Heel hook from the closed guard
•••••••••••••••••••••••
Any time someone attacks with a leg lock from the top position it can be a risk due conceding a top position and going to a bottom position for the attempt. So the question what is the optimal way to attack with a leg lock from the closed guard?
.
The safest position to initiate an leg lock attack is when you have inside position, both your legs inside your opponent’s legs before isolating a leg. Concerning the guard position the opponent is safe when in closed guard and their ankles are locked and in open guard when they can pummel their legs back to inside position.
.
In this example there is a small window when the leg is vulnerable. Once the inside knee position is claimed the opponent’s leg is isolated. From here the guard is easy to open however the key is to make the move before opponent realizes they are vulnerable. .
It is important to be in position to catch the heel as the guard is opening before they can pummel their leg inside. Once you are in a remi ashi and have heel exposure you can initiate the roll so you finish the heel hook in double ashi (both legs outside) for maximum breaking power.