Also called Hiza-juji-gatame, Leg bar, Knee lock
The kneebar is an armbar for the leg: trap the opponent's leg between yours, hug it to your chest with their kneecap pointing at you, and extend your hips to straighten the knee past its limit. It is a staple of sport sambo, which allows leg locks but not chokes, and a legal attack for advanced belts in jiu-jitsu.
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How to do it
- 1Isolate one of the opponent's legs, for example as they step over during a pass.
- 2Swing your leg across their hip and trap their thigh between yours, knees pinched.
- 3Hug their ankle to your chest or shoulder with both arms.
- 4Line up their kneecap to face you, with the knee just past your hips.
- 5Extend your hips slowly, pulling the ankle back, until they tap.
- Setting the knee too far up your body, so there is no leverage.
- Letting their knee turn sideways out of line.
- Extending fast; the knee can be injured before a tap.
Safety: Knee ligaments can be injured suddenly: extend slowly, release at the tap and drill leg locks only under a coach.
Drills
With a coach present, your partner stands in your open guard and steps a leg forward; trap it, set the kneebar and extend slowly to the first sign of pressure.
Legends known for it
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