“You can be attacked by the same submission” - Marcelo Garcia details why he rarely goes for leg locks

BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia revealed why he tends to stay away from leg locks during his grappling matches.

After more than a decade on the shelf, the multi-time IBJJF and ADCC world champion makes his triumphant return to the mat at ONE 170 when ONE Championship heads back to Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, January 24.

On that night, the fourth-degree black belt will square off with Japanese superstar Masakazu Imanari in one of the most intriguing grappling matches in ONE history.

During a recent appearance on the JitsCast podcast ahead of his highly anticipated comeback later this month, Garcia shed some light on why you'll rarely see him look for leg locks.

"I feel that’s what happened to me, why like I don’t choose much ankle attacks or leg locks attacks, especially because I feel like I don't have as much flexibility on my ankle as some of my opponents," Garcia said.

"And, just letting people know, a little bit of like my study in jiu-jitsu, I’ve found out that ankle locks are one of the only moves that when you attack for a submission, you can be attacked by the same submission."

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Marcelo Garcia confident he can fend off the leg attack of Imanari

Avoiding leg locks is probably a good strategy against an opponent like Masakuzu Imanari, who is best known for his devastating leg locks and his namesake maneuver, the Imanari roll.

But despite Imanari's imposing legacy, Marcelo Garcia is confident that he's developed the skills to fend off even the best of leg attacks over his many years of competing.

"I don't know if people realize, but I did that [fighting against leg locks specialists] my entire life. I believe I really know how to protect my ankles."

Garcia continued:

"What I'm trying to say is not that I don't respect him or I don't believe like he can go through my defense, but that's like a set of rules that I have on my mind - I need to focus on my jiu-jitsu and not on my opponent's jiu-jitsu."

Who comes out on top when two true legends of the mat collide on martial arts' biggest global stage?

ONE 170 is available via watch.onefc.com