Various Holds and Positions in Submission Wrestling

Various Holds and Positions in Submission Wrestling

Submission is a non-contact sport and the one of the ways to win a fight is to hold a person until he decides to tap the mat or says so. To give you an idea, here are a few popular submission techniques.

The first is the shoulder lock. Here, you are holding your opponent’s shoulder up while at the same time lifting his head off the ground. A lot of wrestlers have said that this move is more effective than the wrist lock since the pain is centralized only on the tendons of the elbow.

Next is the Standing Heel Toe Hold. While the opponent is on the ground, you hold one of foot using one of your feet while the foot is on the mat for better leverage. You then grab the other leg which he will probably try to kick you with putting one hand holding the toes and the other hand under the opponent’s Achilles tendon. If this is done correctly, you are able to put considerable torque on your opponent’s ankle.

You also have the double wrist lock. This hold can be executed while you are lying on top of him or while you are standing. Once you are able to grab one of your opponent’s wrists using your opposite arm, you use the other one to reach over and lock it.

There is also the sleeper hold. If you are able to get behind your opponent, you put one arm around his neck with the other hand behind the top of his head. What you are doing here is putting pressure on his carotid artery rather than the throat so technically, this is not a choke.

If your opponent is able to hold or lock you first before you are able to execute yours, try your best to escape or prevent them from completing theirs. This can be achieved by doing the guard which basically lets you use your legs against an opponent.

There are 8 types of guards. These are namely full guard, closed guard, open guard, half guard, butterfly guard, spider guard, Dela Riva guard and X-guard.

Should this help you gain the upper hand, then it is time to return the favor by executing what is known as a mount.

The mount is achieved when you are the one on top of the opponent. Just like the guard, there are different types like the top mount, rear mount, side mount, reverse mount, north/south position, knee on stomach, scarf hold and the modified scarf hold.

There are other holds and positions aside from those mentioned and these have been adapted from other martial arts like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Catch Wrestling and Sambo. Each one is not only effective in competition but also for defensive purposes as well.

To be able to execute it, you can learn by watching a video and then practicing with a sparring partner. If you have never done this before, you better have someone who is knowledgeable about it close by to monitor what is happening so no one gets seriously hurt.

If you can’t find anyone, go to a gym that teaches submission wrestling so if you are attacked, you can fight off the assailant or subdue him until help arrives.