The Aoki lock is a variation of the straight ankle lock that is often found in BJJ and grappling. The submission is named after Shinya Aoki who popularised the move after successfully hitting it on a number of opponent’s. This was because the move was relatively unheard of before and little was known about it.
Here is where the Aoki lock becomes an enigma…basically it is deemed legal under most rulesets including the IBJJF. However, it is mechanically similar to a heel hook and can break the knee ligaments. Because of this, it can be considered a grey area submission in terms of working in a competition. Whilst many referees may be ok with the Aoki lock being performed, some may deem it too similar to the heel hook, resulting in a DQ.
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Setting up the Aoki lock
The Aoki lock can be used as a proactive or a reactive move. What is meant by this is that you can dive into it and initiate the entry yourself, or you can alternatively use it as a common counter to a regular ashi garami footlock. To begin with, we will look at the counter to the ashi garami footlock.
Let’s start by saying the opponent as a leg entanglement on the floor. For whatever reason, they just can’t quite finish the submission. This may be due to inferior finishing or good defense from yourself. Whatever the reason, the submission just isn’t on. Because of their leg entanglement, there is an opening for you to attack the Aoki lock. Due to their ashi garami, they should have their outside foot rested on your heel.
The key detail of the Aoki lock is to put the toes into your armpit and rest the opponent’s heel on the edge of your chest or rib cage. If you think about a heel hook, it is similar but has the toes on the inside of the chest and the heel on the outside. The Aoki lock is almost like the opposite of this, where the toes are still inside the armpit, instead, the heel rests on your chest as opposed to your forearm. In some cases, the Aoki lock can even be finished whilst standing against single leg X guard.
When this is established, you can then bridge into the foot like you would with a regular footlock. Combined with raising your leg under the opponent’s leg, this will put further pressure into the knee and ankle of the opponent. If done correctly, it can break both the ankle and knee of the opponent.
The second entry is done without reacting and instead you have to hunt out the position yourself. To do this you can you attack the Aoki lock from your own ashi garami on the floor. However, instead of attacking with a regular grip, you need to adjust the heel to make sure it pokes out onto your chest.
Sometimes this can be hit when the opponent tries to turn out of a regular footlock as a form of defense. However, doing this may only enhance the power of your footlock. The only issue with entering the Aoki lock from this method is that against skilled opponent’s they may be able to counter your own attack with the previous entry we mentioned earlier. Because of this, the Aoki lock can be regarded as one of the best counters against the straight ankle lock. That is based on heel hooks and toeholds being illegal, of course.
Finishing the Aoki lock
The Aoki lock works in a similar way to a heel hook which is why it should be considered dangerous. Because of this, you should never slam it on quickly, especially if you’re training in the gym with teammates as it can cause injury and is disrespectful.
The mechanics surrounding the lock involve twisting the ankle in a different direction of the knee. Because the ankle is facing the side, whilst the knee is facing upwards, it creates a horrible twisting motion in the ligaments. This is the same as the heel hook which also works by putting the foot on its side, whilst also keeping the knee straight.
Because of this, if the opponent manages to put their knee to the side in the alignment of their foot then this will make the Aoki lock far harder to finish. With this in mind, you want to keep their knee straight when trying to finish the submission. One method of doing this is by propping your leg under their leg and raising it upwards. This puts further strain on the twist and will result in speeding up the process of the submission. Remember, if the opponent somehow manages to bring their foot inside the armpit then the Aoki lock is no longer available. This is because it relies heavily on exposing the heel.
Is the Aoki lock IBJJF legal?
As of 2020, there’s nothing in the IBJJF rulebook which deems it illegal. At least, this is not explicitly stated. Similarly, there are straight ankle locks which also act as toeholds based on hitting the right angle. Even though these may be technically legal by name, they’re basically exploiting a loophole. This is the same with the Aoki lock as it mimics the finishing mechanics of a heel hook. However, under IBJJF rules it is legal.
The main issue with doing this in a competition is the interpretation of the referee. Refereeing competitions can be tough, especially if you can’t quite physically see the grips and if it’s done at a fast pace. One competitor may argue it was a heel hook, whilst the other may claim it was an ankle lock.
Regardless, you should understand that anytime you do this in an IBJJF setting, you are risking disqualification. Whether this is fair or not isn’t really the point. The point is, it’s a borderline move which may be interpreted as a heel hook. With this said, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth the risk of a DQ or not.
Final Thoughts on the Aoki Lock
The Aoki lock can be considered a secret weapon in finish opponents in an IBJJF setting, albeit it has risks of its own. Perhaps the one issue with the Aoki lock is that it’s quite situational and isn’t always as readily available as other foot locks. Not only this, but learning it in the first place can have a steep learning curve and it may not be suited for beginners. This means you really need to understand the physics of the leg position, as well as safety side of things for your partner too.
However, if you invest the time into the submission then it can work wonders. Not only is it a legitimate counter to an opponent’s in ashi garami, but it is also a good attack of its own. With this said, the Aoki lock should be a consideration for those who have a high understanding of leg locks yet still compete in the gi where some of the more aggressive leg locks are illegal.
