Issue 067
November 2010
By Pete Irving.
Leg entanglement
The hold must be secure to prevent the opponent slipping out as the crush is applied. The triangle secures the leg in place, making the shin a bar with which to crush the leg muscles.
Application
Lever down on the foot with both hands, straightening the foot and holding the ankle so as not to slip and release the grip.
Crush vs separation
The hold will first cause pain from the compression of muscle, and if it’s applied further it’ll cause the knee joint to be torn apart.
Dueling for leglocks can be a dangerous business that often involves a series of escapes and counter-attacks before the finishing hold’s scored. It’s extremely important to explore all the variations of finishes before engaging in leglock battles. The muscle crush is a lesser-used attack that can yield great results because of its surprise element. The hold must be performed with caution though. It can cause potentially serious injuries when applied over-zealously in training or against an opponent who refuses to tap.
Calf crush from side control
1 Pete (black shirt) has Andy in a cross-body pin.
2 As Andy tries to push Pete away to free his hips, Pete switches his base, sitting his leg under Andy’s hips. Pete also reaches over to the far knee.
3 Pete folds Andy’s knee all the way over.
4 Pete hooks Andy’s bottom leg with a figure-four entanglement (commonly referred to as the lockdown).
5 Pete rolls over Andy and puts his shoulders on the mat.
6 Pete continues to roll, bringing Andy’s leg with him.
?7 Pete lets go of the lockdown and triangles his legs, then pulls down on Andy’s foot, crushing Andy’s leg muscles and separating the knee joint.
Calf crush from bodylock
1 Pete is attempting a heel hook on Andy, who is trying to escape by turning away.
2 Pete realizes that Andy has slipped out of the heel hook. He holds on to the heel and flattens his knee down to the mat, passing his shin across the back of Andy’s knee.
3 Pete bases out on his hand and sits up.
4 Pete reaches around Andy’s waist and pulls him in, crushing the calf with his shin.
Calf crush from turtle
1 Pete is attacking the turtle and has his nearside hook in.
2 Pete tries to step his far hook in, but Andy is defending tight with his elbow and knee.
3 Pete rotates away instead and feeds his left foot further across the back of Andy’s calf.
4 Pete reaches for Andy’s ankle.
5 Pete uses the mata leao grip to keep control of Andy’s leg and sits back to apply the pressure.
Pete Irving is a professional welterweight fighter and Fighters Only’s resident fight expert for the last three years. Irving has fought in Europe and the USA and coaches fighters in London.
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