Neck cranks may be dangerous, but they are incredibly effective and can make even the toughest person tap. They are essential to grappling and fighting, so it’s best to know what they are and how to apply and deal with them, even if you don’t plan on using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is A Neck Crank<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A neck crank is an attack on the cervical portion of the spine. Unlike air and blood chokes, which also attack the neck, the neck crank aims to put pressure on the vertebrae or bend them in anatomically wrong positions, which is extremely painful and causes the opponent to tap. A neck crank can even target the jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neck cranks can be performed from various positions and in different ways, some of which we will look at below. The danger with neck cranks is that they are very painful and can lead to severe injuries if held for too long or done with too much pressure. While this makes them deadly effective for real fights, safely applying them in practice is difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is why neck cranks are illegal in many rulesets and are not practiced at the lower belt levels in most BJJ<\/a> academies, and only advanced students delve into them once they have enough fundamental skills and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although neck cranks and chokes also attack the neck, the mechanics differ. Chokes either restrict the airflow by targeting the trachea or the blood flow by compressing the carotid arteries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, cranks are joint locks and use leverage to force one or more of the seven cervical vertebrae into a position where they shouldn’t be. Most neck cranks are achieved through rotational force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some neck cranks, like the can opener, are clear and have no choking element. But often, chokes and neck cranks flow from each other, making the separation difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The rear naked choke is a typical blood choke. Still, when the opponent tries to escape it, he usually tries to twist his head and alleviate the pressure on his neck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where a choke is transformed into a crank. Darce chokes also always include some level of cranking of the spine, which is normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reverse can also happen. A neck crank can also be turned into a choke when the opponent tries to escape the crank. But the reverse is more common and can lead to some perfectly legal submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chokes are much safer, with minimal consequences (if you don’t put someone to sleep and continue choking them), but the same cannot be said about cranks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone more stubborn may fight it and even crank their own head when escaping chokes, so be mindful of what is happening and try to avoid injuring training partners, even if it’s due to their stubbornness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neck and spinal cranks are illegal under the IBJJF rules for BJJ, which govern most competitions. Still, some rules, mainly no-gi, allow certain neck cranks. For example, under the ADCC rules, the twister and can opener are legal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other competitions, like the EBI and Combat Jiu-Jitsu<\/a>, place no restrictions on submissions. But competitions with no or few restrictions are almost always reserved for more experienced grapplers, and beginners have no place there.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNeck Crank vs. Choke<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Neck](\"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Neck-Crank-BJJ.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAre Neck Cranks Legal in BJJ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Neck](\"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Neck-Crank-vs-Choke.jpg\")
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