Move of the Day

Inside Sankaku from Leg Pummel

Pummel inside, lock the saddle, and choose heel exposure without diving at feet.

Inside sankaku (saddle / 411) is a control, not a heel-hook button. From a standing or ground entanglement, you pummel your inside knee through, lock a triangle on their near leg, and only then decide: outside heel, kneebar, or back-take. Brown and black belts get hurt when they skip the control and hunt the foot.

The steps

1. 01From half butterfly or a failed pass, pummel your inside knee across their far thigh.
2. 02Sit through so your hips face their far hip. Lock the figure-four on their near leg (saddle).
3. 03Control the far hip with a belt or waist lock so they cannot roll away cleanly.
4. 04Expose the heel only after the saddle is tight — or take the back if they turn away.
5. 05If you are in the gi and heel hooks are off, finish the kneebar or climb to the back.

Details that matter

• Know your academy's legal techniques. This email is about control. Finish inside the rules you actually compete under.
• If they hide the heel, do not crank the knee on a bad angle. Re-pummel or take the back.
• Your head position matters as much as the lock. Stay off the centerline so you do not get stacked.

Video walkthroughs live on the BJJ Everyday YouTube.

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