Outside Ashi-Garami Top

Outside Ashi-Garami Top is the defensive counterpart to Outside Ashi-Garami Bottom, where your right leg is trapped in your opponent’s outside leg entanglement while you are on top or in a more elevated position. This is generally considered a disadvantageous position requiring immediate defensive action to prevent heel hooks or ankle locks and to extract your leg from the entanglement.

In this position, your opponent has their legs configured in a figure-4 around your right leg, with their outside leg (left) crossing over your thigh and their inside leg (right) triangling under your knee. Your primary objectives are to prevent your hip from being controlled (stopping external rotation), extract your trapped leg, and either pass to a dominant position or establish your own leg entanglement.

This position represents a defensive challenge where understanding leg lock mechanics, maintaining proper posture, and executing timely escapes are critical to preventing submission and recovering advantageous position. The key to success lies in maintaining calm composure under submission threat while systematically working through escape sequences that protect the heel and create extraction opportunities.

Position Definition

• Your right leg is trapped in opponent’s figure-4 configuration with their left leg crossing over your thigh and right leg triangling under your knee, creating a locked clamp around your leg
• Opponent positioned on their back or side below you at a perpendicular or diagonal angle (45-90 degrees), facing your trapped leg with their body aligned to threaten leg locks
• You maintain elevated position on knees, hip, or standing with trapped leg while opponent remains lower, creating height differential that favors escape opportunities
• Opponent controls your trapped leg with grips, typically one hand on heel/foot threatening heel hook and other on knee/thigh preventing hip rotation and escape

Prerequisites

• Understanding of leg entanglement risks and submission mechanics, particularly heel hook finishing mechanics
• Knowledge of heel exposure and protection techniques, including hiding the heel and controlling hip rotation
• Experience with leg lock defense and escape drilling under controlled conditions
• Mental composure under submission threat and ability to remain calm while working systematic escapes
• Familiarity with counter leg entanglement entries as alternative escape routes
• Understanding of proper posture mechanics and how height advantage creates escape opportunities

Key Offensive Principles

• Protect your heel immediately by keeping it hidden from opponent’s grip, preventing heel exposure that enables heel hook finish
• Maintain standing or elevated posture with height advantage, as standing position creates best escape opportunities and limits opponent’s leverage
• Prevent hip external rotation by keeping knee pointing forward and not allowing knee to turn outward, which would expose heel to finishing position
• Create frames on opponent’s hips/chest using hands and free leg to establish distance that prevents submission leverage
• Extract leg using proper mechanics through internal hip rotation and systematic threading rather than straight pulling
• Stay calm under pressure and work methodically through escape sequences, as panic leads to exposed heel and rushed movements
• Counter-entangle when appropriate by establishing your own leg lock position as alternative escape route that creates mutual threats

Available Attacks

Ashi Garami Escape → Standing Position

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 40%
• Intermediate: 55%
• Advanced: 70%

Outside Ashi Entry → Outside Ashi-Garami

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 35%
• Intermediate: 50%
• Advanced: 65%

Inside Ashi Entry → Inside Ashi-Garami

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 30%
• Intermediate: 45%
• Advanced: 60%

Saddle Entry from Top → Saddle

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 25%
• Intermediate: 40%
• Advanced: 55%

Standing to Single Leg X → Single Leg X-Guard

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 45%
• Intermediate: 60%
• Advanced: 75%

Leg Weave Pass → Side Control

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 35%
• Intermediate: 50%
• Advanced: 65%

Technical Stand-up → Standing Position

Success Rates:

• Beginner: 50%
• Intermediate: 65%
• Advanced: 80%

Opponent Escapes

• Heel Hook → Lost by Submission (Opponent Success: 60%)
• Straight Ankle Lock → Straight Ankle Lock Control (Opponent Success: 45%)
• Toe Hold → Toe Hold Control (Opponent Success: 40%)
• Kneebar → Kneebar Control (Opponent Success: 35%)
• Saddle Entry from Top → Saddle (Opponent Success: 50%)

Escape Counters

• Outside Ashi Entry → Outside Ashi-Garami
  • Opponent releases leg triangle to readjust position
• Inside Ashi Entry → Inside Ashi-Garami
  • Opponent’s inside leg becomes exposed during transition attempt
• Saddle Entry from Top → Saddle
  • Opponent commits to heel hook attempt, creating counter-entanglement opportunity
• Standing to Single Leg X → Single Leg X-Guard
  • Opponent loses control of trapped leg as you elevate to standing

Decision Making from This Position

If opponent has strong heel grip and is threatening immediate heel hook finish:

• Execute Saddle Defense → Outside Ashi-Garami (Probability: 50%)
• Execute Ashi Garami Escape → Standing Position (Probability: 40%)

If opponent’s leg triangle is loose or you have established standing position:

• Execute Technical Stand-up → Standing Position (Probability: 70%)
• Execute Ashi Garami Escape → Standing Position (Probability: 65%)

If opponent is transitioning to saddle/honey hole and creating exposure:

• Execute Outside Ashi Entry → Outside Ashi-Garami (Probability: 55%)
• Execute Saddle Entry from Top → Saddle (Probability: 50%)

If you have created sufficient distance with frames and opponent’s control is weakened:

