Ashi Garami

Last updated: May 26, 2026

What is ashi garami?

Ashi garami (足緘) describes a category of positions, not a single one. The Japanese word combines ashi (leg) and garami (entanglement, wrapping), and any position where a grappler wraps both of their own legs around one of their opponent’s legs falls under the umbrella.

The term comes from judo, where it was originally a specific knee-twisting submission listed among the 29 grappling techniques of the Kodokan, according to The Canon of Judo by Kyuzo Mifune. In Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling, the meaning has broadened. Today, ashi garami describes any leg entanglement used to isolate an opponent’s leg and threaten attacks on the foot, ankle, or knee.

The point of the position is control. Once one of the opponent’s legs is wrapped between both of the attacker’s legs, the opponent cannot stand up cleanly, cannot easily turn, and cannot drive forward without giving up an angle. From there, the attacker hunts for submissions such as the straight ankle lock, hook/" data-glossary-id="4052">heel hook, toe hold, or kneebar.

How ashi garami works

Every ashi garami variation relies on the same idea: three points of control on the opponent’s leg. The attacker controls the hip, the area above the knee, and the foot or ankle. With all three locked down, the trapped leg has nowhere to go.

The mechanics usually look like this. One of the attacker’s feet is pressed against the opponent’s hip to manage distance. The other leg threads underneath the trapped leg so that the knee folds back on top, just above the opponent’s knee line. Together, the two legs form a triangular wedge around the opponent’s thigh and shin.

That wedge does two things at once. It immobilises the leg, and it gives the attacker a stable platform to apply rotational force on the foot or ankle. Without that platform, leg-lock submissions tend to slip.

Inside vs outside ashi garami

The two main categories are inside and outside ashi garami, named for where the opponent’s foot ends up.

In outside ashi garami, the opponent’s foot sits against the attacker’s outside hip, and the attacker’s legs triangle around the trapped leg from outside the opponent’s body line. This is the most common starting point for the straight ankle lock and is legal at white belt under IBJJF rules.

In inside ashi garami, the opponent’s foot is on the attacker’s inside hip, and the trapped leg crosses the centreline. The position gives the attacker tighter control and more aggressive submission options, including the inside heel hook, but it also involves knee reaping, which restricts it to higher belts under IBJJF rules.

Common ashi garami variations

Beyond the inside-versus-outside split, several specific positions are named within the ashi garami family.

Variation	Other names	Defining feature
Straight (irimi) ashi garami	Single leg X (when opponent is standing)	The most common entry point; primary attack is the straight ankle lock
Cross ashi garami	Saddle, 411, honey hole, inside sankaku	Highest submission percentages; primary attack is the inside heel hook
Outside ashi	Double outside ashi	Outside entanglement, often used for outside heel hooks
50/50	(none)	Both grapplers in mirrored ashi garami on each other
Reverse ashi	Top side ashi, ushiro ashi	Less common, used to attack the foot from a reversed angle

The list is not exhaustive. Coaches and academies sometimes use different names for the same position, which is part of why the broader term ashi garami has stuck.

Ashi garami vs single leg X

This is the comparison that confuses newer grapplers the most. The leg configurations are nearly identical, and the two terms are often used interchangeably.

The practical distinction comes down to the opponent’s posture. Single leg X usually describes the position when the opponent is still standing or posting on a knee, and the attacker is using the entanglement to off-balance them and sweep. Straight ashi garami usually describes the same leg configuration once the opponent has been brought to the ground and the attacker is attacking the foot.

Same legs, different moment in the sequence. Most coaches treat them as one continuous position rather than two separate techniques.

Where ashi garami comes from

The technique started in judo. According to the Wikipedia entries on ashi garami and on the history of judo, Jigoro Kano included it in the Kodokan curriculum in the late nineteenth century. It was officially banned from competitive judo in 1916, when additional restrictions on joint techniques were brought in alongside prohibitions on neck locks and trunk strangles. A 1925 update reinforced the ban. The position remains one of the four kinshi-waza (forbidden techniques) in modern judo competition.

For decades after the judo ban, ashi garami sat at the margins of grappling. The technique survived in other arts that kept leg attacks alive, including wrestling/" data-glossary-id="4129">catch wrestling, sambo, and eventually Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It stayed niche until the 2010s, when coach John Danaher and his team of competitors, including Eddie Cummings, Garry Tonon, and Gordon Ryan, built an entire leg-lock system around it. Their success in no-gi competition pushed ashi garami into the mainstream.

The IBJJF, which governs the largest BJJ tournament circuit, legalised heel hooks and knee reaping for adult brown and black belts in no-gi competition in 2021, opening up more of the ashi garami family at the highest levels of the gi-affiliated grappling world. Lower belts and gi competition remain restricted.

In MMA, where leg locks have always been legal, ashi garami appears regularly. Fighters with strong submission grappling backgrounds use it to threaten heel hooks, ankle locks, and kneebars in the cage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ashi garami mean?

The Japanese term ashi garami (足緘) translates as “leg entanglement.” It describes any position where a grappler wraps both of their legs around one of the opponent’s legs to control it.

Is ashi garami the same as single leg X?

They share the same leg configuration. Single leg X usually refers to the position with the opponent standing, while straight ashi garami usually refers to the same position with the opponent on the ground.

Why was ashi garami banned in judo?

Judo restricted the technique in 1916 after a series of competition injuries to the knee. The Kodokan classified it as kinshi-waza, a forbidden technique, to reduce injury risk in shiai (competition).

Is ashi garami legal in BJJ?

The position itself is legal at all belts. The submissions available from it are restricted. Under IBJJF rules, straight ankle locks from outside ashi garami are legal at white belt, while heel hooks and knee reaping are limited to brown and black belt in no-gi competition.

What submissions come from ashi garami?

The most common are the straight ankle lock, inside and outside heel hooks, toe hold, and kneebar. The specific submission available depends on which variation of ashi garami the attacker has entered.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “Ashi garami.” Accessed May 2026.
2. Wikipedia. “History of judo.” Accessed May 2026.
3. Mifune, Kyuzo. The Canon of Judo. Kodansha International, 2004.
4. Evolve MMA. “Basic Ashi Garami Positions Explained.” Accessed May 2026.
5. BJJ World. “John Danaher’s Ashi Garami System Of Leg Locks.” Accessed May 2026.
6. Digitsu. “Ashi Garami Explained.” Accessed May 2026.
7. FloGrappling. “The New IBJJF Rules For Heel Hooks And Leg Reaping in 2021.” Accessed May 2026.
8. Golden Jiu Jitsu. “Leg Locks.” Accessed May 2026.

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