The newest addition to my toe hold arsenal: The Drop Toe Hold

[Matt Thornton]

Muhahahaha.... I love the toe hold. I've gotten crap here before about using leg locks, because people worry I'm a meathead with them and crank them (which I don't). But the toehold is pretty much my go-to move when I'm being beaten by a superior grappler. It can be executed from so many different positions, so you can usually catch someone off-guard with it. It's way more secure than a heelhook, more likely to be effective than an achilles lock, and not as difficult as a kneebar. You can hit it from the achilles/heel hook position, and you can hit it from the kneebar position, as well as a host of other positions. I also like it because the pain is pretty quick to set in with this move, so you don't have to worry *AS MUCH* (you still need to be very careful) as you do with a heel hook.

Here's the newest one I learned, that I can not WAIT to catch someone with in the gym. It's off of a single-leg takedown.

1) He shoots in for a single leg takedown, and picks up your leg, holding it at the pit of your knee.

2) To defend the single, you put your leg on the outside of his legs (wrestlers have seen this before; it won't stop the takedown, but it'll make it much harder).

3) While he's holding your leg, drop down onto the side of your body, on the side of your free leg. If he has your left leg, drop down to your RIGHT side (his left leg). If he has your right leg, drop down to your LEFT side (his right.)

4) If you know how to do a toehold, you're right in front of his foot. Start to lock it up, while pulling him forward.

5) He'll trip from this motion, because your toehold grip is blocking one leg from stepping, while the leg that he's holding onto is blocking his body and other leg.

6) When he falls, immediately sit up or get onto your knees. He'll be on his stomach, and you'll have a toehold on him. Pretty much the same finish as a rolling toehold from a guard break.


I learned this move from Mark Hatmaker's new takedown book. It's actually a pretty sweet book. Guaranteed

 

[TJS]

sounds intresting..Im kind of afraid of toe hold's because I had my ankle poped by one when i was a white belt..It hurt for a good 4-5 months it seemed like...what sucked it it cracked like 3 times before it even hurtand i can still feel something in my ankle where it popped like a year later.

 

[pitviper259]

oooooo very nice ill have to remember that one

 

[SmashiusClay]

If I were you I'd work for the rolling knee bar from that position, as the fact you're trying to get closer means that if you lose the knee bar you end up in perfect range for the toe hold. If you aim for the toe hold and don't get your range right then you have no back up move (except maybe turning into an achilles lock or heelhook). Basically the same move but the change in emphasis makes it much more likely to work.

 

[Matt Thornton]

If I were you I'd work for the rolling knee bar from that position, as the fact you're trying to get closer means that if you lose the knee bar you end up in perfect range for the toe hold. If you aim for the toe hold and don't get your range right then you have no back up move (except maybe turning into an achilles lock or heelhook). Basically the same move but the change in emphasis makes it much more likely to work.

Not a bad idea. The only thing to consider is, he's holding onto your leg. So how are you supposed to bring it around to figure 4 your legs or at least put them together? Plus, what I like about the toehold is, you can use it as a transition between other leglocks.

 

[DirectDrive]

If I were you I'd work for the rolling knee bar from that position, as the fact you're trying to get closer means that if you lose the knee bar you end up in perfect range for the toe hold. If you aim for the toe hold and don't get your range right then you have no back up move (except maybe turning into an achilles lock or heelhook). Basically the same move but the change in emphasis makes it much more likely to work.

yeah, i really like the rolling kneebar from that position.

 

[SmashiusClay]

Not a bad idea. The only thing to consider is, he's holding onto your leg. So how are you supposed to bring it around to figure 4 your legs or at least put them together? Plus, what I like about the toehold is, you can use it as a transition between other leglocks.

If you've practiced the kneebar enough and you get your hip position correct you don't really need both legs, but as you roll most people will let go of your knee anyway. The point of using this move is that anything goes wrong you've then got the ability to go straight to the toe hold, but losing proper range when going for the toehold tends to end up with nothing.

 

[IMP]

A toe-hold is a figure four while holding the toes,
and heelhook is when you block his toes with your body and pull the heel, right?
Couldnt you go for a inverted heelhook from that position too?