Front Headlock Strangle
pins
Grapplers Collective, Front Headlock Strangle. 3-5 min rounds.
Problem
Finishing the broken-down front headlock with a figure-4 strangle on the partner's back.
Tell the room
Attacker sets the figure-4 grip, then rotates the defender flat to their back. Defender clears the headlock and stands up free. Attacker scores by holding grip and back-on-mat together for 2 seconds.
Setup
Start broken down in a front headlock. Defender on hands and knees, arms straight. Attacker wraps the head and near armpit, hands clasped, chest heavy on the back and shoulder.
Score
Two seconds flat, or stand up free.
- Attacker — figure-4 grip with the defender flat on their back for 2 seconds
- Defender — both hands off the mat, standing neutral with no contact
Rules
- Grip before the rotation. Flattening first and then hunting the grip does not score.
- Figure-4 only. Guillotines, kimuras, and chokes from other configurations score nothing.
- Surviving in place scores nothing. The defender must clear the headlock and reach standing.
Adjust
Easier
Drop the grip-before-rotation timing. The attacker may rotate first and build the figure-4 on the back.
Harder
The defender also scores by recovering guard, so the attacker must cover both escape routes.
If it stalls
If the attacker's grip keeps getting blocked, cue: “Posture down before you reach.”
TOP PLAYER (ATTACKER)
POSITION
Attacker wraps the head and near armpit, hands clasped, chest heavy on the back and shoulder.
OBJECTIVE
Attacker sets the figure-4 grip, then rotates the defender flat to their back. Attacker scores by holding grip and back-on-mat together for 2 seconds.
CONSTRAINTS
Grip before the rotation. Flattening first and then hunting the grip does not score. Figure-4 only. Guillotines, kimuras, and chokes from other configurations score nothing. Surviving in place scores nothing. The defender must clear the headlock and reach standing.
WIN CONDITION
figure-4 grip with the defender flat on their back for 2 seconds
BOTTOM PLAYER (DEFENDER)
POSITION
Defender on hands and knees, arms straight.
OBJECTIVE
Defender clears the headlock and stands up free.
CONSTRAINTS
Grip before the rotation. Flattening first and then hunting the grip does not score. Figure-4 only. Guillotines, kimuras, and chokes from other configurations score nothing. Surviving in place scores nothing. The defender must clear the headlock and reach standing.
WIN CONDITION
both hands off the mat, standing neutral with no contact