Do you want to perform the Toe Hold flawlessly? If you do, this is the article for you. There are a few things you should know, however. First, to perform it perfectly, you must understand the primary mistakes most grapplers will make and how to fix them effectively.
Secondly, you want to understand all its variations. And guess what? This article’s 1st part will be all about variations. But first, we’ll review the most popular ones and guide you through learning them.
The 2nd part of the article will break down one of the variations into the most minor details as possible. That’ll ensure you avoid making mistakes that most grapplers make when they first learn the Toe Hold.
These two parts are critical to understand, as they’ll make you a much better user of leg locks in general. Eventually, you’ll be able to win more fights and even advance through the belt system quicker.
This is what this article will cover:
- Toe Hold Variations
- Step-By-Step Breakdown
- Fundamentals
- How to win more fights using it
- Tips
- Setups
- Escapes
- Q&A
- Conclusion
So without further ado, let’s dive into the 1st part of this complete guide, variations.
Toe Hold Variations
The 1st part of this article will be about variations. Here’s something I believe about BJJ: the more you learn and know, the more competent you’ll be as a grappler.
I’m not suggesting you start learning all the techniques in the entire world; that would be impossible and make you less competent. However, being familiar with them—will allow you to be more adaptive.
Not even practicing these variations—but knowing they exist—will make you a better grappler. The best chess players in the world know thousands of entries and techniques; that’s why they’re always one step ahead of their opponents.
You can be too.
Here’s the 1st variation.
Variation #1 – Toe Hold From Ashi Garami
We’ll review the 1st variation of the Toe Hold from the Ashi Garami position. You can follow this link to learn more about the Ashi Garami position if you’re unfamiliar with it.
Anyways, this is the simplest one to perform, so I’ve decided to list it as the first one. My aim is for you to start getting results sooner. Staying consistent is hard enough, so you can motivate yourself by seeing results and beginning to win your first fights using the Toe Hold.
That’s why I’m an advocate of learning his variation first.
Here’s how to perform the Toe Hold from Ashi Garami Position:
- Start in the Ashi Garami
- Grab the opponent’s toes
- Lock your hands by gripping your wrist
- Have a Kimura grip
- Place your elbow on the ground
- Apply pressure by folding the toes
- Apply pressure by pulling your elbow upwards
- Wait for the tap
Variation #2 – Toe Hold From Half Guard
This 2nd variation is highly effective, starting in a more common position than others. You’ll likely end up in the top half-guard more than you think. Here you have an option you can go for whenever you find yourself in this position.
Here’s how to perform the Toe Hold from the half-guard position:
- Start in half guard (top)
- Lock the opponent’s leg
- Move forward while exposing the other leg
- Grip the opponent’s toes
- Lock your hands (Kimura grip)
- Roll the opponent’s toes (1st pressure)
- Pull your elbow back (2nd pressure)
- Wait for the tap
Your goal is to control the bottom leg. Understand that BJJ is all about control. You want to isolate the opponent’s leg to attack it effectively. Isolation is the first part of all BJJ submissions.
This variation can be tricky to execute, leaving you vulnerable if you perform incorrectly. However, assuming you perform it incorrectly—will ensure you cannot continue your superior position.
Variation #3 – Toe Hold From Open Guard (Top)
The Toe Hold from open guard has to be one of the most beautiful variations. It includes a roll, which can be complicated for trainees who have never tried it. However, it remains as simple, if not more, than #1 and #2.
I recommend learning this variation first, as it’ll teach you the proper fundamentals moving in the future of your BJJ career. Alright. That’s enough introduction.
Here’s how to perform the Toe Hold from the top open guard perfectly:
- Start in the top open guard
- Back step to open up space and gain a side position
- Kimura-grip the opponent’s toes
- Roll
- Fold the toes
- Pull the toes into the opponent’s hips
- Wait for the tap
Remember, you want to isolate the opponent’s leg before rolling. That means that you want to Kimura-grip his foot before rolling forward.
If you skip the isolation part or are unsure whether your grip is sufficient, take steps to better your grip. Only then keep performing this variation. Without a firm grip, there’s no way you’ll get this right.
Variation #4 – Toe Hold From Ankle Lock
This variation will be an escape from the Ankle Lock. Assuming you’re stuck in this position, you’re at a disadvantage. The opponent is two steps away from finishing the fight.
All he needs to do is turn and pop your ankle. We want to prevent that and take steps to leave him vulnerable and get the Toe Hold on him.
Here’s how to perform the Toe Hold from the Ankle Lock position (escape + submission)
- Start in the Ankle Lock Position (defense)
- Turn your thumb in the direction of the opponent (side)
- Push his heel toward his hips
- Grip the opponent’s toes
- Kimura grip the toes
- Push his knee down
- Pull his toes upward
- Fold his toes
- Wait for the tap
I’m a fan of this variation because it’s an offensive move disguised as a defensive move. You’re essentially saving yourself from getting tapped while leaving the opponent vulnerable.
I always say that BJJ is like Chess. Well, here’s the proof for that.
Toe Hold: Step-By-Step Breakdown
Now you know the 4 primary variations of the Toe Hold. Learning all of them can benefit your grappling skills, as you’ll be able to adapt more quickly to all opponents.
