Uzel Nogi
Узел ноги
Literally: leg knot
A knee lock from sambo in which the attacker threads his leg between the opponent's legs; not a pure Achilles tendon lock.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Twisting the leg sideways instead of applying pressure in the plane of the knee's natural bend, which the rules forbid and which raises the risk of injury.
About
Uzel nogi (узел ноги) literally means leg knot. In one variant, the attacker bends the opponent's leg at the knee as much as possible while holding his clothing, threads his own right leg between the opponent's legs, and creates pressure by straightening. Another variant places the crook of the right elbow against the opponent's shin while the attacker's legs control his torso. The aim is to force the opponent to submit through pressure on the knee joint. According to D. L. Rudman's textbook, uzel nogi targets mainly the knee joint with secondary pressure on the hip and thigh, so it is not a pure Achilles tendon lock. It differs from the technique rychag kolena, which is a direct lever that straightens the leg, in that threading one's own limb between the opponent's legs creates a locking mechanism. Leg locks are entirely banned in judo, while both sport and combat sambo permit them widely.