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Master The Move: The Ankle Lock by John Danaher

In the latest installment of the highly anticipated Master The Move series, John Danaher takes a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood and underutilized submissions in grappling—the ankle lock.

  • The straight ankle lock has submitted world champions, won major championships, and remains one of the most effective lower-body attacks in all of Jiu-Jitsu. Yet despite its success, few athletes truly understand the mechanics, decision-making, and systems that separate average ankle locks from elite-level finishing ability.
  • Widely regarded as the greatest coach and instructional mind in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Danaher breaks down the ankle lock with the same systematic precision that revolutionized back attacks, guard passing, and leg locking.
  • You'll learn the fundamental mechanics behind the classical straight ankle lock, the critical role of hip control, upper body grips, foot positioning, and finishing mechanics. From there, Danaher introduces a comprehensive decision-tree system that teaches you how to react to every common defensive response, ensuring you're always one step ahead of your opponent.



Course Content

Expand All Sections

Volume 1

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Intro00:00 - 04:45
The Classical Straight Ankle Lock- Strengths And Weaknesses04:45 - 27:07
Transition From Achilles Grip To Ankle Lock Grip27:07 - 33:34
The Best Upper Body Grips For Ankle Locks33:34 - 41:31
The Crucial 2Nd Step Of Ankle Locking- Controlling And Immobilizing Your Opponent'S Hips41:31 - 53:36
Introducing Belly Down Ankle Locks53:36 - 1:09:28
Short Ankle Locks1:09:28 - 1:21:06
The 4 Main Finishing Positions For Ankle Locking1:21:06 - 1:30:20
The Theory Of The 3 Foot Positions- Solving The Problem Of The Inverted Foot1:30:20 - 1:44:13
Special Topic- One Handed Ankle Locks1:44:13 - 2:03:28

Volume 2

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

The Best Starting Move In Your Ankle Lock Decision Tree- Half Foot To Outside Hip00:00 - 02:39
If You Can'T Get The Half Foot Position - Go Belly Down02:39 - 07:12
Opponent Tries To Stand Up To A Knee To Get Foot To Floor- Flat Back Butterfly Ankle Lock07:12 - 10:09
Opponent Tries To Stand Up To A Knee To Get Foot To Floor- Short Ankle Lock10:09 - 13:58
Opponent Tries To Stand Up To A Knee To Get Foot To Floor- Inside Knee Edge13:58 - 16:15
Opponent Stands Up To 2 Feet- Back Sweep And Overhead Roll Dilemma16:15 - 33:18
Opponent Stands Up To 2 Feet- Caio Terra Dlr Ankle Lock33:18 - 43:09
Opponent Performs An Inside Spin- Follow His Turn With Your Outside Leg43:09 - 51:02
Opponent Performs And Outside Spin- Following With An Inside Leg51:02 - 56:48

Volume 3

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Countering A Standard Ashi Garami With Ankle Locks00:00 - 06:12
Ankle Lock As A Counter To A Leg Lace - Part 106:12 - 13:08
Ankle Lock As A Counter To A Leg Lace - Part 213:08 - 19:02
Counter Ankle Locks From 50-5019:02 - 25:22
Ankle Lock As A Counter To The Short Ankle Lock25:22 - 31:51

Volume 4

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Leg Lace Ankle Lock00:00 - 08:07
Ankle Lock From A Z Lock08:07 - 12:15

Volume 5

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Getting The Half Position In Cross Ankle Locks00:00 - 11:59
Getting The Half Position In Cross Ankle Locks11:59 - 17:30
3 Finishing Positions For Cross Ankle Locks17:30 - 23:35
Winning On The Inside Hip23:35 - 29:09
The One Handed Cross Ankle Lock Variant29:09 - 34:40
Reverse Figure 4 Grip Cross Ankle Lock34:40 - 37:54
A Simple Mechanical Cue That Will Add Greatly To All Your Ankle Locks37:54 - 42:43

Volume 6

CHAPTER TITLE

START TIME

Proactive Inside Ashi Garami00:00 - 03:57
Entering Ashi Garami On A Kneeling Opponent03:57 - 11:49
Entering Ashi Garami Ankle Lock On Opponent On One Knee11:49 - 16:20
Entering Ashi Garami Ankle Lock On A Standing Opponent16:20 - 21:25
Passing A Foot Into A Cross Ankle Lock21:25 - 24:57
Top Entry To Ashi Garami Controlling 2 Legs24:57 - 28:57

What Will You Learn? 

The straight ankle lock has submitted world champions, won major championships, and remains one of the most effective lower-body attacks in all of Jiu-Jitsu. Yet despite its success, few athletes truly understand the mechanics, decision-making, and systems that separate average ankle locks from elite-level finishing ability.

