Front Headlock Establish and Hold
Mat mode
3:00
Tell the roomClose and hold the front headlock encirclement.
Show full gameHide full gameRules · how to win · coach notes
Notes (this phone)
TOP PLAYER
POSITION
Turtle top, behind and above, chest near the partner's upper back. No grip yet.
OBJECTIVE
Close and hold the front headlock encirclement.
CONSTRAINTS
Start with no grip. Encirclement means both forearms in contact: chin arm under the chin, skull arm on the back of the head. Reset when the top player achieves five consecutive seconds of full encirclement, when the bottom player stands up fully, or when the grip is broken and both players return to the turtle starting position. One point per five-second hold or grip break. Play to five points per side. Default rounds 3:00.
WIN CONDITION
Establish and hold the front headlock encirclement (both forearms in contact — chin arm under chin, skull arm on occiput) for five consecutive seconds.
BOTTOM PLAYER
POSITION
Turtle. No grip on them yet.
OBJECTIVE
Keep the encirclement from closing, or break it once it is on.
CONSTRAINTS
No standing up. Stay on hands and knees or on the hip. Tools named: chin tuck, turn the head into the arm, strip the wrist.
WIN CONDITION
Prevent the encirclement from closing, or break it after it has closed, without the top player achieving five consecutive seconds of contact.
In competition
See it in competition: Signature Move: Shinobu OTA's (JPN) Front Head Lock →
Drill first
Original positional game. Front Headlock — Establish and Hold. GAME-FHL-01.
Problem
Turtle top, behind and above, chest near the partner's upper back.
Tell the room
Close and hold the front headlock encirclement. Keep the encirclement from closing, or break it once it is on.
Setup
Turtle top, behind and above, chest near the partner's upper back. No grip yet. Turtle. No grip on them yet.
Score
Establish and hold the front headlock encirclement (both forearms in contact — chin arm under chin, skull arm on occiput) for five consecutive seconds. Prevent the encirclement from closing, or break it after it has closed, without the top player achieving five consecutive seconds of contact.
Rules
- Start with no grip.
- Encirclement means both forearms in contact: chin arm under the chin, skull arm on the back of the head.
- Reset when the top player achieves five consecutive seconds of full encirclement, when the bottom player stands up fully, or when the grip is broken and both players return to the turtle starting position.
- One point per five-second hold or grip break.
- Play to five points per side.
- Default rounds 3:00.
- No standing up.
- Stay on hands and knees or on the hip.
- Tools named: chin tuck, turn the head into the arm, strip the wrist.
Progressions
Harder constraint variants from the source. Same game, tighter problem.
- Remove the five-second hold requirement and replace with: any clean encirclement that leads to a submission attempt scores a point.
- Allow the bottom player to stand up — this introduces sit-out and stand-up as escape options, transitioning into GAME-FHL-02.
- Remove the bottom player’s restrictions entirely, which becomes the full front headlock system game.
front headlock