
Key Takeaways
- A No-Gi BJJ DVD offering a different leg locking option that targets the knee in a cruel and unusual way.
- Covers mostly breaking mechanics of the Z Lock, but also offers top, bottom and counter-attacking setups.
- Features follow-up combinations with other leg locks, mostly Aoki locks, and also offers defensive concepts.
- BJJ World Expert Rating: 8.5 out of 10.
Z LOCK JUNNY OCASIO DVD – GET IT HERE
Since I tend to be very skeptical about innovative leg lock instructionals, I initially approached the Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD with cautious pessimism. Better to be ready for another disappointment than to get my hopes up for something that only works in YouTube videos.
You can proceed to read the entire review and see how this DVD changed my pessimism to optimism—and even excitement—or you can take my word for it directly. If you’ve ever done leg locks, you need the Z Lock in your game, and going to the source is the best way to learn all the crazy details that make it tick.
Twist-Locking the Knee?
Most of the attacks that target the knee in BJJ, at least in terms of intentional leg locking, involve attacking a straight leg. The kneebar happens similarly to an armbar, aiming to hyperextend the knee joint in the opposite direction.
If you ask most leg lockers in Jiu-Jitsu about twisting knee finishes, they’ll likely refer you to “ineffective” sambo, catch wrestling, or worse, WWE moves. While they wouldn’t be mistaken about the source, they’re likely wrong about the effectiveness.
When a high-level grappler such as Junny Ocasio manages to pull off the same move over and over again against elite opponents, there is most definitely something there. In terms of attacking the knee with twisting pressure from Ashi positions, the Junny Ocasio Z Lock DVD holds all the answers—at least when it comes to effectiveness.
Edwin “Junny” Ocasio
At 36 years of age, Edwin Ocasio, better known as Junny, has a staggering pedigree of grappling titles and championships. The Murilo Santana black belt, originally promoted to the rank in 2019, is an IBJJF No-Gi World Champion, 2x IBJJF No-Gi Pans Champion, 2x IBJJF No-Gi European Champion, Kasai Pro winner, Sub Spectrum Champion, etc.
All in all, he is one mean No-Gi competitor, grappling his way through the lighter weight divisions as a representative of the notorious Unity Jiu-Jitsu gym out of New York. The NY native has been training since 2013, even though he had previous wrestling experience—cut short by a knee injury.
Even though he conquered everything of importance in the IBJJF No-Gi circuit, Junny Ocasio is known as a submission hunter who thrives under sub-only rules. A pressure passer and leg locker by trait, with a 50% submission rate, he knows a thing or two about leg locks. He even has his signature one, depicted in the Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD.
The Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD Review
The Z Lock BJJ DVD by Junny Ocasio is a short one, lasting barely over an hour. However, in that time, it delivers everything there is about the move—it is a specialized instructional that is immaculately organized:
Part 1 – What is the Z Lock?
Most grapplers will do just about anything to a foot—twist it, bend it, compress it, extend it… the list goes on. However, when it comes to knees, it is mostly hyperextending them, with the occasional calf-slitting aficionado opting for the opposite direction.
Well, Junny found a way to introduce the arguably worst knee attack possible in Jiu-Jitsu, and he named it the Z Lock. It involves a specific positioning that is explained in detail in the first part of the Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD, effectively applying twisting pressure to the knee.
Unusual as it is, we’ve seen Junny pull it off from different positions, with his favorite Saddle offering most of the attacks in this instructional. Aoki locks and kneebars are next-door neighbours to the Z Lock, and Ocasio does a great job tying them together in a system.
Part 2 – Top Position Setups
The first part of this Junny Ocasio DVD contains most of the material, with about half of the one-hour running time covered in it. That leaves us with four more very short volumes, which would be a negative thing if it didn’t play into the organizational aspect of this DVD so well.
With the basic breaking mechanisms and positioning out of the way, Junny only needs 10 or so minutes per volume to cover specific applications of the move. In the second part, these revolve around attacking guard players from the top of the DLR and shin guards, midway through the leg drag pass, or by jumping back for a shotgun Aoki finish.
Part 3 – Double Pull Entries & Finishing
I particularly liked that Junny included the controversial, yet very common modern-day scenario of a double guard pull in the content of the Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD. This is basically a footsies volume, covering counterattacking leg lock strategies.
The winner is the one who can get to a finish first, which makes the Z Lock the perfect weapon, as it takes the least amount of time to set up from Ashi. Ocasio offers mostly Saddle options, including shin slip tactics and ankle lock combos.
Part 4 – Z Lock Hunting From Bottom
Past the midway point in the Junny Ocasio Z Lock DVD, we get to see some of Junny’s signature setups from guarded positions. Instead of talking about every guard imaginable, he just goes over a handful of battle-tested setups he knows work.
The three things covered in this portion of the instructional are reaping finishes from the Single Leg X, a modified shin-to-shin entry, and a Junny Lock–Z Lock dilemma from the De La Riva guard.
Part 5 – Defensive Strategies
While I find it difficult to believe that anyone, bar Junny Ocasio, can effectively defend the Z Lock, Junny did provide a blueprint for killing it. The final volume of the Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD addresses all stages of defending this horrible knee lock.
Ocasio begins with hand fighting, moves to mid-stage foot stomps to delay the breaking mechanics, and finally addresses dealing with follow-up moves like Aoki locks and heel hooks at a very late stage.
A High Percentage Addition
The Z Lock is exactly what your leg lock game has been missing. Think about it—you have more than enough straight and bent attacks at the ankle/foot level. You also have bent and straight attacks at the knee level, and even some hip locks for the most enthusiastic ones out there.
The Z Lock lies between all the ankle/foot attacks and the common knee attacks used in modern-day Jiu-Jitsu. It offers a snap attack that happens in an instant, without having to reposition your entire body in order to get it, which is a must when you go from an ankle lock to a kneebar.
Such a move is exactly what the Ashi game has been missing—an extra checkpoint with a high-percentage move to make transitioning between attacking two joints on the leg effortless. It doesn’t hurt that the move also works from everywhere, as you know by now from our review of the Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD.
The Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD Cover
DOWNLOAD NOW: Z LOCK JUNNY OCASIO DVD
Twist Some Knees!
I guess the only thing left to wonder is whether or not this move is legal. Let’s face it — if you’re looking for a leg lock like this, you know very well you’re past messing around with legal-only moves — you need something that works. The Z Lock Junny Ocasio DVD delivers in that area, with high percentage entries and finishes of a leg lock nobody will see coming.