Defending against the Reverse Heel Hook Counter means you are the original attacker in ushiro ashi-garami who is now facing a counter-entanglement on your own leg. Your opponent, rather than simply escaping, has entered inside ashi-garami on your attacking leg during your grip adjustment phase. This creates a leg lock exchange scenario where your original attacking advantage is being contested.
The defender’s primary challenge is managing two simultaneous demands: maintaining offensive pressure on the original heel hook while addressing the counter-entanglement threatening your own knee. Panicking and abandoning your attack entirely gives the opponent a free positional advantage, while ignoring their counter leads to a submission race you may lose. The optimal response depends on the depth of your original grip versus the quality of their counter-entry—whoever has deeper positional control typically wins the exchange.
Successful defense requires early recognition of the counter attempt, ideally before inside position is fully established on your leg. The earlier you detect the counter, the more options remain available—from simply accelerating your finish to withdrawing and re-establishing position. Understanding the biomechanical tells that precede the counter (opponent’s hip rotation toward your leg, free leg hooking your knee) allows proactive defensive responses rather than reactive scrambling.
Opponent’s Starting Position: Ushiro Ashi-Garami (Bottom)
How to Recognize This Attack
How do you know when someone is attempting Reverse Heel Hook Counter?
- Opponent’s hips begin rotating toward your attacking leg rather than away during their escape attempt
- Opponent’s free leg hooks behind your knee or begins threading between your legs instead of posting for escape
- Opponent stops defending their heel and shifts hand fighting toward your lower body and leg position
- Opponent slows or pauses their escape rotation, indicating a deliberate positional change rather than continued inversion
- You feel opponent’s inside leg crossing your hip line from an unexpected angle during your grip adjustment
Key Defensive Principles
What are the key principles for defending Reverse Heel Hook Counter?
- Recognize counter-entry attempts during your grip adjustment phase before inside position is established on your leg
- Maintain inside leg control throughout your heel hook finishing attempts to deny the counter-entry angle
- Keep your own heel protected by tucking your foot behind opponent’s thigh when attacking from ushiro
- Assess grip depth advantage—if your heel hook grip is deeper than their counter, accelerate the finish rather than defending
- Control your free leg position to prevent opponent from using it as a hook or lever for counter-entanglement
- Avoid releasing leg pressure during grip adjustments, as this creates the primary window for counter-attack
Defensive Options
What can you do to defend against Reverse Heel Hook Counter?
1. Accelerate heel hook finish before counter-entanglement is established
- When to use: When you already have a deep heel grip and opponent is only beginning their counter rotation—your positional advantage is clear
- Targets: Inside Ashi-Garami
- If successful: You finish the heel hook before opponent can establish inside ashi on your leg, ending the exchange in your favor
- Risk: If your grip is not as deep as you believe, racing to finish creates a chaotic exchange where both practitioners may be injured
2. Withdraw attacking leg and re-establish ushiro ashi-garami control from scratch
- When to use: When you detect the counter attempt early before your leg is entangled—opponent has begun rotating but has not yet secured inside position
- Targets: Ushiro Ashi-Garami
- If successful: You deny the counter entirely and return to the original attacking position with your leg safe, opponent remains trapped
- Risk: Withdrawing creates space that may allow opponent to complete their escape entirely rather than just the counter
3. Transition to saddle or honey hole to deepen your control beyond counter-attack range
- When to use: When opponent’s counter rotation creates the angle for you to step your outside leg through to saddle configuration
- Targets: Ushiro Ashi-Garami
- If successful: You advance to a higher-control entanglement where the counter is no longer viable and your finishing options multiply
- Risk: The transition requires momentary adjustment that could accelerate opponent’s counter if your timing is off
4. Enter your own counter-counter by establishing 50-50 guard from the exchange
- When to use: When opponent has partially established inside ashi on your leg but your entanglement is also partially maintained—neither side has clear advantage
- Targets: Ushiro Ashi-Garami
- If successful: Creates a neutral 50-50 position where both practitioners have equal attacking opportunity, negating opponent’s counter advantage
- Risk: 50-50 exchanges favor whoever has better heel hook finishing mechanics, and you have lost your original positional advantage
Best-Case Outcomes for Defender
What is the best outcome when defending Reverse Heel Hook Counter?
→ Inside Ashi-Garami
Accelerate your heel hook finish when you detect the counter attempt but already have deep grip control. Your positional advantage from the original ushiro top position means your grip was established first—commit to the finish before their counter-entanglement becomes dangerous.
→ Ushiro Ashi-Garami
Withdraw your attacking leg early when you sense the counter rotation beginning, then immediately re-engage with tighter inside leg control to deny future counter windows. This resets the exchange to your original advantageous position while eliminating the counter threat.