Outside Ashi Garami

Position

Also known as:

Outside Ashi

Outside Ashi Garami is a leg entanglement where the attacker controls the opponent's leg with both legs on the outside (lateral side) of the trapped leg, with the inside foot acting as a hook on the far hip. It is an offensive position that provides strong control for heel hooks, kneebars, and toe holds while keeping the attacker's legs relatively safe from counter-attacks.

Quick Reference

Key principles

· The inside foot hooks the opponent's far hip to prevent them from pulling their leg free and to maintain distance control.
· Knees pinch tightly together around the opponent's trapped leg to create a clamp that controls their knee line.
· Hips stay close to the opponent's trapped knee to maximize leverage for any leg attack.
· Angle your body perpendicular to the opponent's leg to generate optimal breaking mechanics on submissions.
· Control the foot or heel of the trapped leg with your hands to prevent them from freeing the knee line.

Execution

1 Secure the opponent's leg between your legs so both of your knees are on the outside (lateral) side of their trapped leg.
2 Place your inside foot as a hook on their far hip, keeping your heel tight to their body.
3 Pinch your knees together around their leg and angle your hips close to their knee.
4 Control their trapped foot or ankle with both hands, keeping it tight to your chest.
5 Maintain a slight backward angle with your torso to create tension and prevent the opponent from closing distance to stack or smash.

Common mistakes

× Leaving the hip hook foot loose or flat instead of actively pressing into the far hip, allowing the opponent to easily close distance and begin passing.
× Knees too wide apart, which loses the clamp on the opponent's leg and lets them rotate their knee free to escape.
× Hips too far from the opponent's knee, which dramatically reduces finishing leverage on heel hooks and kneebars and gives them space to extract their leg.