Hooks In

Last updated: May 31, 2026

What are hooks in back control?

When a grappler takes an opponent’s back, two things hold them in place. The arms control the upper body, and the legs control the hips. Those legs are the hooks: each foot slides inside the opponent’s matching thigh, heel, and instep, pressing against the inner leg so the attacker’s lower body rides along with every move the opponent makes.

Hooks are most often seen in back control, where their one job is to shut down the escape. Strip them off, and the opponent just turns to face the attacker. Keep both in, and the picture flips: a hard roll or a desperate bridge only drags the attacker along for the ride instead of breaking anything.

Hooks are only one of three parts of a secure back. The seatbelt grip controls the upper body across the chest, chest-to-back contact removes space, and the hooks control the hips. Newer fans often mix up the hooks and the seatbelt, so it helps to keep it simple: the seatbelt is arms, the hooks are legs.

How hooks work

A hook is active, not a resting place for the foot. The heel presses inward toward the opponent’s centerline while the foot stays tucked inside the thigh, keeping constant inward tension rather than just hanging there. When the opponent rolls or bridges, that tension lets the attacker travel with them.

Most of the time, both hooks go in, which gives the most control and, in sport jiu-jitsu, scores points. A single hook still works. Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu notes that one hook paired with strong chest-to-back pressure is an effective way to limit an opponent’s escape while the second hook is recovered.

Why crossing your feet does not count as hooks

The single most repeated rule about hooks is to never cross your feet behind the opponent. Crossing the ankles feels secure, the way a guard/" data-glossary-id="4533">closed guard does. The problem is that it turns the attacker’s own legs into a target: the opponent traps the crossed feet and cranks a straight ankle lock, finishing the person who supposedly holds the dominant position. Grappling coach Stephan Kesting of Grapplearts describes the result as a painful leglock from an Achilles crush or foot hyperextension.

There is a scoring reason too. Under IBJJF rules, crossed feet do not count as hooks, so the attacker earns no back control points until the feet are properly inside the thighs. Crossed ankles usually mean someone has confused locking their legs together with hooking them in.

Hooks vs the body triangle

The most common alternative to double hooks is the body triangle, and the two get mixed up often. Instead of two independent hooks, the body triangle locks one leg across the front of the opponent’s torso and traps that foot behind the other knee, forming a figure-four around the waist.

	Double hooks	Body triangle
Lower-body control	Two feet inside the thighs	Figure-four locked around the torso
Escape difficulty	One hook can be stripped	Much harder, both legs locked together
IBJJF points	Counts for back control	Often scores nothing on its own
Main risk	Hooks can be cleared	A bad angle exposes a knee or ankle

Multiple-time ADCC champion Gordon Ryan favours the body triangle because once it is locked, he can focus on attacking instead of managing two separate hooks. The trade-off is flexibility. The triangle asks for more hip mobility, and clamping it at the wrong angle can hand the opponent a leg attack of their own.

Hooks in MMA vs sport jiu-jitsu

The term shows up in two slightly different worlds. In sport jiu-jitsu, getting both hooks in while controlling the back is worth 4 points under IBJJF rules, the highest positional score in the sport (shared with the mount). That is why commentators shout “both hooks in” the moment it lands.

In MMA, the hooks do the same job for a different payoff. Pinning the hips keeps the opponent stuck, so the attacker can strike from behind or hunt the rear naked choke, the most reliable finish from the back. The mechanics are identical; only the reward changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “both hooks in” mean?

It means the attacker has slid both feet inside the opponent’s thighs from behind, the most controlling version of the position. In sport jiu-jitsu, it also meets the requirement to score back control points.

Are hooks and the seatbelt the same thing?

No. Hooks are the legs controlling the hips. The seatbelt is the arms controlling the upper body, one over the shoulder and one under the armpit. A secure back uses both at once.

Why can’t I just cross my ankles?

Crossed ankles hand the opponent a straight ankle lock and do not count as hooks under IBJJF rules. Keep each foot hooked inside its own thigh instead.

Do you need both hooks to keep the back?

Not always. One hook with strong chest-to-back pressure can hold the position, though two hooks give more control and the points in competition.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “Hooks (grappling).” Accessed May 2026.
2. Wikipedia. “Back mount.” Accessed May 2026.
3. Renzo Gracie and John Danaher. Mastering Jujitsu. Human Kinetics, 2003.
4. Stephan Kesting. “Rear Mount: Crossing your Feet.” Grapplearts. Accessed May 2026.
5. International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). Rule Book. Accessed May 2026.
6. Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu. “Level Up Your BJJ Back Mount Game.” Accessed May 2026.

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