Now, in the latest installment of the highly anticipated Master The Move series, John Danaher takes a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood and underutilized submissions in grappling—the ankle lock.

Widely regarded as the greatest coach and instructional mind in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Danaher breaks down the ankle lock with the same systematic precision that revolutionized back attacks, guard passing, and leg locking. Rather than teaching isolated techniques, he gives you a complete roadmap for attacking, finishing, troubleshooting, and integrating ankle locks into your overall leg lock game.

You'll learn the fundamental mechanics behind the classical straight ankle lock, the critical role of hip control, upper body grips, foot positioning, and finishing mechanics. From there, Danaher introduces a comprehensive decision-tree system that teaches you how to react to every common defensive response, ensuring you're always one step ahead of your opponent.

This series doesn't stop at basic finishes. Danaher explores advanced applications including belly-down ankle locks, counter-attacking from leg entanglements, cross ankle locks, double trouble scenarios, and the relationship between ankle locks and modern heel hook systems. You'll learn how to enter, attack, and finish from a wide variety of positions while developing a deeper understanding of the strategic concepts that make elite leg lockers so dangerous.

Whether you're a beginner looking to build a reliable submission game or an advanced grappler seeking to sharpen your lower-body attack system, Master The Move: The Ankle Lock delivers the most complete ankle lock blueprint ever released.

Bullet Points

  • Learn the complete ankle lock system from legendary coach John Danaher
  • Master the mechanics of the classical straight ankle lock and modern finishing variations
  • Understand the critical concepts of hip control, foot positioning, grip selection, and breaking mechanics
  • Follow Danaher's decision-tree approach to systematically solve common defensive reactions
  • Learn belly-down ankle locks, short ankle locks, cross ankle locks, and one-handed finishing variations
  • Discover how ankle locks integrate with modern Ashi Garami and heel hook systems
  • Develop high-percentage counter attacks against common leg lock positions
  • Study advanced scenarios including Double Trouble, 50/50, leg lace counters, and Z-lock transitions
  • Gain a deeper conceptual understanding of lower-body submissions from the most influential coach in the sport
  • Perfect for both competitors and hobbyists looking to add a complete submission system to their arsenal

Technique List

Part 1 – The Straight Ankle Lock

  • Classical Straight Ankle Lock: Strengths & Weaknesses
  • Achilles Grip to Ankle Lock Grip Transition
  • Best Upper Body Grips for Ankle Locks
  • Controlling and Immobilizing the Hips
  • Belly Down Ankle Locks
  • Short Ankle Locks
  • Four Main Finishing Positions
  • Three Critical Foot Positions
  • Solving the Inverted Foot Problem
  • One-Handed Ankle Locks

Part 2 – Ankle Lock Decision Tree System

  • Decision Tree from Half Foot Position
  • Half Foot to Outside Hip Entry
  • Belly Down Follow-Ups
  • Flat Back Butterfly Ankle Lock
  • Short Ankle Lock Responses
  • Inside Knee Edge Finishes
  • Back Sweep & Overhead Roll Dilemma
  • Caio Terra DLR Ankle Lock
  • Following the Inside Spin
  • Following the Outside Spin

Part 3 – Straight Ankle Lock as a Counter Lock

  • Countering Standard Ashi Garami
  • Countering the Leg Lace (Part 1)
  • Countering the Leg Lace (Part 2)
  • Counter Ankle Locks from 50/50
  • Countering the Short Ankle Lock

Part 4 – Double Trouble Ankle Locks

  • Leg Lace Ankle Lock
  • Ankle Lock from the Z Lock

Part 5 – The Cross Ankle Lock

  • Cross Ankle Lock Mechanics
  • Achieving the Half Position
  • Outside Ashi Garami for Cross Ankle Locks
  • Three Finishing Positions
  • Winning the Inside Hip Battle
  • One-Handed Cross Ankle Lock
  • Reverse Figure Four Cross Ankle Lock
  • Mechanical Finishing Cues

Part 6 – Ankle Locks & Heel Hooks

  • Relationship Between Inside Heel Hooks and Cross Ankle Locks
  • Proactive Inside Ashi Garami
  • Entries into Ashi Garami and Ankle Locks
  • Kneeling Opponent Entries
  • One-Knee Opponent Entries
  • Standing Opponent Entries
  • Passing the Foot into Cross Ankle Locks
  • Top Position Ashi Garami Entries Controlling Two Legs

Master The Move: The Ankle Lock is another masterclass from John Danaher that transforms a seemingly simple submission into a complete, interconnected system capable of threatening opponents at every level of the sport.

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