4/11 Position

Last updated: May 25, 2026

What is the 4/11 position?

The 4/11 is one of the most dominant control positions in the leg-attack system of modern grappling. Both of the attacker’s legs sit between the opponent’s legs, with one leg crossing over the opponent’s thigh and the other threading underneath it. This forms a closed triangle around a single leg, often called the “primary leg” by leg lockers. The attacker’s knee stays tight to the opponent’s hip fold, which limits the opponent’s ability to rotate, escape, or counter.

What makes the position so powerful is the level of control it provides. Outside leg entanglements give the opponent more freedom to spin or counter-attack. The 4/11 does not. It isolates the attacked leg, denies the opponent useful angles, and keeps the attacker’s upper body out of reach. Coaches often describe the 4/11 as the “back mount” of the leg-locking world. The comparison points to a clear hierarchy: just as back control is considered the strongest position for attacking the upper body, the 4/11 plays that role for the legs.

Where the name 4/11 comes from

The name describes what the position looks like from above. When the attacker locks the position properly, their own legs form the rough outline of a number 4, with one leg bent across the opponent’s thigh and the other tucked underneath. The opponent’s two legs, stretched out in front of them, line up to look like the digits “11.” Side by side, the two shapes spell out “4-11.” Other writing forms include 411, 4-11, and four-eleven, all of which refer to the same position.

Other names for the 4/11 position

Across grappling lineages, the 4/11 has picked up several names. Each comes from a different tradition, but all refer to the same leg configuration.

Name	Where it comes from
Saddle	Common in catch wrestling and traditional submission grappling
Honey hole	The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu term, coined by Eddie Bravo
Inside sankaku	Japanese for “inside triangle”; used in classical judo and BJJ
Cross ashi garami	The formal Japanese name; “ashi garami” means “leg entanglement”
Top rock	Used by some 10th Planet practitioners
4/11	A visual description of the leg shape; common in the Danaher-era leg-lock scene

The flood of synonyms confuses newer grapplers. In practice, most coaches pick one term and use it consistently; in no-gi circles, the two that dominate are honey hole and 4/11.

How the 4/11 controls the leg

Control is what makes the 4/11 dangerous. With both of the attacker’s legs threaded between the opponent’s, the trapped thigh has nowhere to rotate, and the opponent’s far leg is partly pinned across the attacker’s body.

The triangle formed by the attacker’s legs clamps down on the opponent’s thigh just above the knee. Without freedom in the hip and knee, the opponent cannot effectively turn, sit up, or strip grips.

The position also denies the opponent something they have in most other leg locks: a clear path back to the attacker’s upper body. From outside ashi garami or 50/50, an opponent can sometimes counter-attack with their own leg locks or sit up and posture. From the 4/11, that path is closed off. The attacker’s torso stays out of reach, while the opponent’s trapped leg is open to every standard leg-lock finish.

Submissions available from the 4/11

From the 4/11, the attacker can finish with nearly every major leg lock in grappling. The position opens up a full menu of finishes targeting the ankle, knee, and foot of the trapped leg.

Submission	Target	Notes
Inside heel hook	Knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, meniscus)	The primary attack from this position
Toe hold	Ankle and small bones of the foot	A high-percentage backup when the heel slips
Kneebar	Knee joint (hyperextension)	Often available when the opponent tries to slip the hip
Straight ankle lock	Achilles tendon and ankle	Available on the secondary leg when the opponent extends
Estima lock	Foot and ankle (compression)	A less common finish but effective from this control

According to Stephan Kesting at Grapplearts, the inside heel hook is the most dangerous attack from the 4/11 because the position twists the knee at a worse angle than a regular heel hook.

4/11 vs. 50/50

Newer grapplers regularly confuse the 4/11 with the 50/50. Both are leg entanglements. Both lead to similar submissions. The difference comes down to who has the advantage.

In the 50/50, both grapplers are in the same position. Their inside legs are crossed at the same level, and either side has the same submission options. It is a neutral or even position. As MiddleEasy notes, this symmetry is what gives the position its name.

In the 4/11, the attacker is inside, and the opponent is outside. The attacker has dominant control, and the opponent has no counter-attack of equal value. There is no symmetry.

Feature	4/11	50/50
Position type	Asymmetric (one grappler dominates)	Symmetric (both grapplers in same position)
Attacker control	Dominant	Equal/neutral
Counter-attack risk to attacker	Low	High
Primary submission	Inside heel hook	Inside heel hook (available to both)
Common at lower IBJJF belts	Less common (reaping risk)	Yes

Legality in competition

Legality varies by ruleset and belt level. Under IBJJF rules, the position itself can be held by all belts, but the most common submission from it, the inside heel hook, was illegal across most divisions until a major rule change. As MiddleEasy reports, the IBJJF began permitting heel hooks for brown and black belts in no-gi competition starting in 2021. The same change also permitted reaping at those belt levels, which matters because entries into the 4/11 often involve a reaping action.

Submission-only and pro grappling events like ADCC and EBI generally allow the 4/11 and all of its submissions at every level. This is one reason the position became central to modern no-gi grappling: rulesets outside the IBJJF rewarded its use.

Notable practitioners

Several grapplers helped bring the 4/11 to the forefront of modern competition.

John Danaher built a leg-lock system around the position in the mid-2010s. His training group, often called the “Danaher Death Squad,” included Eddie Cummings (who became known for his inside heel hooks from the 4/11), along with Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon. Their wins at ADCC and EBI made the position impossible to ignore.

Outside of the DDS lineage, Australian coach Lachlan Giles built a parallel leg-lock system also centered on the 4/11. Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu used the position under the name “honey hole” years before the Danaher system made it widely known in mainstream BJJ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called the 4/11?

The name describes the shape the position makes when seen from above. The attacker’s bent leg looks like a “4,” and the opponent’s two straight legs look like “11,” giving the position its visual nickname.

Is the 4/11 the same as the honey hole?

Yes. The honey hole is the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu name for the 4/11. Both names describe the same leg entanglement, in which the attacker locks a triangle around one of the opponent’s legs from the inside.

Is the 4/11 position legal in BJJ?

The position itself can be held under most rulesets, but the inside heel hook, which is its primary submission, is restricted by belt level in IBJJF events. Submission-only events generally allow it at all levels.

What is the difference between the 4/11 and the saddle?

There is none. “Saddle” is the older catch-wrestling name for the position, and “4/11” is the more modern visual nickname. The terms are used interchangeably.

Who invented the 4/11 position?

No single person invented it. The position has existed in catch wrestling, sambo, and judo for decades under different names. John Danaher and his team made it a defining feature of modern BJJ in the 2010s.

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Sources

1. Evolve MMA. “Ultimate Guide To The Inside Sankaku/411 In BJJ.” Accessed May 2026.
2. Evolve MMA. “How To Get Into The Saddle Position In BJJ.” Accessed May 2026.
3. MiddleEasy. “The Best Fundamental Leg Lock Positions In BJJ.” Accessed May 2026.
4. BJJ Universe. “BJJ Leg Locks Essentials Guide.” Accessed May 2026.
5. Grapplearts (Stephan Kesting). “411 Position.” Accessed May 2026.
6. BJJ-World. “Leg Locks 101: A Guide to Positions, Submissions, Dangers, And Rules.” Accessed May 2026.

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