Q: Given that leglocks are dangerous, how do you train them safely and still have confidence that they will work in a 'live' setting.
A: Although ANY submission is potentially dangerous, cranking someone with a heel hook or toehold can not only end the match, it can end your opponent's athletic career. Go here if you don't know what a heel hook is. . If you don't know what a toehold is, check out the second-last photo in this article about the kneebar.
These two leglocks are dangerous because they are twisting submissions and can severely damage ligaments in the knee and foot. Furthermore, for most submissions the pain starts well before there is any damage to the joint. With twisting leglocks, however, you often don't feel much initial pain: as someone is applying it to you might not feel anything at all, then you might feel a bit of discomfort, and then BANG, you feel a lot of pain because something has popped or torn.
So how do you train these dangerous locks so that you can trust in their effectiveness? My answer has 3 parts:
