YR Sports Lab
The Inside Sankaku (also called the Saddle, 411 or Honey Hole) is a leg entanglement that pulls one of your opponent's legs between your hips and legs while you control his hip line, knee line and heel. Evolve calls it "the most powerful leg lock position in grappling," and Grapplearts says it is "probably the most powerful leglock position in all of grappling." This entry covers its many names, control details, entries and common counters, plus the IBJJF rule limits and a 2018 ADCC European Trials tally.
1. Origin and Story: No Single Inventor, but Leg Locks Have a Traceable Path of Spread
First, to be clear: no reliable record names a single inventor or a year for the Inside Sankaku. What can be confirmed is that it has a long list of names: Evolve writes "saddle, honey hole, cross ashi garami, inside sankaku," Evolve and Digitsu both list 411, and Stephan Kesting at Grapplearts writes "Inside Sangaku, Honeyhole, 411," so even the spelling varies. Sankaku is Japanese for "triangle"; the judo triangle choke is written 三角絞 (sankaku-jime), and Wikipedia says that technique's leg configuration resembles a triangle. I found no source explaining why this position carries the word; Evolve's steps do include a motion that "triangles" the opponent's leg with your own, so treat that as my inference, not a conclusion.
Leg locks in general are easier to trace (the sources below discuss leg attacks and the heel hook, not the Saddle on its own). American competitor Dean Lister is known for leg attacks; FloGrappling's history article credits him with at least nine heel hooks across five ADCC appearances and says he is credited with convincing John Danaher of the effectiveness of leg attacks. John Danaher's Wikipedia entry says Lister came to train at Renzo Gracie Academy for two weeks in the early 2000s. The two sources agree on the broad direction, that Lister made Danaher take leg locks seriously, but describe the detail differently (persuasion versus a simple training visit), so this entry only uses what they share.
Next comes the Danaher Death Squad. Evolve says Eddie Cummings, Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon, coached by Danaher, dominated the grappling scene with a hierarchy of leg positions; Wikipedia lists the team as Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Nick Rodriguez, Craig Jones and Nicky Ryan and says it split up in July 2021. The two rosters differ, so I do not vouch for either list and only take the shared direction: that team organized leg positions into a system and pushed it into the mainstream.
Even Danaher could not pin down where leg locks began
FloGrappling's Hywel Teague (June 2, 2021) writes that when Joe Rogan asked Danaher about the origin of the heel hook, Danaher said he had heard a number of stories but could not verify any of them. The same article notes that before the 1990s it is nearly impossible to find photos or video of BJJ heel hooks, only straight ankle locks.
So when you read "so-and-so invented the Saddle," treat it as teaching marketing, not history. What the sources support is only that leg locks in general were systematized and pushed into the mainstream starting from the early-2000s exchange between Lister and Danaher and then through Danaher's students; none of them traces the Saddle itself. That outline is my own synthesis of the sources above, not the wording of any single one.
2. Technique Breakdown: Three Things to Control, Hip Line, Knee Line and Heel
Evolve describes the entry and control sequence using a Gordon Ryan demonstration (shown here on the opponent's right leg; the ordering below is my own arrangement), and Digitsu lists the control points. Combined:
| Stage | Key points |
|---|---|
| ① Enter from the outside | Approach from the outside of the opponent's right leg and place that leg on the outside of your hip (Evolve) |
| ② Triangle the leg, collect the far leg | Bring your left leg over to triangle his right leg while collecting his far (left) leg (Evolve) |
| ③ Knee as a frame | Drop your left knee and clamp your calf across his hip; Evolve says to use the knee as a frame on his hip, so when he reaches for your head he is pushed toward his own ribs and chest |
| ④ Control the far leg, turn to the same side of the hip | Control the far leg with your right arm and turn onto your left side so you and the controlled leg are on the same side of his hip (Evolve) |
| ⑤ Hook the hamstring, knee as a wedge | Hook your right leg behind his left hamstring and bring your right knee across the top of his right leg to form a wedge behind the knee, then cross or triangle your feet (Evolve) |
| ⑥ Control the end of the lever: the foot | Evolve stresses controlling the end of the lever (the opponent's foot) so he cannot build base; Digitsu describes cupping the heel or gripping the toes |
Digitsu's control list condenses into four sentences: the inside leg threads across the opponent's hip line and hooks behind the far hip or thigh; the outside leg locks over the inside ankle in a figure-four; the knees pinch together to isolate the trapped knee; and your hips stay close to the trapped knee with your body perpendicular to his. Digitsu calls the cross the key, because it lets you control his hips through the trapped leg. Evolve adds one detail: keep your knee pointing down, since pointing it up helps the opponent turn, drive away and stand.