Now, however, it’s time we break down one of the variations and cover the smallest details. These small details will help you to perfect your Toe Hold and, therefore, submit more people using it.
Getting the Toe Hold every single time can be complicated, as you’ll face different opponents who know defensive moves. So you want to ensure you’re performing it correctly, especially if you’re not a master of leg locks, which few people are.
Without further ado, let’s break down the 2nd variation: Toe Hold from half-guard:
Step #1 – Start in half guard (top)
The 1st step is to start in half guard. If you’re unfamiliar with how this looks, it’s when you’re on top and have one of your legs between the opponent’s guard. It’s like the closed guard, but half :).
The opponent might wrap his legs around your leg, making it more problematic for you to move. In that case, you must break this lock if you cannot move. Sometimes, however, you’ll be able to work just fine, even went the opponent has a half-guard wrap on you.
Step #2 – Control the bottom leg
The bottom leg will not be the one you’re isolating and eventually targeting. And still, if you don’t control it, you’ll be in deep trouble, as the opponent will use it to counter and leave you vulnerable.
The best step you can take to control this leg is by pinching your legs against it. That will lock it in place and allow you to work freely.
Many grapplers yet to control the Toe Hold will skip this step, as it will seem less important. Although BJJ is all about isolation, it’s about isolating the body part you’re attacking.
And still, you must control the bottom if you’re interested in getting this submission right.
Step #3 – Reach your hand over the opponent’s head
The 3rd step is to move your hand over the opponent’s head. What this will do is help you engage your hips and rotate them.
This step is critical to finish with this variation more often. You won’t be able to lock the opponent’s foot if your hips are in the same half-guard position as before.
Step #4 – Move your bottom leg under the opponent’s leg and squeeze
The 4th step is to move your bottom leg under the opponent’s leg (not the one you’re targeting) and squeeze your legs together.
The best way to understand this step is by thinking of the opponent’s bottom leg as a sandwich. Your goal here is to squeeze his bottom leg to ensure he can’t use it for a defensive or offensive (later) move.
By moving your bottom leg, you’ll lock it in place and ensure he can’t move it at all.
Step #5 – Overhook his top leg (with your arm) and trap
Now that you got the lock on the opponent’s leg, you want to trap the other leg (the one you’re targeting) as well.
This move allows you to isolate and control the leg you’re targeting. Until now, we’ve worked on controlling the bottom leg to ensure we’re not vulnerable when we go all-in on this Toe Hold variation.
Now it’s time we advance and take action toward isolating and attacking the top leg.
You do that by overhooking your arm around the opponent’s top leg. What most grapplers will do is grab his toes right now (without overhooking.) You want to avoid that, as you won’t have any firm grip over the opponent’s toes.
He’ll be able to straighten and bend his top leg to release your Toe Hold grip. Instead, you want to first overhook your arm around it – and only then go for the attack.
Step #6 – Grab the opponent’s toes
Now you’re solid to start the actual submission. You control both legs (which is fantastic.) What you want to do from here is grab the toes, the same as you’ve seen up until now in this article.
You want to grab the toes by the end, not the foot itself. Remember, you’ll be applying two pressure directions—one of them folding the toes—meaning that you want to grab them by the end.
Eventually, you’re in one of BJJ’s most superior positions. You control most of your training partner, as he can’t move, even if he really wants to. But, of course, there’s something he can do here: knock you off-balance and try to release your grips.
However, it’s unlikely for it to succeed if you’ve gone through all the previous steps.
I hope you’re ready for the next step!
Step #7 – Lock your hands (Kimura-Grip)
The 7th step is to lock your hands. You want to grab the wrist of the hand that grips the toes. So you want to go under the opponent’s heel and squeeze your arms together.
First, it creates the core of the submission, which is the Kimura Lock on the opponent’s toes. But what it also does is lock the opponent’s leg in place.
If you’ve done everything correctly until now, the opponent can’t move at all! I think this is one of the most effective variations the Toe Hold offers because you have so much control.
And the more control you have, the more likely you will succeed.
Step #8 – Fold the toes
Now you got the lock. You’re solid. The opponent can’t move, and you got all the control in the world. What you want to focus on in your current position is to apply force in two directions (3 if you want to cause some real damage.) Force in 3 directions will be so effective I urge you not to use it in training but only in self-defense.
In the next step, I’ll mention how to apply force in 3 different directions.
Anyways, back to the 8th step. You want to fold the toes. This will apply pressure on one ligament. It might even force the opponent to tap out, especially if he’s relatively new to BJJ. But most advanced grapplers won’t tap out by you folding the toes, and that’s it.
Let’s review the second direction you want to apply force towards.
Step #9 – Pull your elbow back
The second force you’ll apply will be pulling your elbow back. But, of course, we’re talking about the elbow of the same arm that grabbed the wrist.
Pulling your elbow back and folding the toes gives you much more pressure to work with. There’s no way the opponent will not tap out, even if you got one of the directions wrong.
What you got in steps 8 and 9 are two stretched ligaments. Do you know how painful it is? You likely do if you’re reading this article because my readers always prefer experience over theory.
