MMA Submission Holds – Online Guide To Mixed Martial Arts Submissions

When MMA Submission Holds are applied correctly, the opponent will be forced to submit due to pain or fear of injury.

If you wish to compete in MMA then it is essential to learn a variety of submissions.

Even if you do not plan to use them to finish your opponent, you will need to be familiar with the holds used in submission fighting to properly defend against them.

Below you will find a list of the holds used in submission grappling.

The list is broken down according to the three types of submissions – Choke Holds, Joint Locks and Compression Locks.

• Choke Holds – Submissions applied to the neck to cut-off blood flow to the brain.
  • Rear Naked Choke – Hold applied from behind the opponent.
  • Triangle Choke – Submission using the legs in the form of a triangle.
  • Arm Triangle – Choke using the arms in the form of a triangle.
  • Guillotine – Choke hold applied while facing the opponent.
  • Gator Roll – Submission applied from the north-south position.
  • Gogoplata – Submission applied with the shin from the omoplata position.
• Joint Locks – MMA Submission Holds that hyperextend or hyperrotate one of the body’s joints.
  • Arm Bar – Arm lock that hyperextends the elbow.
  • Kimura – Lock that hyperrotates the shoulder.
  • Americana – Lock applied to the shoulder. Similar to the kimura.
  • Omoplata – Shoulder lock applied with the legs.
  • Knee Bar – Lock that hyperextends the knee.
  • Ankle Lock – Joint lock that hyperextends the ankle joint.
  • Heel Hook – Submission which hyperrotates the ankle joint.
  • Toe Hold – Joint lock that hyperrotates the ankle.
  • Can Opener – Submission which hyperextends the neck.
  • Crucifix Neck Crank – Submission hold which hyperextends the neck. Applied from the crucifix position.
  • Twister – Submission which hyperextends the neck. Popularized by Eddie Bravo.
  • Spine Crank – Joint lock which hyperextends or hyperrotates the spinal vertebrae.
• Compression Locks – MMA Submission Holds which cause intense pain by pressing a muscle against a bone.
  • Achilles Lock – Hold that applies pressure to the achilles tendon.
  • Bicep Slicer – Lock which puts pressure on the bicep.
  • Leg Slicer – Compression lock applied to the thigh muscle and/or calf.

These MMA submissions are the end you are looking to achieve in a fight. Skill in submission fighting is what will give you the means to that end.

This should not be overlooked, because submission grappling teaches you to setup and apply MMA submission holds properly.