What is an imanari roll?

The imanari roll is a flashy leg lock entry named after Japanese fighter Masakazu Imanari. You dive forward into a somersault roll, entangling your opponent's legs as you go under them. The roll transitions directly into ashi garami (leg entanglement) positions like 50/50 or inside sankaku, setting up heel hooks, kneebars, or ankle locks. To execute: from standing, dive toward your opponent's lead leg, roll through while hooking behind their knee with your arm, and emerge with their leg trapped between yours. The imanari roll is high-risk, high-reward - if you miss, you may end up in a bad position. Common in no-gi competition and submission-only events. Requires drilling to develop the timing and body awareness needed.