Rob Biernacki recently won gold at black belt in master’s ADCC Canada and in black M4 division at IBJJF NoGi Worlds. Here’s a breakdown of the unorthodox kneebar he used to finish the reigning champion and the training methods that allowed him to pull it off!

If you want to improve your leglock game, check out these quick videos below…

Modern Leglocks Instructional Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_sY0rUAyP8

Cutting Edge Leglocks Instructional Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV3SrGOuBi0

The Imanari Rroll is one of the most spectacular submissions in MMA and no gi grappling. Here’s Elliott Bayev from 30 Second Fight Finishes fame breaking down the main body mechanic that is the core of the move.

Full video with more Imanari Roll details, drills and entries here: https://youtu.be/y_DnyOJEp2Q?si=OWhs7QgUb_vqVyBH

30 Second Fight Finishes instructional here: https://www.grapplearts.com/finishes

Good luck with your training!
Stephan

These are the first two videos of the Shotgun Ankle Lock mini-course we just added to the Cutting Edge Leglocks instructional at https://www.grapplearts.com/cutting-edge-leglocks/ available in online streaming, DVD and app-based formats. The Shotgun Ankle Lock is a subtle adjustment to the ankle lock position, but from personal experience, I swear that if you get it right your opponent’s foot will feel like it’s about to explode and he’ll tap instantly!

Cutting Edge Leglocks is the brand new leglocking instructional by BJJ black belts Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting https://www.grapplearts.com/cutting-edge-leglocks.

In Cutting Edge Leglocks, renowned black belt instructors Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting guide you through the most effective techniques, strategies, transitions, defenses, and recounters of the modern leglock scene in no gi competition.

WHAT’S IN CUTTING EDGE LEGLOCKS

Here is a quick overview of what you can find in each volume of Cutting Edge Leglocks. This instructional contains over 10 hours of organised, no-filler content with techniques, strategies, counters, recounters and drilling footage in 12 Volumes…

Vol 1, Cutting Edge Leglock Concepts and Strategies

Here you get a high-level breakdown of the concepts and strategies used by today’s highest-level leglockers. These ideas will help keep you current and provide a strong context for all of the subsequent material in the instructional.

Vol 2, The 411 / Saddle / Cross Ashi

The 411 position is one of the most powerful ways to attack the legs because it controls your opponent while giving you access to the inside heel hook. Now you can learn how to make this position even more powerful with improved methods of applying the heel hook, countering his escape attempts, and entries that he won’t see coming and will find incredibly difficult to stop!

Vol 3, Outside Ashi, Standard Ashi & Butterfly Ashi

Here you get detailed breakdowns of three related positions: the outside ashi, the standard ashi, and butterfly ashi. You’ll learn new control mechanisms and new submissions that are consistently taking gold in high-level no gi competition.

Vol 4, Inside Ashi & The Z Lock

The Z lock is an incredibly powerful control and finishing mechanism, and when you combine it with all the related attacks that you’re going to learn in this section you’ll make your opponent’s life a living hell. You’ll also learn exactly what to do to get into this position and how to shut down your opponent’s attempts to escape. This is essential knowledge for the modern leglocker!

Vol 5, The False Reap

The false reap is an innovative control and attack scheme that has developed in the last 5 years and is now regularly seen on the competition circuit. You’ll learn the hidden details the pros use to enter into this position, off-balance their opponents, and finish the match with devastating submissions.

Vol 6, 50/50 Concepts and Strategies

No serious grappler can afford to be ignorant of the changes to the 50/50. Here you’ll get the high-level strategies that have transformed the 50/50 and will give you an enormous amount of confidence doing battle in the leglock arena.

Volume 7, Passing the 50/50 Position

To have a good 50/50 game you need be comfortable on both the top and the bottom. In this section Rob will teach you how to keep the pressure on your opponent from the top position, smash him, pass his guard, or submit him with submissions that come on quickly and effortlessly.

