Comments on: Poll: Should Lower Belts Be Allowed to Perform Heel Hooks in Competition?

By: slideyfoot

slideyfoot — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:44:30 +0000

I’m not so sure there IS that big a difference between white and blue belts, particularly if we’re talking about newer blue belts (e.g., me). I think that Ichimonji on the aforementioned NHBGear thread put it best:

“I train BJJ as a HOBBY and do not consider myself a professional fighter. Tomorrow I need to go to work. I do not trust Joe white belt to understand the intricacies of a heel hook and understand how far he can crank before my ACL gives up.”

I don’t trust his older brother Joe blue belt either. My knees are precious: pretty much any time anybody goes for anything on my legs, I tap way in advance. In class, that works out fine, but in a competition, with some pumped-up opponent super-keen to win, I’d be far more worried about dangerous submissions like heel hooks.

I think its sensible for blue belts to be taught how to defend against heel hooks, but not be permitted to put them on in sparring, and definitely not allowed in competition. Perhaps people should have enough control by blue belt, but that doesn’t mean they actually do.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:15:44 +0000

Not in competition with white or blue, however I think blue belts should start learning heel-hooks, kneebars, ect, before they make purple. They should also only be able to use them on higher belts only.

My BJJ instructor doesn’t teach any heel hooks or knee-bars and doesn’t even allow them in the gym while we roll.
However when i train in no-gi at my mma gym thats a whole different story. Someone tries a heel hook at least once a week.

By: Ricky in SLC

Ricky in SLC — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:03:05 +0000

There’s a big difference between white and blue belts. We don’t let white belts do foot locks or heel hooks, but by the time they are blue belts they should have the control necessary to start practicing them. If your blue belts don’t have the control to do heel hooks, then your not teaching them very well, or your training a bunch of knuckleheads that shouldn’t be allowed in the gym in the first place.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:32:10 +0000

Too dangerous. Keep it in the curriculum, train it under control in class, and compete with it when you know enough restraint.
I certainly don’t need my knees exploded by an overzealous, recently minted blue.

Having said that, the shooto guys that share my gym have no qualms with heelhooking the shit out of each other and nobody’s knees explode that often.