Hammerlock
The hammerlock folds the opponent's arm behind their back, attacking the shoulder via internal rotation and extension.
Adapted from the original page. Grappling.Games did not write this. Sources.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 3 positions across 3 relationshipsOpen in the map →123←Attacked from
The hammerlock is a shoulder submission applied by folding the opponent’s arm behind their back — the arm is bent at the elbow with the forearm pointing upward behind the back, and then the wrist and elbow are driven upward toward the shoulder blades, loading the shoulder in internal rotation and extension simultaneously.
The submission is in the kimura family because both attacks load the shoulder in internal rotation — the kimura rotates the arm in front of the body; the hammerlock rotates it behind the back. The structural target is the same (the shoulder capsule, rotator cuff, and glenohumeral joint), but the approach and the control position are reversed.
The hammerlock appears most commonly when the opponent’s arm is pinned behind their body — either because they are face-down and one arm is trapped under them, because they are turning and one arm is late to move, or because the attacker has achieved back control and can force the arm behind the opponent while still maintaining the hold.
Disambiguation — Hammerlock vs Chicken Wing (wrestling ride): In wrestling, the “chicken wing” is a ride and control used in folkstyle to turn opponents — the trapped arm is held in the behind-the-back position as a control while the wrestler works to score exposure points. The chicken wing ride is a positional tool; the hammerlock is the submission applied when that arm position is exploited as a joint lock. A separate page covers the Chicken Wing Ride: see Chicken Wing Ride.
Elevated RiskHammerlock is an elevated risk technique. The hammerlock loads the shoulder in combined internal rotation and extension — pushing the forearm up the back toward the shoulder blades. This is a high-torque position for the glenohumeral joint: the rotator cuff and the joint capsule load together, with the extension component adding anterior strain. The rotator cuff structures that resist internal rotation under extension load can tear before acute pain registers proportionately. The arm-behind-back position also limits the opponent's ability to tap with that hand — ensure the opponent knows to tap with the free hand or verbally. Serious injury can occur variable — shoulder internal rotation end-range can be reached with relatively small increments of wrist elevation; apply slowly.
If you are new to this technique: read this section before anything else. Understanding the danger is part of understanding the technique.
The person applying the technique is responsible for releasing immediately.