Former Demetrious Johnson has taken a strong stance against heel hooks in training environments citing serious safety concerns that could end careers and affect MMA stars’ quality of life outside the gym.
During a recent podcast episode featuring Craig Jones, Johnson expressed his firm opposition to heel hooks particularly in training scenarios.
“I think heel hooks should be banned,” Johnson stated emphatically. “Reason why is because when I was training MMA I’ve seen Matt get his ACL torn very very quick. It was an accident. He was never the same.”
Johnson’s concerns stem from the devastating and often career-ending nature of heel hook injuries. Unlike other submission techniques heel hooks can cause damage to multiple ligaments simultaneously including the ACL MCL and LCL. For Johnson who is now 38 years old the risk extends beyond just his competing career.
“If I go to competition and a heel hook tears my ACL MCL LCL whatever it may be I can’t play football with my kids anymore,” Johnson explained. “I’m all messed up for a heel hook. I feel there’s so many other ways – knee bar toe hold armbar rear naked choke triangle. There’s so many other ways to take somebody out besides a heel hook.”
The former champion’s perspective reflects a broader concern within the martial arts community about the risks associated with leg lock training. Johnson pointed to real-world examples noting how Tye Ruotolo suffered a knee injury during his grappling match with Levi Jones-Leary though not specifically from a heel hook but from leg entanglements.
Johnson’s position puts him at odds with much of the modern no-gi grappling scene where heel hooks have become increasingly prominent.
“That’s one of the things I don’t like about no-gi because it’s all about pulling guard and heel hooks,” he observed. “It’s like oh here we go.”
Despite acknowledging that heel hooks can be an equalizer for smaller grapplers against larger opponents Johnson maintains his stance.
“I feel like it’s a great way for a small guy to beat a bigger guy,” he admitted “but I feel there’s more ways to bake that cake besides taking out the heel hook.”
The debate over heel hooks in training reflects a fundamental tension in combat sports between technical evolution and athlete safety. While proponents argue that heel hooks are legitimate techniques that should be trained safely critics like Johnson worry about the long-term consequences for practitioners.
Johnson’s position carries particular weight given his extensive background in both MMA and traditional gi-based jiu-jitsu training. As someone who has competed at the highest levels of mixed martial arts his concerns about training injuries that could affect daily life activities resonate with many practitioners who must balance their competitive goals with responsibilities outside the gym.
