As people get better with their leg control and transitions, it is becoming harder than ever to escape. Once you think you are free, people quickly switch to another form of control. In situations like this your only hope is to look for a submission of your own.

One of my favorite ankle lock counters is the knee compression. What I love about this counter is that it’s fairly simply to get into the finishing position and can be used sometimes to make the opening you need to escape. In the video below David Avellan explains how to apply the knee compression when your opponent is trying to straight ankle lock you.

The key to successfully finishing this submission is to pull your chest to their knee. Pulling your chest to their knee helps push your opponent’s foot towards their own butt. The closer the foot is to the butt the tighter the compression. A tight compression means that you will need to bridge your hips less which will lead to a faster tap. If you are able to get into this position but are not getting a tap, chances are your chest is not close enough to your opponent’s chest.

If you are finding yourself not being able to escape the clamp or ashi garami position I would suggest playing around with this knee compression. It’s an easy set up that can either lead to a submission or a quick escape from a dangerous position. If you are interested in learning more about this set up and some of the other leg lock fun fill out this contact form to connect with me.