The defender in the Inside Ashi-Garami to Ushiro Ashi transition faces a critical decision point during their escape from standard inside ashi-garami. The rotation or inversion that initiates this transition is typically a deliberate defensive choice by the trapped person, but when the attacker follows the rotation successfully, the defender ends up in the reversed ushiro entanglement rather than completing their escape. Understanding how to prevent the attacker from establishing ushiro ashi, or how to continue escaping through the reversed position, is essential for any practitioner who uses inversion as a leg lock escape method. The defender must balance the speed of their rotation with awareness of the attacker’s follow-through, maintaining heel protection throughout while working systematically to clear the entanglement.
Opponent’s Starting Position: Inside Ashi-Garami (Top)
How to Recognize This Attack
- Attacker’s body begins following your hip rotation rather than resisting it, indicating they intend to maintain entanglement
- Attacker’s inside leg releases from your hip frame and begins sliding underneath your trapped leg to reposition
- Attacker tightens heel grip significantly just before or during the initial phase of your rotation
- Attacker’s torso angle shifts to match your rotation direction instead of remaining oriented to the original inside ashi position
Key Defensive Principles
- Commit fully to the rotation: halfway inversions are the worst outcome, creating maximum vulnerability with minimum escape progress
- Protect the heel throughout by maintaining dorsiflexion and controlling the attacker’s inside knee with your hands
- Speed of rotation must outpace the attacker’s follow-through to create separation before ushiro is consolidated
- Use both hands to control the attacker’s leg positions rather than reaching for the mat during rotation
- Recognize when to accept turtle position rather than fighting a losing battle against established ushiro entanglement
- Monitor the attacker’s outside leg: if it crosses over your knee line, you are in ushiro and must shift to ushiro-specific escapes
Defensive Options
1. Accelerate rotation speed to complete escape before ushiro is established
- When to use: Early in the rotation before the attacker has repositioned their outside leg over your knee line. Most effective when you have significant rotational momentum and the attacker is slow to follow.
- Targets: Half Guard
- If successful: You complete the rotation to turtle or standing, clearing the leg entanglement entirely and forcing the attacker to pursue from behind
- Risk: If acceleration fails and you run out of momentum, you are in deep ushiro with the attacker fully consolidated behind your movement
2. Reverse rotation direction suddenly to collapse back to standard inside ashi position
- When to use: When you recognize the attacker is committed to following your rotation. The sudden direction change catches them mid-transition with their legs in an awkward intermediate configuration.
- Targets: Inside Ashi-Garami
- If successful: You return to standard inside ashi-garami where you can attempt different escape methods that do not involve rotation
- Risk: The direction change can momentarily expose your heel if not accompanied by strong hand defense on the attacker’s grip
3. Post free leg firmly and drive to standing during transitional phase
- When to use: When the attacker’s leg configuration is in transition between inside ashi and ushiro, creating a brief window where entanglement control is weakest. Most effective for athletic defenders with strong posting ability.
- Targets: Half Guard
- If successful: You stand up and disengage from the leg entanglement entirely, resetting to standing or achieving dominant top position
- Risk: If the attacker maintains heel control while you stand, your body weight drives the heel hook deeper, potentially creating a more dangerous submission angle
4. Strip the attacker’s heel grip using both hands during the rotation
- When to use: When the attacker’s grip is not fully consolidated and you can access their controlling hands during the transitional movement. Focus on peeling fingers from the heel one hand at a time.
- Targets: Inside Ashi-Garami
- If successful: Without heel control, the attacker cannot threaten submissions from either inside ashi or ushiro, reducing the entanglement to a positional control problem
- Risk: Using both hands for grip fighting removes your ability to post or frame, potentially allowing the attacker to flatten you during the transition
Best-Case Outcomes for Defender
→ Half Guard
Complete the rotation to turtle or standing before the attacker establishes ushiro ashi. Commit fully to the inversion with maximum speed, maintaining heel protection through dorsiflexion. Use the free leg to post and drive away from the attacker’s control. Once legs are cleared, immediately establish guard or scramble to top position.
→ Inside Ashi-Garami
Reverse rotation direction when you recognize the attacker is following, collapsing back to standard inside ashi-garami. Simultaneously strip the attacker’s heel grip during the direction change. This returns you to the original position where you can attempt alternative escape methods such as leg extraction, standing, or counter-entanglement.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: You are rotating to escape inside ashi and feel the attacker following your movement - what is your most important immediate physical action? A: Maintain strong dorsiflexion on the trapped foot while using your hands to control the attacker’s inside knee. These two actions protect against the heel hook finish and prevent the attacker from deepening the entanglement to saddle. The foot position protects the heel from finishing grips, while the hand on their knee prevents their inside leg from transitioning to the underneath position that completes the ushiro configuration.
Q2: What distinguishes a successful escape from a failed escape when the attacker attempts to follow your rotation to ushiro? A: Success is determined by whether your rotation speed outpaces the attacker’s leg repositioning. If you complete the rotation to turtle or standing before their outside leg crosses over your knee line and their inside leg threads underneath, you have escaped. If their legs establish the reversed figure-four before you clear the entanglement, you are in ushiro ashi and must shift to ushiro-specific defensive strategies rather than continuing the same escape pattern.
Q3: When should you abandon the rotation escape and reverse direction instead of trying to outpace the attacker’s follow? A: Reverse direction when you recognize the attacker has already repositioned their outside leg over your knee line, indicating ushiro is being established faster than your escape is progressing. Also reverse when the attacker’s heel grip tightens significantly during your rotation, suggesting they are preparing a mid-transition heel hook attack. The reversal catches them in an intermediate leg position that is weaker than either established inside ashi or consolidated ushiro.
Q4: How do you prevent the attacker from transitioning to saddle if they successfully establish ushiro ashi despite your defense? A: Control their inside knee with both hands to prevent it from sliding deeper along your thigh. The saddle transition requires the attacker’s inside leg to achieve deep thigh control past your knee line. By blocking this with active hand fighting on their knee, you limit them to ushiro attacks only and prevent advancement to the higher-control saddle position. Simultaneously continue working to clear their outside leg to create escape opportunities from ushiro.
Q5: Your training partner has completed the follow to ushiro and their outside leg is firmly crossed over your knee - what escape hierarchy should you follow? A: First, protect your heel through dorsiflexion and grip fighting to prevent immediate submission. Second, attempt to clear their outside leg by pulling your trapped leg away while pushing their hip with your free leg. Third, if clearing fails, continue rotating toward turtle to deny heel hook finishing angles. Fourth, if turtle is achieved, immediately begin turtle escapes before they transition to back control. Accept each level of retreat as necessary rather than forcing extraction from deep ushiro entanglement.