniques shape your abilities to control and submit your opponent while being observant and attentive to your opponent's attack and preventing them from attacking or resisting you. Techniques like Strikes, joint locks, and other damaging submission moves are not allowed in judo competitions. Only arm locks and chokes are allowed to minimize the chance of injury .

Through Ashi Garami, BJJ players can perform various leg locks, such as heel hooks and ankle locks. You can also execute leg attacks from the Ashi Garami position in many ways. The power this position can provide you with regarding control and submissions really cannot be overemphasized.

The kneebar attacks the lower body limbs like the armbar attacks the upper body. Mechanically, it puts a whole lot of pressure on the knee joint with hyperextension, which is against the knee's natural movement that flexes.

Execution:

• Secure your opponent's leg between your legs and place your foot on their hips.
• Adjust your position so your hips are closer to your opposite knee and your shoulders are on the mat.
• Use your hands to control your foot, and now grip me tightly to avoid any escaping move.
• Expand your hips and push opposites, aside from the pressure on the knee joint.
• Maintain control and increase the pressure. This will hyperextend the knee joint.

This is also known as Single Leg X, or guard, where the aim is to hook opposite legs between you and keep your hips under the opponent's body. It is legally used in every competition and by BJJ fighters of every belt. It is the most common position while attacking a straight ankle lock . This position provides control over the opponent's body and the ability to perform a sweep or transition between submissions.

Execution:

• When both of you are in an open guard position, use your leg to hook one of the opponent's legs while keeping your body low and close to theirs.
• Use the other leg to hook behind their knees while your top leg is placed across their ankle.
• Grip their Gi sleeves while pulling them towards you. This will help to keep them in control and give them a limited chance to escape.
• You can get into different transitions for better control and set up various leg locks.

The heel hooks are widely regarded as the king of submissions from the Ashi Garami. They are efficient BJJ submissions and are considered among the most destructive moves.

Execution:

• You can gain control over your opponent's heel by moving your body. Extend your hand to catch their heel. The grip must be solid and tight.
• Place your forearm against the ankle to stabilize the control.
• Rotate and pull the hell towards you. This will create pressure on the thel and the ankle joint.
• The positioning of the leg and body is essential for applying pressure.
• Keep on applying the pressure slowly and keep control to avoid injury.
• Ashi gourami can be performed from several positions. Different position techniques are applied, requiring different grips and transitions from one position to another.

It is another dangerous submission move from Ashi Garami. This submission can be used by experienced BJJ fighters who have brown belts and are familiar with higher-level competitors.

Execution:

• Use your hand to maintain a firm grip on the opponent's toes. Hook your opponent's toes with your arm.
• Your arm must be placed under the opponent's foot.
• Use your forearm to maintain the grip and push your Achilles tendon while pulling your toes to create pressure on the ankle and foot.
• Keep the position tight to prevent the opponent from escaping and making any counterattack, and keep pressure on their feet and ankles to make them submit.

Ashi Garami can be performed from several positions. Different position techniques are applied, requiring different grips and transitions from one position to another.

It is also called Deeper Ashi Garami or Inside Senkaku . In this technique, you profoundly and intensely entangle the opponent's leg to hook along with the leg and foot for immersive control, with a heightened chance of submission opportunities.

Outside ashi garami can be done from inside positions, like inside senkaku and ashi garami. From inside, the leg is entangled with the outside, accessible by wrapping the leg around the opponent's body from the outside.

Execution:

• Hook his leg, and with the control of the body, bring your shin closer to his hip, where you will manage the control.
• Create a deep entanglement in which you control their log, making it hard to get out.
• Change your positioning of the legs, hips, and body weight to keep control.
• Keep your body close to the opponent so that you can avoid unbalancing.
• Isolate their legs to unbalance and sweep the opponent.
• You can also apply various transitions to submit a leg lock and transition into a more dominant position to assume control.

This is a variant form of Ashi Garami when both players are entirely stuck in the same position of the leg in such a way that this leads to a standstill position. In this 'locking of legs,' one player has a trapped leg and the other a free one, placing them in a 50/50 guard position.

Execution:

• Get into an open guard position, which will help you trap the opponent's leg while they are trying to control your leg.
• Both players will end up with the same leg entanglement, and each will control the other's leg.
• To maintain balance and control, the opponent focuses on controlling body position.
• Use body weight to control and maintain an adjustable position.
• Then, force is applied against the opponent to make them submit.
• Depending on your opponent's movement, this position can lead to various sweeps or submissions.

The position involves separating the opponent's leg from the outside to maintain control over their order and retain control over their knee or thigh with your shin. Outside Ashi Garami can be executed from various angles.

Execution:

• Begin in an open guard position. Grab the opponent's leg from outside while you make a loop with your legs on his hips.
• Control your body movement by Keeping your opponent in a tight lock.
• You are shifting your body weight to counterbalance and maintain control of the position.
• Keep your body weight balanced and close to the entangled leg to prevent them from moving.
• For a more dominant position against an opponent, go for various transitions, such as the heel hook or knee bar, which can be applied while pressing.

This setup does allow some of the submission moves to be performed to maintain more control. 411 is based on a concept whereby four means leg entanglement and one means control of your opponent's leg.

Execution:

• Ashi Garami is the position used at the start to control effortlessly and entanglement the opponent's leg with the hook.
• Put your foot close to the far side leg.
• Realign your body to an ideal position so your hand can reach your foot and ankle at an optimal angle.
• Strengthen up and wrap your leg around their leg, using your foot to press on their hips toward the desired angle.
• 411 lock loops around the back of their knee or thigh.

Apply leverage and balance effectively to sweep and submit. Conceptually place yourself in positions that maximize your control while minimizing the possibility of their escape.

Constant practice in the forms and applications of Ashi Garami will grow muscle memory and execution. Repeatedly practicing such positions will develop an individual's ability to apply them well in live sparring.

Specifically, an opponent's leg must be firmly held, and one must make the most of his advantageous body weight. Several factors may considerably affect an individual's ability to trap his opponent.

Be prepared with counter ideas and have the expected counters at hand. Then, you can generally manage to predict these kinds of reactions and respond appropriately to them. 

The distance here is a huge aspect and needs to be worked with care: trying not to give your opponent an effective counter to your technique coming into Ashi Garami. Reasonable distance affords the possibility not only of precision in execution but also of control.

Ashi Garami represents an advanced approach in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to move one's skill set with the leg forward in controlling and submitting an opponent. Therefore, once Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques evolved, obeying the leg lock method became required; in such scenarios, Ashi Garami would be essential to establish. The method features absolute control and isolation, ensuring the effectiveness of submission by heel hooks, kneebars, or toe holds.

The base features of the Ashi Garami position and its several entry variations all speak to its adaptability and effectiveness in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition. Athletes can leverage this technique for substantial strategic gains and victories when properly applied.

Ashi Garami's position can be applied from heel hook, kneebar, and toe hold submissions. These techniques apply pressure on the joints in the opponent's leg by twisting and bending them to force submission or injury if proper defense is used effectively.

In most BJJ competitions, Ashi Garami is almost always permitted and fully used at every belt level. However, specific competition rules can vary from one to another, so it's crucial to be aware of the laws of any particular tournament that one participates in so that one will comply with all the restrictions that come up.