{"id":20187,"date":"2023-09-03T20:38:46","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T01:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/?p=20187"},"modified":"2023-09-03T20:38:48","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T01:38:48","slug":"twister-bjj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/twister-bjj\/","title":{"rendered":"Twister BJJ Submission Technique (Is It Legal?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the nastiest, flashiest submissions out there is the Twister. Popularized by Eddie Bravo, the submission is a cornerstone of the 10th<\/sup> Planet style of jiu-jitsu and is something you will rarely see in actual competitions because it\u2019s usually banned. But this doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t know how to do it because it\u2019s a hell of a submission and can double up as torture. But what exactly is the Twister?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Twister is a spinal lock from the back position, which puts immense pressure on the cervical spine and other body parts, causing severe pain. The technique is a modification of a wrestling move used for pining and is illegal in many jiu-jitsu rulesets but is permitted in MMA and pro-level submissions grappling. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unconventional techniques have their time and place in grappling, and the Twister sure has been proven effective, so learn all the details about it and how to perform this most vicious of submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is A Twister In BJJ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Twister<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Twister is a nasty spinal lock that feels as terrible as it looks. The Twister is a rotational spine crank submission<\/a> that forces the opponent’s head towards one of their shoulders while twisting the lower body to the opposite side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This creates immense pressure and pain in multiple places in the body, not just on the cervical spine, which is the main target. Tension can be felt in the neck, the spine, abdominal muscles, and the knee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Twister in its modern form was created or instead discovered and popularized by Eddie Bravo while he was a student of Jean Jacque Machado. The move is a jiu-jitsu evolution of a common wrestling technique called “guillotine,” used to pin the opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Twister is still a crucial element of the 10th<\/sup> Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, the rubber guard, and many other novel positions. This submission hold is illegal under the IBJJF and many other organizations, but it is fair game at the pro submission grappling level and MMA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of being super painful, it also earns many style points and is one of the flashiest and coolest submissions you can pull off, aside from some crazy flying stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>How To Do A Twister Submission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two main paths to doing the Twister- from back control or turtle. Here is the simplest way to perform the move from back control, as Stephen Kesting shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • You can start setting up the Twister from the half-back position if a choke is not happening or you end up in the position after the opponent succeeds in removing one of your hooks and starts turning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Make sure to control the arm of the opponent, or they will turn away, and you\u2019ll end up in a half-guard<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Lift your opponent’s arm to make space to bypass it. Your head and inside arm will go under your arm as you lift it up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reach across the back of the head, grab your hands in a Gable or S grip, and pull. That\u2019s it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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