• Execute Leg Weave Pass → Side Control (Probability: 60%)
• Execute Standing to Single Leg X → Single Leg X-Guard (Probability: 55%)

Common Offensive Mistakes

1. Pulling leg straight out against figure-4 triangle

• ❌ Consequence: Strengthens opponent’s leg triangle, exposes heel to heel hook grip, accelerates submission threat by creating leverage for opponent
• ✅ Correction: Rotate hip internally (inward), collapse opponent’s triangle structure, thread leg out systematically using circular hip movements rather than straight-line pulling

2. Dropping down to opponent’s level by lowering hips to mat

• ❌ Consequence: Removes height advantage, makes escape significantly more difficult, allows opponent to improve angle and grip control, eliminates standing escape options
• ✅ Correction: Maintain elevated posture on knees or standing, keep hips high, use height differential to create extraction opportunities and limit opponent’s leverage

3. Exposing heel by allowing foot to turn outward or become accessible

• ❌ Consequence: Opponent can secure heel hook grip immediately, dramatically increases submission danger, may result in instant tap or injury
• ✅ Correction: Keep heel hidden by maintaining inward foot position, actively control heel placement, shield foot with free leg if necessary, prioritize heel protection above all else

4. Panicking and making rushed, uncontrolled movements

• ❌ Consequence: Creates opportunities for opponent to improve position, increases likelihood of heel exposure, wastes energy, leads to poor decision-making under pressure
• ✅ Correction: Remain calm and methodical, work through systematic escape sequences, breathe deeply, trust your drilling and technique rather than explosive scrambling

5. Neglecting to create frames on opponent’s hips and chest

• ❌ Consequence: Allows opponent to close distance and improve finishing mechanics, eliminates space needed for leg extraction, gives opponent better leverage for submissions
• ✅ Correction: Immediately establish frames using hands on opponent’s hips/chest and free leg, maintain distance throughout escape sequence, use frames to prevent opponent advancement

6. Ignoring counter-entanglement opportunities when they arise

• ❌ Consequence: Misses chances to create mutual threats that force opponent to defend, limits escape options to pure defense only, reduces overall escape success rate
• ✅ Correction: Recognize moments when opponent’s legs become exposed, establish counter leg entanglements when appropriate, use mutual threat dynamics to facilitate escapes

Training Drills for Attacks

Posture Maintenance Under Pressure

Partner establishes outside ashi control on your leg, practice maintaining standing or elevated posture while they apply downward pressure, 30-60 second holds with progressive resistance levels (25%, 50%, 75% resistance), develop postural strength and stability under leg entanglement threat

Duration: 5 rounds of 60 seconds

Hip Rotation Escape Mechanics

From standing in opponent’s outside ashi, practice internal hip rotation and leg extraction in slow motion with no resistance initially, focus on proper mechanical sequence of hip rotation, triangle collapse, and leg threading, 10 repetitions per side with increasing speed

Duration: 10 minutes

Frame and Extract Progression

Partner establishes outside ashi, you create frames on hips/chest and systematically extract leg, partner provides progressive resistance (25%, 50%, 75%), develop frame strength, coordination, and ability to maintain distance while escaping

Duration: 8 rounds of 90 seconds

Counter-Entanglement from Defense

Start trapped in outside ashi top, practice recognizing opportunities for counter leg entanglements, establish your own outside ashi or saddle when opponent creates exposure, drill transitions from defense to offense

Duration: 6 rounds of 2 minutes

Heel Protection Sensitivity

Partner establishes outside ashi and slowly attempts to access your heel, practice maintaining heel hidden position and recognizing when heel becomes exposed, develop sensitivity to heel vulnerability and protective positioning

Duration: 5 rounds of 90 seconds

Optimal Submission Paths

Escape to Pass Path

Outside Ashi-Garami Top → Ashi Garami Escape → Standing Position → Leg Weave Pass → Side Control

Standing Escape Path

Outside Ashi-Garami Top → Technical Stand-up → Standing Position → Guard Pass → Side Control

Counter-Entanglement Path

Outside Ashi-Garami Top → Outside Ashi Entry → Outside Ashi-Garami → Heel Hook → Won by Submission

Single Leg X Transition Path

Outside Ashi-Garami Top → Standing to Single Leg X → Single Leg X-Guard → Single Leg X Sweep → Standing Position

Success Rates and Statistics

Skill Level	Retention Rate	Advancement Probability	Submission Probability
Beginner	30%	40%	20%
Intermediate	50%	55%	35%
Advanced	70%	70%	50%

Average Time in Position: 15-30 seconds (immediate escape required)

Related Positions and Techniques

• Outside Ashi-Garami - Offensive counterpart - same position from attacking perspective
• Inside Ashi-Garami - Similar defensive leg entanglement with inside variation
• Saddle - Advanced defensive challenge with both legs trapped
• Ashi Garami Escape - Primary escape technique from this position
• Saddle Defense - Related defensive concept for leg entanglement escapes
• Heel Hook - Primary submission threat from opponent
• Straight Ankle Lock - Secondary submission threat from opponent
• 50-50 Guard - Related defensive leg entanglement position
• Leg Entanglement - General category this position belongs to
• Craig Jones Leg Lock System - Expert system covering this position’s offensive and defensive aspects