If you’ve been rolling long enough, you know the toe hold has that “don’t mess with me” energy. It’s one of those leg locks that looks simple, feels sneaky, and can turn into a match-ender faster than you can say oss. The grip is straightforward, the mechanics are nasty, and when it’s on tight, your training partner will either tap or limp away.
In submission grappling, the toe hold is a classic. It’s been around forever, since the days of catch wrestlers falling in love with it. Sambo players perfected it, and BJJ competitors keep proving that it still works at the highest level. While everyone’s obsessed with heel hooks these days, the toe hold remains a go-to weapon that’s legal in most tournaments (at the right belt levels) and always dangerous under NAGA rules.
It also has the added advantage of working in both gi and no-gi. In the gi, you can trap and torque from positions like half guard, 50/50, or even while passing. No-gi, it’s a slick add-on to leg entanglements when your opponent is too focused on defending the heel hook. Either way, the toe hold is versatile, painful, and something every grappler should have in their submission toolkit.
BJJ Toe Hold Key Mechanics & How it Works
What is a Toe Hold?
The toe hold is basically the kimura of the foot. Instead of attacking the shoulder, you’re attacking the ankle joint by twisting the foot where it doesn’t want to go. You grab your opponent’s toes with one hand, loop your other arm under their shin, and lock up a figure-four grip on your own wrist. From there, you crank their foot inward, folding it toward their hip.
Key Principles
A toe hold works by targeting the ankle and foot, cranking them in a direction they were never designed to go. The torque tears into the smaller ligaments around the ankle, and if you really apply pressure or have an opponent who is too stubborn to tap, the pressure can easily extend to the knee as well.
The whole thing is powered by a figure-four grip, the same one you’d use in a kimura. One hand clamps over the toes, the other loops under the shin and grabs your wrist, locking everything into a tight, nearly unbreakable hold. From there, it doesn’t take much to earn a tap, just a controlled twist to push the joint to its breaking point (or beyond).
How It Differs from Other Leg Locks:
Heel Hooks
Heel hooks are the rockstars of leg locks right now. They torque the knee directly, which makes toe holds a little “safer” under certain rule sets.
Ankle Locks
Straight ankle locks put pressure mostly on the Achilles tendon and ankle. They’re painful, but usually slower-burning than toe holds.
Knee Bars
Think armbar, but on the leg. You hyperextend the knee instead of twisting the ankle. Toe holds twist first, extend second — different pathways, same bad news if you don’t tap.
When to Choose a Toe Hold over Other Leg Attacks
The toe hold shines in those chaotic moments when your opponent thinks they’re safe:
- Going for a quick and aggressive finish when you don’t have time to set up a slow burn submission
- From dominant positions such as side control, half guard, 50/50, or anywhere you can trap a leg, you can threaten a toe hold.
- When your opponent is defending heel hooks or kneebars
- During escapes when they’re rolling like crazy to avoid or get out of a heel hook. The foot often dangles wide open for a toe hold.
- Forcing transitions – Even if you don’t get the tap, threatening the toe hold makes your opponent move, giving you space to pass, mount, or grab something juicier.
Step-by-Step Execution of a Toe Hold Submission
Step 1: Secure the Opponent’s Leg
Trap their leg so they can’t slip out using half guard, 50/50, or a tight entanglement where the knee line is locked down.
Step 2: Establish the Figure-Four Grip
Grab their toes with one hand, loop the other arm under their shin, and lock up on your own wrist.
Step 3: Applying Rotational Pressure
Turn their foot inward, like you’re trying to point their pinky toe toward their own hip. Keep it glued to your chest so there’s no wiggle room.
Step 4: Preventing Escapes and Counters
Stay tight. If there’s space, they’ll boot out, roll, or counter with their own leg lock. Keep their knee bent, your hips heavy, and their foot locked to your body.
Step 5: Executing the Finish
Now crank it. Use your whole body to rotate and apply pressure. If done right, they’ll tap quickly. If not, you’re about to learn why everyone says “tap early, tap often.”
Transitions Into and Out of the Toe Hold
Positions to Set Up the Submission
- Half Guard: If you’re sitting heavy in top half, it’s the perfect time to trap the far foot, roll over your shoulder, and lock up the toes. It surprises people who are too focused on blocking the pass.
- Side Control: When you isolate a leg from the top side, the foot is often vulnerable. Snag it, secure your grip, and twist before they realize what’s happening.
- 50/50 Guard: This is the classic toe hold battleground. With legs locked up, you can threaten either foot and force your opponent into some tough decisions.
Follow-Up Techniques to Submission Set-Ups
- Transition to a Knee Bar: If they straighten their leg to escape, slide right into a kneebar and turn their intended defense into your next attack.
- Rolling Into a Heel Hook: When they roll hard to spin out of the toe hold, don’t fight it. Instead, roll with them and snatch the heel.
Defensive Tactics: How to Counter the Toe Hold
Recognize the Attack Early
The best defense is to anticipate a move. As soon as your opponent isolates your foot or grabs at your toes, react fast. Don’t let them lock up the figure-four in the first place. Do whatever it takes to get your foot free or change the angle before they settle in.
Breaking the Grip
If they’ve already got the figure-four locked, you need to fight the hands. Peel at their grip, push the wrist away, and make space. Even just breaking one hand off the chain can buy you an escape.
Precise Knee Position
A straight leg makes it easy for them to finish; a bent knee makes the mechanics way harder. Think about hiding your heel and flaring your knee to the outside to take pressure off your ankle and give you a better chance to scramble free.
Commonly Asked Questions
What belt level should you start practicing the toe hold?
Toe holds are typically legal starting at brown belt. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start learning the mechanics earlier. If you’re blue or purple, you can drill them safely in the gym with supervision so that by the time it’s legal in competition, you’re already dialed in. Just remember: go slow, respect your training partners, and tap quickly when you’re on the receiving end.
Is it more effective in gi or no-gi?
Honestly? Both. In gi, you can trap the leg with grips and really kill movement, making the toe hold super tight. In no-gi, it chains beautifully with heel hooks and ankle locks, especially in scrambly positions like 50/50.
Why do high-level BJJ competitors favor it in tournaments?
Because it works. Period. The toe hold is fast and sneaky, which makes it a great option when heel hooks are off the table. Legends like Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida have used it in the gi at the biggest stages, and Gordon Ryan has blended it into his leg attack system in sub-only formats. It’s versatile, competition-proven, and one of those moves that makes your opponent second-guess every time they leave a foot dangling.
Why You Should Be Drilling Toe Holds Today
The toe hold is one of those subs that proves old-school doesn’t mean outdated. It’s quick, nasty, and 100% worth adding to your game, whether you go gi or no-gi. Like any leg lock, it’s all about control, timing, and drilling. Start slow, practice it repeatedly, and learn the escapes too (because nothing sucks worse than getting tapped by the same move you’re trying to learn).
If you want to level up your submission game, don’t sleep on the toe hold. Make it part of your arsenal, and while you’re at it, keep reading the NAGA blog for more breakdowns, techniques, and tips straight from the world of grappling.