Elevator Hooks

Elevator Hooks refer to the use of your feet as active hooks to elevate, manipulate, and off-balance your opponent, typically from Butterfly Guard or other open guard positions.

Elevator hooks rely on the principle of hooking your foot under the opponent’s thigh or hip while in a bottom position—often in Butterfly Guard or Open Guard—to create the lift and momentum needed for a sweep such as the Elevator Sweep. Proper use of elevator hooks applies Leverage and Angles to disrupt the opponent’s Base and expose their balance points. You connect your shin or instep to the inside of their leg, adjust your body angle, and engage your hooks to elevate their hips or legs. This off-balances them, allowing you to transition to dominant positions or immediately initiate sweeps. Maintaining a secure Grip Fighting strategy and aligning your frames with your opponent’s center of gravity helps reinforce the hook’s effectiveness, letting you blend into a sweep or a transition with fluidity.

Key Concepts of Elevator Hooks:

  • Connection & Control: Your hooks maintain control of your opponent's legs or hips, helping you dictate movement.
  • Leverage & Lifting: By using proper timing and positioning, your hooks allow you to elevate your opponent and create sweeping opportunities.
  • Redirection & Off-Balancing: Instead of relying purely on force, you use angles and momentum to steer your opponent into a compromised position.

Common Uses of Elevator Hooks:

Mechanics of an Effective Elevator Hook:

  1. Placement: Your instep hooks under your opponent's thigh or knee, ideally near the hamstring.
  2. Angle & Leverage: Engage your core and hip movement to lift, rather than using raw strength.
  3. Synchronization: Combine your hook action with grip fighting, upper body pulling, and shifting your weight to maximize efficiency.
  4. Momentum & Timing: Use your opponent’s movement against them—wait for them to push into you or posture up before executing the hook lift.