Demetrious Johnson has sparked controversy in the grappling community with his call to ban heel hooks.
While the submission has become central to modern no-gi competition, Johnson believes it is unnecessarily dangerous and should be removed from the ruleset:
In Quintet, heel hooks are banned. I agree, I think heel hooks should be banned.
Reason why is because when I was training MMA I’ve seen Matt (Hume) get his ACL torn very, very quick. It was an accident. He was never the same.
At 38, Johnson stressed that the risks go beyond competition:
If I go to competition and a motherfu**er heel hooks me (and) tears my ACL, MCL, LCL whatever it may be; I can’t play football with (my kids) anymore.
I’m all messed up for a fuc*ing heel hook.I feel there’s so many other ways. Kneebar, toehold, armbar rear naked choke, triangle (choke)…
There’s so many other ways to take somebody out besides a heel hook.
He also criticized how much modern no-gi revolves around leg locks:
That’s one of the things I don’t like about no gi grapplers, because it’s all “he pulled guard, it’s all about the heel” – and I’m just, like: “Here we f***ing go!”
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