Front Headlock Bottom Turn
front headlock
Grapplers Collective, Front Headlock Bottom Turn. 3–5 min rounds.
Problem
Turning to face from under a broken-down front headlock without yanking the head out and feeding the back.
Tell the room
Defender is broken down under a front headlock. Turn to face the attacker — the head comes out forward, sideways, or under, never backward. Attacker scores by holding the headlock for 30 unbroken seconds.
Setup
Start under a front headlock. Defender on elbows and knees with arms framed. Attacker over the near shoulder, head and arm wrapped, chest on the back.
Score
Turn to face, or hold 30 seconds.
- Defender — turns on top, chest-to-chest, with the headlock peeled
- Defender — turns back-flat with the attacker no longer behind
- Attacker — keeps the headlock and chest contact for 30 seconds
Rules
- The head never comes out backward. Pulling it free to the rear gives the round to the attacker.
- No submissions. No strangles or joint attacks for either player.
- No pulling guard. Sitting through into a guard hands the round to the attacker.
Adjust
Easier
Cut the attacker's hold to 20 seconds and score any chest-to-chest turn, dropping the back-flat option.
Harder
Add hand fighting — the attacker breaks frames and threatens side control, the defender attacks the headlock grip.
If it stalls
If the defender keeps yanking the head back, cue: "Walk your head under their armpit, not away from it."
TOP PLAYER (ATTACKER)
POSITION
Over the near shoulder of a broken-down partner. Head and arm wrapped, chest on the back.
OBJECTIVE
Keep the front headlock and chest contact.
CONSTRAINTS
No submissions (no strangles or joint attacks). The defender’s head never coming out backward is also a scoring rule in the attacker’s favor.
WIN CONDITION
Keep the headlock and chest contact for 30 unbroken seconds. Also scores if the defender pulls the head free to the rear, or if the defender pulls guard / sits through.
BOTTOM PLAYER (DEFENDER)
POSITION
Elbows and knees, arms framed, under a front headlock.
OBJECTIVE
Turn to face the attacker. Head comes out forward, sideways, or under — never backward.
CONSTRAINTS
The head never comes out backward (that gives the round to the attacker). No submissions. No pulling guard (sitting through into a guard hands the round to the attacker).
WIN CONDITION
Turn on top, chest-to-chest, with the headlock peeled; or turn back-flat with the attacker no longer behind.