Also known as: Honey Hole · 411 · Inside Sankaku · Cross Ashi Garami · Leg Knot
The attacker triangles their legs around one of the opponent’s legs from the inside, trapping the knee line — five names, one position. The saddle is the strongest leg entanglement in grappling: the inside heel hook finishes from here, and control of the knee line is what makes escape so difficult. The position is the submission; the heel is just the finish.
No-gi · Category: Leg Entanglements
What can you do from Saddle?
Attacking player (positional score +8/10)
Submissions
Inside Heel Hook from the Saddle — The most feared finish in modern no-gi: with the knee line locked in the saddle, catch the heel and rotate — the knee’s ligaments take the torque. The position does the work; the heel is only the handle.
Toe Hold — A figure-four grip on the foot that turns the sole toward their same-side hip — attacking the ankle first and the knee close behind. Quietly one of the highest-percentage gi leg locks at brown and black.
Kneebar — An armbar for the leg: their kneecap points at your chest, their shin hugged to your torso, and your hips extend through the joint.
Defending player (positional score -8/10)
Escapes
Saddle Escape — Survive the honey hole: hide the heel, free your knee past their leg triangle, and come up top passing — the escape is a sequence, and it starts the instant you feel the entry.