Suloev Stretch
The Suloev stretch is a posterior knee submission from back control, hyperextending the opponent's isolated leg by driving hips down against posterior…
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FamilyLeg LocksLevelAdvancedPerspectiveTopIntentOffensiveSafetyElevatedHubLeg EntanglementsMapView on graph →This technique has elevated risk. Make sure you've covered the prerequisites before attempting.
Manage injuries →Position map Connects to 2 positions across 2 relationshipsOpen in the map →12←Attacked from
The Suloev stretch is a posterior knee joint submission applied from a back control or chase position. The attacker, positioned behind a standing or bent-over opponent, isolates one of the opponent’s legs and drives their hips down onto the back of the opponent’s thigh and knee — forcing the knee into hyperextension or loaded flexion-plus-compression from behind, attacking the posterior capsule and posterior cruciate ligament.
The submission is distinct from the kneebar in two important ways. First, the control position: the kneebar applies the body as a fulcrum against the front of the leg with the attacker facing the foot; the Suloev stretch applies force from behind the leg with the attacker in a back-control orientation. Second, the loading angle: the kneebar primarily hyperextends the knee against the front of the joint; the Suloev stretch compresses the posterior structures while simultaneously driving the knee toward hyperextension from behind.
The submission was first observed in competitive MMA contexts applied from a back-control scramble — an opportunistic use of the position when the opponent is standing or on hands and knees and the attacker has back control or is chasing behind. At the highest level it is an unexpected attack because the position does not resemble a conventional leg lock setup.
Elevated RiskSuloev Stretch is an elevated risk technique. Two structures load together, and the hamstring gives first. Forced extension of an already straight leg loads the hamstring at length while the hip is pinned, and the same extension drives compressive force against the back of the knee — the posterior capsule, posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and posterior horn of the menisci — from a hyperextension angle. The posterior structures of the knee are not commonly loaded in standard grappling training, meaning practitioners may have less sensitivity to the pre-injury warning signs for this specific loading pattern. The injury can occur without the type of progressive pain signal associated with more familiar knee submissions. Serious injury can occur variable — posterior knee loading is less familiar than anterior; tap early.
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.