Digitsu lists three common mistakes, which are also the most common sticking points in the gym: the inside leg is not deep enough across the hip, so he can turn or pummel free; there is too much space between your hips and his knee, so he can straighten the leg; and the far hip or thigh is not controlled, so he rotates in and flattens out.
3. Entries and Setups
First, from guard positions. Digitsu's entry list includes K-guard rotations (see K-Guard) and Single Leg X transitions to the Saddle (see Single Leg X). The butterfly guard route described by Grapplearts is also common: elevate the opponent, spin underneath to entangle his legs, then start attacking.
Second, from standing or an Imanari roll. Digitsu lists the Imanari roll from standing (see Imanari Roll) and Kani Basami (see Kani Basami). The Grapplearts article also credits a video on going from Kani Basami to the Saddle.
Third, from the back side of 50-50 or by dropping during a pass. Digitsu mentions entries from the back side of 50-50 Guard and top-side drops from passing. Grapplearts adds that entries come from the top, from your feet, from guard and during scrambles.
Digitsu recommends attacking in series: each defense should open the next threat rather than betting everything on one finish.
4. Strengths and Limits
| Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|
| Evolve and Grapplearts both call it one of the most powerful leg lock positions; Grapplearts says it gives powerful control over the opponent's ability to move, counter and escape | It is a no-gi position: Digitsu notes that most gi rulesets ban heel hooks and the reaping configurations the saddle uses |
| Many finishes: Digitsu lists the inside heel hook, outside heel hook, toe hold, kneebar, calf slicer, Z-lock, and back takes when the opponent turns away | Evolve warns the position "applies pressure to the legs," making it sometimes tricky to hold, and Evolve stresses controlling the foot at the end of the lever |
| Grapplearts says the inside heel hook from the Saddle "twists the leg in a much worse angle than a regular heel hook," so power and control are both high | Training risk is high, and Evolve warns directly that "you can potentially injure your training partner's knee" |
5. Common Counters
The defensive advice from Digitsu and Evolve falls into three layers:
Counter one: clear the triangle and knee line before the heel is found. Digitsu's order is to deal with the triangle and knee line first.
Counter two: turn in when the far hip is uncontrolled, or withdraw the leg. Digitsu says that if the attacker does not control the far hip, the defender turning in is the primary escape pathway. Evolve lists the opponent's reactions of withdrawing the controlled leg to stand, posting the far leg for base, and turning toward the uncontrolled leg; if you are the attacker, hold the far leg as much as possible so it cannot be withdrawn.
Counter three: on the butterfly guard route, crossface and sprawl. Grapplearts notes the opponent can establish a crossface and sprawl back, which is uncomfortable for the attacker and loses the leg lock position; the attacker's answer is Kani Basami, framing and briefly inverting to turn the table back to the Saddle.
Options after the counter
When he turns away to protect the leg, Digitsu lists the back take. When the leg straightens, go to the kneebar; when it folds, consider the calf slicer (less common); when the foot turns, the outside heel hook and toe hold appear.
Evolve makes a useful point: "leg locks are not the end goal here," and the position can also lead to passes or back takes. You do not need to finish the heel hook every time.
6. Frequency in Competition and Legality
Rules first. According to the IBJJF's rules update announcement, heel hooks and knee reaping have been open since January 1, 2021 in adult brown and black belt no-gi divisions (queried 2026/10; that page shows no later rule changes, but check the latest rulebook before competing). Digitsu adds that most gi rulesets ban these techniques, so the Saddle's full attack chain is essentially a no-gi matter. I did not verify ADCC rules clause by clause, so none are asserted here.
Now third-party statistics. Official event results publish placings and brackets, not technique statistics. The only tally I found is FloGrappling's Chase Smith (October 16, 2018), covering the 2018 ADCC European Trials: 85 submissions, 26 of them heel hooks (about 31%). The tally merges inside and outside heel hooks and does not record the position they were finished from, so there is no way to tell how many came from the Saddle; the article mentions inside sankaku (i.e. the saddle, 411) in just one sentence, saying more than one competitor looked trapped in it.
| Submission (2018 ADCC European Trials, top 7 of 21 categories) | Count |
|---|---|
| Heel Hook | 26 |
| Rear Naked Choke | 13 |
| Armbar | 7 |
| Toe Hold | 6 |
| Straight Ankle Lock | 4 |
| Kneebar | 4 |
| D'Arce | 4 |
This is a small sample from one event and cannot represent other years or divisions. Digitsu calls the inside heel hook "among the highest-percentage submissions in the sport" in no-gi; that is a teaching site's claim, not a statistic, and I found no reliable cross-event percentage, so none is given.