Vol 8, Bottom 50/50 Attacks & Secondary Submissions

The world of the 50/50 has been transformed by improved attacking strategies from the bottom. You’ll learn new approaches to flip the script and attack your opponent from the 50/50 without putting yourself at risk. This might be the most important part of the instructional.

Vol 9, 50/50 Entries

If you can attack with an unexpected leglock then you have a HUGE advantage over your opponent, and in this section you’ll learn how to do just that. Here you’ll learn the newest, most surprising ways to attack with the 50/50 from the bottom from all the most common no gi guard positions.

Vol 10, Reverse Pathways and Ankle Clamps

Most leglock attacks start by controlling the leg entanglement position first and then moving on to the actual finish second. The reverse pathway approach turns that paradigm on its head; in a reverse pathway approach you start by controlling the foot at end of the lever and only then shooting into position for the submission. Submissions applied in this manner come on QUICK and POWERFUL making this an approach all serious competitors need to be aware of.

Vol 11, Countering Leglock Backtakes

The development of rolling back takes to counter leglock attacks has been a major development in the game. Therefore as a leglocker you need to understand and know how to counter this style of back take. Fortunately, there are tried and true methods you can use to completely shut down his rolling back take, end up on top, or even improve your position to apply even more devastating leglocks.

Vol 12, How to Drill Cutting Edge Leglocks

Knowing techniques is only the first step, the real magic happens in the training. In this volume Rob Biernacki shares the specific drills he uses so that you will become comfortable in leglock exchanges and learn how to safely navigate leglock tangles and tap your opponent out!

The Aoki lock is one of the most versatile, powerful and SURPRISING submissions in no gi grappling. From https://www.grapplearts.com/cutting-edge-leglocks/, the latest Grapplearts instructional with Rob Biernacki and Stephan Kesting

Countering heel hook escapes, from Cutting Edge Leglocks https://www.grapplearts.com/cutting-edge-leglocks. The 411 position (aka the saddle, the cross ashi, and the honey hole) with the inside heel hook is one of the most powerful leglock attacks in no gi grappling, but unfortunately, as it’s become more popular people are getting better at defending it. Here are 3 competition-proven ways to shut down that escape and finish your opponent no matter how he tries to squirm out of your submission!

0:00 – Counter Number 1, the Rolling Dig
07:05 – Counter Number 2, Inverting to Backside 50/50
11:56 – Counter Number 3, Connecting to the Hip

How leglocks and the way to apply them have changed in the last 20 years. I filmed this while editing the Oliver Taza No Gi Leglocks instructional which is now available at https://www.grapplearts.com/taza. Much of the terminology I use comes from The Modern Leglock Formula with Rob Biernacki (https://www.grapplearts.com/leglocks).

The 12 Positions of Modern Leglocking PDF I talk about in the video can be downloaded for free here: https://www.grapplearts.com/main-positions-modern-leglocking/

Also, just to be clear, many of the these ‘innovations’ were already being used by the great leglockers in the 1990’s including Erik Paulson and Oleg Taktarov (from whom I learned a TON), so what I’m really talking about is how these ideas have trickled down and become become more mainstream in the last 25 years.

CONTENTS

0:00 Introduction
1:54 Difference #1: Refinement of Control Positions
8:03 Difference #2: Less Variety of Actual Leglock Finishes
12:52 Difference #3: Focus on the Reverse Heel Hook
14:49 Difference #4:Refined Dig Mechanics
17:51 Difference #5: Improved Breaking Mechanics
21:40 Difference #6: Transitions Between the Control Positions
23:42 Difference #7: More Entries from the Bottom

No gi grappling phenomenon Oliver Taza breaks down his leglock game in the new instructional available at https://www.grapplearts.com/Taza. In this preview video you get to see some of the entries, setups, finishes, combinations, transitions, counters, defenses, and drills that he teaches in this amazing new instructional.