Head lock used in Judo

[Kung Fu Wang]

No one was really in a position to get front headlocked.

When your head is

- vertical, your opponent can get you in head lock.
- horizontal, your opponent can get you in reverse head lock (guillotine).

IMO, if your opponent is a western wrestler, your reverse head lock will have better chance. In striking art, since your opponent's head is vertical, your head lock will have better chance.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

When your head is

- vertical, your opponent can get you in head lock.
- horizontal, your opponent can get you in reverse head lock (guillotine).

IMO, if my opponent is a western wrestler, my reverse head lock will have better chance. In striking art, since your opponent's head is vertical, your head lock will have better chance.

In my experience, I agree that the head and arm throw works better against an upright striker than against a wrestler. It’s easier to get the head control.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

It's useful to switch from

- head lock -> back belt hold
- head lock -> over hook

When one door is close, the other door will open for you.

In jacket wrestling, if you can't get head lock (your opponent's head is parallel to the ground), you can always reach to his back belt.

In non-jacket wrestling, you can use over hook instead.

 

[JR 137]

In my experience, I agree that the head and arm throw works better against an upright striker than against a wrestler. It’s easier to get the head control.

I agree far easier when a person is upright.

Stupid question, though: is it easier to use against a striker than a wrestler because the striker doesn’t have much experience with it and isn’t expecting it?

As a wrestler it’s easier to get an arm bar against me because I don’t know the setups a BBJer will use and I’m not consciously (or better yet subconsciously) avoiding giving you that option.

The more I watch good wrestlers, the more I realize it’s all about body positioning. Just being in a certain posture and position will negate a bunch of stuff. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume BJJ and Judo are the exact same thing in this regard. Do you think a wrestler’s natural tendencies in this instance and their knowledge of the throw and setup will be the default difference between them getting head and armed vs a striker?

It’s harder to out-grapple a grappler than it is for a kicker to kick a non-kicker. And vice versa.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Stupid question, though: is it easier to use against a striker than a wrestler because the striker doesn’t have much experience with it and isn’t expecting it?

MA has a lot of contradiction.

You are not a good wrestler if

1. you can't make your head lock to work on your opponent.
2. your opponent can get a head lock to work on you.

1 and 2 just contradict to each other. But if we modify it a little bit, it will make sense.

You are not a good wrestler if

1. you can't make your head lock to work on a striker.
2. a striker can get a head lock to work on you.

It depends on how much training time that you have put in.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I agree far easier when a person is upright.

Stupid question, though: is it easier to use against a striker than a wrestler because the striker doesn’t have much experience with it and isn’t expecting it?

If the striker doesn’t have grappling experience, it will of course be easier.

Even if they do have grappling experience, there are trade-offs between the optimal structures for striking and those for grappling. Not everybody is good at switching quickly between them as necessary.

Beyond that, the upright stance which is more typical for striking makes it harder to duck out and take the back, compared to the more forward angled posture of a wrestler. You do still have to break down the upright stance in order to complete the throw, but there are multiple ways to accomplish that.

 

[JR 137]

I just worked a wrestling tournament Saturday. 9am-about 8pm. Not that I watched every match on every mat (there were 4 mats simultaneously), but I had to keep my eye on all of them due to my job.

I saw about 8 head and arm throws attempted all day. 1 successful - it was the first round (top seed vs bottom seed) and a complete mismatch. Guy pinned his opponent with it in about 20 seconds. Other than that, the move wasn’t used much and was countered practically every time. Mostly by duck under, but one roll through too.

For what it’s worth.

Edit: Great organization by the guys in charge. Solid field of teams with very few mismatches. A few outstanding guys who dominated at a few different weight classes, but overall the competition was quite well balanced. And there were no bad teams at all. Probably the best non-postseason tournament I’ve worked.