Legit Leg Attacks With Braulio Estima

Do you remember the first time you tapped to a toe hold?  My guess is you likely do, maybe not specifically, but you remember the feeling, how quickly it came on, all of those details.  I’d be surprised if you remembered who tapped you with it and what rash guard they were wearing. Toe holds can be brutal submissions that come on super quick, especially in competition.  The interesting thing about toe holds is once you start to understand them, you start to see them everywhere. The good thing about this is that even if toe holds are not a favorite of yours, or are not part of your game, it is still helpful to know what the risks are from each position and how to avoid someone landing a toe hold on you. 

It is no secret that leg locks of all sorts are becoming more and more popular in Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts.  It seems that over a relatively short period of time the world suddenly became aware of the other half of the human body and decided to start attacking it.  As you know, or can imagine, this is not as simple as just grabbing the leg or foot and squeezing, much like the Kimura or Darce choke, or any submission in Jiu Jitsu involve a specific technique, as do leg locks.  

Learning the basic concepts of foot locks can be intimidating, especially if you are a higher rank and are newer to learning about the leg lock and foot lock game because it was not a focus at a lot of academies prior to the last few years.  Rest assured that it’s ok and it is never too late to get started. A great place to start is with Understanding the BJJ Foot Locks by Braulio Estima.  Braulio does a great job of explaining the basic concepts in a way that is easy to understand and relate to.  

Additionally, Braulio does his explanation and instructional in the Gi, which you may or may not know is super uncommon when doing foot locks or leg locks.  Typically, people tend to shy away from leg locks in the Gi, so this is a nice reminder that there are still plenty of leg attacks with the Gi on. As you likely just saw in the video, or will see, there are a number of ways you can get into leg attack positions so let’s take a look at some less popular leg attacks to see how some of these practitioners are sneaking into these positions and ultimately, changing the game.  Let’s dive in and see what details you can take away and add to your game.  

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We are going to start by taking a look at the Estima lock from Single leg X guard which is a toe hold developed by Braulio Estima. Starting in single leg X with his opponent kneeling on the mat in front of him and using his right leg to wrap under the opponent’s posted left leg and up to the opponent’s left hip while he is using his instep on his left foot as a butterfly hook on his opponent’s right thigh.  

It is some what hard to see in the video, but Braulio is grabbing his opponent’s Gi pants at the knee with his left arm and pulling it into his torso area.  As he does this, he is also covering the opponent’s left foot with his right arm so that he is in position to grab the opponent’s foot. Braulio then uses his grip on the Gi pants along with his foot in the opponent’s hip to push the opponent over to their side by controlling both of the opponent’s legs with his hand and legs it is very difficult for the opponent to escape the control.  

From here it is easy for Braulio to follow his opponent should they attempt to roll out of the control.  At this point Braulio is ready to finish the toe hold attack. To do this he is reaching around the heel ensuring his opponent’s heel is in the crook of his elbow and reaching his opposite side shoulder with his hand, similar to a rear naked choke grip.  While doing this he is also reaches with his right hand over his left hand that is now grabbing his shoulder looking to grab the opponent’s foot. He is grabbing the foot with his palm facing out and with his pinky finger as close to the end of the foot as possible on the pinky toe side. 

From this position Braulio is ready to finish the technique.   In order to finish this toe hold Braulio is simply pulling the foot control grips tight and rotating to left side.  You want to stretch and then turn to the side of the arm that is holding the opponent’s heel in the crook of your elbow.  This should create a very fast tap, so please be very careful with your training partner and ensure you aren’t cranking on the submission.  The reality is if you have the foot controlled properly, you shouldn’t need to rush the submission as this is a very strong hold position.  

This was a very quick high level look at the Estima lock from single leg X guard.  If you are interested in taking a deeper dive into this and developing a deep understanding of not only the Estima Lock, but toe holds in general you need to check out Braulio Estima’s video instructional titled “The Estima Lock (Updated) and new school toe holds”. 

Braulio is a multiple time ADCC champion as well as a multiple time Black Belt World Champion who has wins over some of the best in the world including Marcelo Garcia.  Braulio has spend years refining this technique and has been able to utilize it successfully at the highest levels of competition. The more you know the more you win. Make the decision today to start learning from one of the best.  Who better to learn the technique from than the guy who created it?

The Estima Lock &New School Toe Hold by Braulio Estima takes instructionals to an all new level. Braulio utilizes his world class  experience and exceptional teaching skills to provide YOU the tools needed to be UNSTOPPABLE. Take a look at the techniques that helped Braulio become an ADCC Champ as well as IBJJF World Champion!

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