7. Safety Notes
The Saddle usually ends in a heel hook, and the heel hook's risk is concentrated in the knee. Baker and colleagues' 2010 case report describes a 32-year-old mixed martial artist who sustained a complete anterior cruciate ligament rupture with a medial collateral ligament injury from a heel hook; the authors note the knee was flexed and in valgus while an internal rotation force was applied to the tibia, and that reports of serious knee trauma from this technique were still lacking. It is a single case and cannot give an incidence rate.
・Apply the heel hook slowly in its final stage, never with an explosive twist
・Tap at the first sense of pressure in the knee or ankle, not after a sound or when feeling goes
・Release immediately on the tap and stop turning in the direction of the twist
・Agree on intensity and rules for this position with your partner and make sure they know the tap timing
For fuller mechanics and injury write-ups, see Heel Hook mechanics and injury, the leg lock system, and the move entries for Heel Hook, Kneebar, Toe Hold and Calf Slicer.
FAQ
Are Inside Sankaku, Saddle, 411 and Honey Hole the same position?
Broadly yes. Evolve and Digitsu both list saddle, honey hole, inside sankaku and 411 as aliases of one leg entanglement, and Digitsu adds cross ashi garami. Teaching systems may define details slightly differently; I only found these sources grouping them together.
Can you finish from the Saddle in a gi competition?
Mostly no. Digitsu notes that most gi rulesets ban heel hooks and knee reaping, and the IBJJF site states that from January 1, 2021 these techniques are open to adult brown and black belt no-gi divisions. Check the current rulebook for your event.
How do you escape the Saddle?
The earlier the better: clear the triangle and the knee line before the heel is found. Digitsu says that if the attacker does not control the far hip, the defender turning in is the primary escape pathway, and Evolve lists withdrawing the leg to stand, posting the far leg, and turning toward an uncontrolled leg.
Who invented the Saddle?
No reliable single inventor or year could be found. FloGrappling's history article notes that even John Danaher said he had heard several heel hook origin stories but could not verify any, so this entry names no one and only traces how the modern leg lock system spread.
Should I learn attacking or escaping the Saddle first?
Learn to hold the position first, then the escapes. Digitsu's reasoning is that training partners often put you there before you can attack from it. Evolve also warns the position can injure a partner's knee, so agree on intensity and tap timing before you drill it.
References
1. Evolve MMA. Ultimate Guide To The Inside Sankaku/411 In BJJ (no publication date shown). evolve-mma.com (queried 2026/10; supports the aliases, the Gordon Ryan entry and control sequence, the knee frame, knee pointing down, control of the foot at the end of the lever, the finishes, the defensive reactions and the injury warning)
2. Digitsu. Cross Ashi Garami (Saddle / Inside Sankaku / 411 / Honey Hole) (BJJ technique database entry, no publication date shown). digitsu.com (queried 2026/10; supports the aliases, entry list, control points, finish list, defensive advice, common mistakes, and the note that most gi rulesets ban heel hooks)
3. Kesting S. Bottom Saddle to Heel Hook Transition, Grapplearts, 2019/11/06. grapplearts.com (queried 2026/10; supports the Saddle aliases, the most-powerful-position claim, the butterfly guard route, the crossface and sprawl defense and the Kani Basami answer)
4. Teague H. The History of Heel Hooks, FloGrappling, 2021/06/02. flograppling.com (queried 2026/10; supports Lister's nine heel hooks in five ADCC appearances, Lister being credited with convincing Danaher, Danaher being unable to verify origin stories, and the scarcity of heel hook records before the 1990s)
5. Wikipedia. John Danaher (martial artist). en.wikipedia.org (queried 2026/10; supports Lister's two-week visit to Renzo Gracie Academy in the early 2000s and the Danaher Death Squad roster and July 2021 split); Wikipedia. Dean Lister. en.wikipedia.org (queried 2026/10; supports his reputation for leg attacks)
6. Wikipedia. Triangle choke. en.wikipedia.org (queried 2026/10; supports the Japanese name sankaku-jime and the description of the legs resembling a triangle)
7. Smith C. Stats Prove Heel Hooks Dominate At ADCC Trials, FloGrappling, 2018/10/16. flograppling.com (third-party tally, data year 2018, queried 2026/10; supports 26 heel hooks among 85 submissions, the per-submission counts and the one-sentence inside sankaku mention)
8. IBJJF. New Rules Updates. ibjjf.com (official source, queried 2026/10; supports heel hooks and knee reaping opening to adult brown and black belt no-gi divisions from January 1, 2021)
9. Baker JF, Devitt BM, Moran R. (2010). Anterior cruciate ligament rupture secondary to a 'heel hook': a dangerous martial arts technique. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc;18(1):115-116. PubMed PMID 19629437 (supports the case of a 32-year-old MMA fighter with complete ACL rupture and MCL injury from a heel hook, and the flexion, valgus and internal rotation description)