Positional Game · GAME-LEI-02
Cross Ashi, Gripped — Finish or Triangle
Rung two of the inside-position leg-entanglement ladder. The attacker starts in cross ashi (the saddle) with the ankle gripped but the triangle not yet closed — finish, or upgrade to inside sankaku.
Start position
POS-LE-CROSS-ASHI
Round length
2:00 rounds
Reset rule
Reset when the attacker forces a tap or holds a sealed inside sankaku for five seconds, or the defender escapes to neutral. Role rotates after each reset.
Top wins by
Force a lower-limb tap — the foot-and-ankle line, or the knee line where heel hooks are agreed — or close the triangle to inside sankaku and hold for five seconds.
Bottom wins by
Hide the heel and recover a knee to escape toward a neutral 50/50.
Game Description
The second rung. The attacker has cross ashi — the saddle — with the ankle gripped, but the legs are crossed, not yet triangled. One layer of control less than the finish rung: the attacker must either finish from the saddle or seal the triangle to inside sankaku on the way. Having owned the finish on rung one, the grappler now earns the small upgrade that makes it reliable.
How to Run This Game
Setup: Attacker in cross ashi, legs crossed to one side, near ankle gripped. Triangle not yet formed.
Top wins by forcing a lower-limb tap (the foot-and-ankle line, or the agreed knee line), or by closing the legs into a sealed inside sankaku and holding five seconds.
Bottom wins by hiding the heel and recovering a knee to escape toward a neutral 50/50.
Score: One point per win condition. Role rotates. Default: no heel hooks unless agreed with established tap-release reliability.
Coaching Notes
The rung trains the saddle-to-triangle upgrade under resistance — the difference between a cross that holds and one that gets cleared. Reward the attacker who seals the triangle before reaching for the finish, not after. Elevated tier: inside heel hook geometry is live; tap early.
Progressions
Down the ladder: cross ashi with the feet free — the saddle without the ankle grip yet. For the full ladder, see reverse phase progression and the phase-ladder library.