The most trusted leg lock system for building reliable heel hooks.
The Bottom Line
You learn a complete framework for inside and outside heel hooks. You will not get quick hacks or a short highlight reel. You will adopt principles that scale to any level.
⚡️ Quick facts
Best for: System learners
Skip if: You want quick moves
Tech focus: Inside Heel Hook, Breaking Mechanics, Knee Line
Biggest takeaway: Control before heel exposure
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What You'll Learn
The modern baseline for learning heel hooks as a true system. Danaher ties entries, control, and finishing mechanics into a cohesive framework that scales from white belt to ADCC. If you want the theory and the why before the how, this is it. Expect deep mechanics on inside and outside heel hooks, knee-line retention, and positional pathways. It is dense, but it ages well.
If you plan to study one leg lock course end-to-end, start here and revisit often.
Primary Techniques You'll Drill
- Inside Heel Hook
- Outside Heel Hook
- Ashi Garami
- Cross Ashi
- 50/50
- Knee Line
- Breaking Mechanics
- Entries
- Double Trouble
- Reaping Entries
Format & Level
- Instructional style: System Based, Conceptual
- Skill level: All Levels
- Format: No-Gi
- Runtime: 10 hours and 45 minutes
- Volumes: 8
Should You Buy It?
Buy it now. I keep returning to this set because the principles never expire; every newer course still fits into Danaher’s language.
Why John Danaher?
John Danaher is a Renzo Gracie black belt, widely regarded as one of the best coaches in grappling. He developed the systems used by Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon. His teaching emphasizes conceptual clarity and structured progressions.
Community feedback
Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.
😍 Why People Love It
- Most complete overview of leg locks and control paths.
- Teaches principles you can apply across positions and partners.
- Sets a shared language for gym study groups.
- Explains heel exposure and breaking mechanics clearly.
- Excellent progression from concepts to entries and finishes.
🤔 Common Criticisms
- Very long and dense to study end-to-end.
- Production pace can feel slow for move hunters.
- Some prefer more rolling footage and live examples.
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Smart Alternatives
- Systematically Attacking The Legs by Gordon Ryan – Pairs well as a practical, scenario-driven complement. (Price: $349.00, 8 vols)
- Battle Tested Down Under Leglocks by Craig Jones – Updated finishing details with narrated sparring. (Price: $79.00, 4 vols)
- Dynamic Outside Ashi: Leg Attacks by Jason Rau – Focused outside-ashi control and finishing layer. (Price: $79.00, 4 vols)
Sources & References
Video Breakdowns
Official listing: View Leglocks: Enter The System by John Danaher on BJJ Fanatics
Additional References
Your next step
You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.