Article on Leg Attack

[tallgeese]

I stumbled across this interesting article over a pretty varied tactic in BJJ. For those not into it, leg locks are either (on either extreme) the best attacks out there and the single best way around an open guard and should be trained from day one, or (on the other side) rarely if ever done and certainly never before purple. About every camp has a different take and they are usually pretty passionate about it.

Personally, having come to grappling thru MMA, I've seen a couple of pretty horrendous ankle and knee injuries due to them. Now, the academy I'm out of rarely do them and never before purple. Naturally, I've seen no career ending lower leg injuries since I've made the move.

The author is making a pretty good argument for their inclusion. Here it is:

http://www.revolutionbjj.com/news/5-myths-about-leglocks-in-bjj/

If you've gotten thru it, now I'll comment. I, very respectfully, disagree with the gist of the article. A couple of his points are strongly valid. For instance, leg locks are just as executable and no less complex than any other attack.

One problem is their safety. Other submissions you can feel come on. A heel hook is a squirm fest to defend (even in controlled and controlled randori environments) and then an ACL goes. I get that you need to drill them (or at least defend them) if you're competing at purple (IBJJF doesn't allow anything but straight ankles prior to then) but daily use in sparring drastically increases the chance of injury to pretty critical joints.

However, the major problem I see is that to turn everyone loose too early with leg attacks can lead to people not developing their open guard game to the level it can be. It's hard to want to open up at blue and try things if you're partner is falling back on an ankle lock every time you try and you're tapping to keep your bones connected (some blues and about all white belts have control I'd worry about if they were dropping for my ankles) or stepping thru to start knee bars.

So, for survival, you start keeping your closed guard more, thus stunting your growth in that area. Next thing you know, you're straining to hold it, then missing the point of rolling in the first place.

Again, just my opinion. I think there is a great variety of valuable opinion on the matter. This just happens to be mine. However; the article really does present it's material well.

[MasterPain]

i find them too valuable to ignore, but dangerous. I like to threaten with them, but release far before finishing them. I also will just tap instead of try to escape.

I feel safe with them within our happy little family. In other schools, I stay away from leg attacks entirely.

[ps1]

I handle them almost exactly like Master Pain.

I teach them to my students, but I also teach their counters at the same time. The reason is so my students understand how to properly defend them and don't roll around making it worse.

As a brown belt in BJJ, I use them as they come. You learn to take the technique you're given as you progress in the art.

[pama]

The writer of this article is a good friend of mine. I totally agree with all his points. Leg attacks are often overlooked in a lot of bjj schools. Safety is key. As a black belt, in our academy we generally teach students as as their corresponding belt rank would allow them to use the attacks in a competition. The main reason to teach is minimally understand how to defend them.

[bushido_man96]

I didn't vote, as I have no real experience in the BJJ game to realize if what I am saying in regards to them, in learning, training, or executing, would be factual or not.

With that said, I can see the arguments for the article writer, and that tallgeese makes. Therefore, I think meeting in the middle would provide the answer for both:

1. Train these techniques. Do so under very close supervision, and in a very controlled setting, like in some series that would end in a leglock. That way, students get used to seeing them, feeling them, and doing and defending them.

2. Use rules in rolling/sparring to restrict them from certain ranks, unless you plan to spend time on them specifically, to work them out, and there again, make sure to slow it down, and keep everyone in check in the sparring.

Now, like I said, I have no experience in BJJ, so I could be blowing a lot of smoke here, because saying is a lot easier than doing. But I know if it were me, I'd like to be learning everything that I could, and defend everything that I could.

[tallgeese]

The writer of this article is a good friend of mine. I totally agree with all his points. Leg attacks are often overlooked in a lot of bjj schools. Safety is key. As a black belt, in our academy we generally teach students as as their corresponding belt rank would allow them to use the attacks in a competition. The main reason to teach is minimally understand how to defend them.

That's really cool. And I hope that my dislike of leg attacks doesn't come across as an indictment of your friend. In fact, I think his arguments are very intelligently laid out.

I didn't start looking at leg attacks in BJJ till I got my purple. I'd dealt with them in mma, but looking at things thru an entirely BJJ perspective, I and my peers didn't deal with them till purple. Now, my coach will occasionally work them with us so we can defend them, largely due to their use in comps we go to.

I do agree with the above post that working them to what's allowed at your level in competition seems to be a nice middle ground.

[MasterPain]

I don't like to see them at all between two young, low rank people. Those are usually the ones you have to worry about, due to lack of experience and a desire to win.

That desire to win is a real booger.

[Wastelander]

I didn't use them much when I was training in judo because all leg locks were illegal in competition, but I did play with them occasionally in class and now I do so even more since my current dojo has a bit of an eclectic blend of BJJ, JJJ and Aikido and they include leg locks. Personally, I think they are very valuable and should be taught whenever the student is ready for the responsibility of knowing a technique with very little leeway to it, regardless of rank. Personally, I will use them when rolling but I very rarely apply them to completion unless I am rolling with someone who has been working them for a while because people who haven't been working them don't know when to tap.

[ShoriKid]

I'll have to go back and vote now that I've read the article. Biggest thing I agree with is the first point the writer is making. You need to be supervised by folks that have a clue and trust the people you're rolling with. Or that seems to be the first point.

I'm with Pittbull, like that's a surprise, in that I trust our little group. Care and supervision are important. Along with making sure everyone checked their ego at the door so they tap early and often, they can be trained. Tapping quick after you get caught is hard to do though, and I think the writer points that out, when you think you can get out and you can't. I'd say, introduce at least the concept early on, and then work from there.

I locked on a heel hook when training with a guy who used to be in our school during a mixed round and he tried to bash his way out(enough reach difference to hit me before I laid back with the sub). He didn't want to tap and I didn't know how tight it was and two days later he's in at work complaining about his knee being twingey. So, yeah, I've seen the down side too. It's the trust thing that I guess is most important next to good supervision. Just a hair too much ego and someone goes home with a limp, maybe worse. So, if you have a small, closed circle of partners, it's likely a bit safer.

[tallgeese]

Another bit of opinion on the matter:

http://www.graciemag.com/en/2011/12/whens-the-right-time-to-teach-students-leg-attacks/

I now have to go and pull the IBJJF rules. I had heard thru the rumor mill that some leg tactics had been moved around for the 2012 season, I'll have to check againg now.