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Glam Monitor

Is Aoki lock legal in gi?

Author

Mia Smith

Updated on August 04, 2026

Strictly speaking the Aoki lock is illegal in gi jiu jitsu, but since it's so hard to distinguish from a straight footlock, nobody ever gets disqualified for it.

Are leg locks allowed in BJJ gi?

IBJJF Adult White Belt Leg Lock Rules

Thus, the IBJJF only allows white belts to perform straight ankle locks. This applies in both gi and no-gi competition. When performing a straight ankle lock, the white belt competitor must turn away from the knee of the ankle he or she is attacking.

Can white belts use leg locks?

If You're A White Belt and You Want to Train Leg Locks with a Colored Belt, Say Something Ahead of Time and Get Their Agreement – most colored belts are happy to safely train leg locks with White Belts.

Can blue belts do leg locks?

Although adult blue and purple belts have a much better understanding of leg locks than most white belts, the IBJJF rules for these ranks remain very restrictive. Like white belts, adult blue and purple belts may only apply straight ankle locks in IBJJF competition.

Are Kneebars legal in gi?

For gi competition, the IBJJF is the predominant rule set and heel hooks are illegal (at all belt levels) with straight foot locks, knee bars and toe holds allowed at different belt levels.

23 related questions found

Is outside Ashi IBJJF legal?

The IBJJF has sanctioned both inside and outside heel hooks, as well as all attacks which twist the knee of the defender. In addition, it is now legal to turn in the direction of the defender's free leg while applying a straight footlock, and to apply outward pressure on a toehold.

What is an Estima lock?

The Estima Lock is the name given to a specific footlock developed by two well known Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors, commonly known as the 'Estima bros' (Victor and Braulio), during the late 2000's.

Are heel hooks allowed in BJJ?

Heel hooks do impose a danger. And this is one reason IBJJF has not allowed them. When a grappler doesn't respond properly when trying to escape, they can cause damage to the knee.

What is leg locking?

It is typically performed using the legs to isolate one of the opponent's legs, and placing the opponent's foot in the armpit, while holding the foot with the forearm at the lower part of the opponent's calf, usually at the achilles tendon.

What belt is toe legal?

In IBJJF rules, jiu jitsu's main governing body, the toe hold is only allowed in competitions, for brown belt and above ranked athletes. In other tournaments, such as FIVE Grappling it is allowed from purple belt, and in another highly popular jiu jitsu tournament, the ADCC, they are fully allowed.

Are toe holds legal in BJJ?

It's tight, powerful, IBJJF legal, and can wreck someone's ankle. The toe hold. A toe hold is a simple and effective leg lock that is frequently used in competitions. Like the heel hook, The toe hold doesn't take much pressure to make your open quickly tap out.

Are ankle locks legal in UFC?

UFC bans fighter forever for ankle lock violation.

How painful is the ankle lock?

It's designed to put pressure on your opponent's ankle and is without a doubt the most painful hold there is. If applied properly, on a scale of one to 10, it's about a nine-and-a-half. In all seriousness, it's a really dangerous hold and you have to be careful when you apply it.

Who invented heel hook?

Ivan Gomes and Brazilian Catch Wrestling

It is a popular theory (albeit one nearly impossible to verify) that heel hooks originated in catch wrestling. This may be the case, but we do know and can confirm that they were utilized by Brazilian grapplers prior to jiu-jitsu becoming known overseas thanks to Ivan Gomes.

What moves are illegal in BJJ?

Illegal Techniques In All Divisions

  • NO heel hooks or twisting knee locks of any kind.
  • NO striking of any kind.
  • NO biting, hair pulling or eye-gauging.
  • NO slamming of any kind.
  • NO cervical neck cranks of any kind.

What age is Masters in BJJ?

The age is evaluated as the one the athlete completes in the year of the contest. Master 6 : 56 years old and elder.

Is the Estima lock legal?

Bjj Eastern Europe – The Infamous 'Estima Footlock' Now Legal At All Belts Under IBJJF Rules. If you were unsure about the legality of “The Estima Footlock” at all belts, rest assured that it can be used for all belts (including white) under IBJJF rules.

Is the Estima lock a toe hold?

Like the heel hook, the ankle lock, and the toe hold, the estima lock is a devastating lock that requires the use of hands. Take a look at what Victor says about the mechanics, and let him show you how you can use it as a defense to reverse De La Riva.

Is cross Ashi a reap?

Distilled into a single phrase, Gordon proved that the cross ashi-garami position is not equivalent to reaping– at least on its own. For an athlete to be guilty of reaping, they need to be in the cross-ashi garami position combined with a near ankle grip or leg lace position.

Can you reap the knee in IBJJF?

Is Reaping Legal? Knee reaping is illegal in the IBJJF and the UAEJJF. It is not allowed due to the perceived level of harm and injury that can (and does) occur to the knees when it is performed. However, there are some competitions like ADCC and other such no-gi grappling tournaments that do allow knee reaping.

What does an ankle lock break?

When performing a straight ankle lock the specific joint attacked is the talocrural joint. The talocrural joint connects the shin (tibia/fibula) to the foot (talus). The talocrural joint has 1 degree of freedom, meaning it can only move in one plane – up and down (dorsiflexion and plantarflexion).

Does the figure 4 leg-lock hurt?

The figure four leg-lock is a submission move used in pro wrestling, made famous by Ric Flair. The wrestlers do this as part of the show that is pro wrestling. Wrestlers do not actively try to hurt one another, yet the moves that they use are capable of inflicting an enormous amount of pain if applied with full force.

Is stomping legal in UFC?

Stomping is disallowed in most combat sports. Certain mixed martial arts organizations do, however, allow stomping to different extents. The Ultimate Fighting Championship allows stomps to be performed from the clinch, while stomping on a downed opponent is considered illegal.

Are finger locks allowed in MMA?

A directed attack would include a fighter pulling his opponents head in a way to open the neck area for a striking attack. A fighter may not gouge their fingers or thumb into their opponent's neck or trachea in an attempt to submit their opponent.