Do you want a 3rd force to help you out? Again, please only use it in self-defense and not in training. I’m a big fan of giving you the whole picture instead of holding back on helpful information that might serve you one day. But again, don’t apply the 3rd force in training, as it can seriously hurt your training partners.
The 3rd direction force will occur by folding the opponent’s knee together with folding the toes and pulling your elbow back. You don’t have to touch the knee to fold it. In fact, you can’t do that. So how do you apply this pressure? You do so by leaning back and forcing the opponent’s shin in your direction.
You can cause severe damage (incorrectly) by folding the opponent’s knee with the Toe Hold, so please use it only in self-defense.
Step #10 – Wait for the tap
The last step is to wait for the tap.
When using leg locks and all other submissions, you must pay attention to the opponent. But leg locks particularly, as they can seriously and permanently hurt your training partner.
Apply the force slowly and not all at once. Likewise, pay close attention to your opponent. Release all pressure when he taps out, don’t keep the lock in place.
BJJ is all about maturity and keeping everyone injury-free. So use your power wisely.
Toe Hold Basics (Tips)
This 3rd part of the article will be about the basics of the Toe Hold. You want to implement these one by one into your grappling game—and you’ll see results naturally come your way.
So here’s the first one:
Tip #1 – Have force in two directions (at least)
The 1st tip is to apply force in at least two directions. As we saw, you can get those by (1) folding the toes and (2) pulling your elbow back.
This will be insanely powerful if performed correctly. However, there’s no way the opponent will not tap out in this instance, as extreme levels of physical pain will be involved.
The last thing you want is to perform all the steps accordingly and not have the opponent tap out since you haven’t applied enough pressure. So make sure to apply force in 2 directions.
Tip #2 – Monkey grip vs. No-Thumb grip
You got two options (1) use the monkey grip when gripping the toes, or (2) use the No-Thumb grip.
What grip do you use when you do a pull-up? For me, it’s always the monkey grip: I can apply more force while I’m using it (perhaps it’s because I’m used to it.)
Anyways, you have two grips to play around with when gripping the toes. Play these to see which is most suitable for your grappling style.
Tip #3 – Be as close as possible to the joint
When applying pressure on joints, you want to be as tight as possible to them. Can you imagine breaking someone’s arm by being as far as possible from his arm?
Well, of course not.
Thus, you want to minimize the space between your other arm (especially the forearm) to the opponent’s heel. Do so—and you’ll notice how your training partners tap out more often.
Tip #4 – Learn all the variations (one at a time)
The 4th tip is to learn all the variations, one at a time. It’ll be better if you don’t try out all the variations and skip learning some.
The best way to go about it is by learning and practicing one variation of the Toe Hold and practicing it. Then, try it out in a real spar or match. Can you finish the fight using it? If you think you can finish a fight using it—move on to the following variation—and so on.
That’s why I encourage you to bookmark this article, so you can return to it and read and watch each variation whenever you want.
Tip #5 – Control the other leg as well
The last tip about the Toe Hold is to control the leg you’re not targeting before eventually isolating the leg you want to attack.
Really think about what will occur if the opponent has a free leg to play around with. He’ll use it to escape (there are many ways one can go about it, such as by pushing your locked hands and unlocking them.)
Thus, you want to control both legs, and you can do this by squeezing both your legs before overhooking your arm and getting the Kimura-grip in place.
BJJ is all about control. The more control you have, the more likely you are to win more often.
How to Set Up the Toe Hold
So you want to set up the Toe Hold. What does this even mean? You want to be in a position to perform it and find more success with it. How can one go about it?
Let’s say you want to execute the Toe Hold from the open guard position; well, you want to be in open guard. Thus, you aim to enter this superior position, which you can do by standing up and having your opponent on his back.
So it all depends on which variation you want to use.
Another example is using the 4th variation when the opponent has an Ankle Lock on you. While you don’t want to enter this position, as it is inferior deliberately, you can utilize the opponent setup to start attacking.
Toe Hold Escapes
The best way to escape the Toe Hold is by spinning in the opposite direction of the opponent’s. That will allow you to unlock the opponent’s Kimura-Grip on your toes. Rolling is the best way of escaping leg locks, such as the Heel Hook, Kneebar, and Toe Hold. But make sure not to roll in the wrong direction.
Final Words
The Toe Hold is a highly effective leg lock in BJJ. You can learn it as your first leg lock because it’s uncomplicated. By this point, you should already know the basics of leg locks, as you’ve faced opponents who used them on you.
But once you attain the brown belt, you can start learning and mastering other types of leg locks, other than the Straight Ankle Lock, which you can learn when you’re a white belt.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to submit some people using this Toe Hold. I know how difficult it can be to start working on new techniques. However, once you gain momentum, things will start rolling (no pun intended) as smoothly as butter.
The Toe Hold, however, isn’t the most effective leg lock. In fact, I wrote an article on BJJ and MMA’s most effective leg locks you must learn as a grappler. Follow this link to learn more about these leg locks.
And here are other articles you will like reading if you read thus far into this article:
Estima Lock BJJ Complete Guide