| Spinal lock | |
|---|---|
 A grappler applies a lock to his opponent's neck | |
| Classification | Joint-lock |
| Style | Grappling |
| AKA | Neck crank |
In combat sports, aspinal lock is a multiplejoint lock applied to thespinal column, which is performed by forcing the spine beyond its normal ranges of motion. This is typically done by bending or twisting the head or upper body into abnormal positions. Commonly, spinal locks might strain the spinalmusculature or result in a mild spinal sprain, while a forcefully and/or suddenly applied spinal lock may cause severeligament damage or damage to thevertebrae, and possibly result in seriousspinal cord injury,stroke, or death.[citation needed] Spinal locks and cervical locks are forbidden in all gi competitions,IBJJFBrazilian jiu-jitsu competitions,[1] amateurmixed martial arts (MMA),[2][3] multiple forms of no Gijiu-jitsu,[4]judo,[5] and othermartial arts.[6] However, professional MMA, some no gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions[7] and one gi & no gi promotion (grappling industries) does permit spinal locks.
Spinal locks can be separated into two categories based on their primary area of effect on the spinal column: spinal locks on the neck are calledneck cranks, and locks on the lower parts of the spine are calledspine cranks.
Aneck crank (sometimes also referred to as aneck lock, and technically known as acervical lock) is a spinal lock applied to thecervical spine causing hyperextension, hyperflexion, lateral hyperflexion, hyperrotation or extension-distraction. This happens through bending, twisting or elongating. A neck crank is typically applied by pulling or twisting the head beyond its normal ranges of rotation. Neck cranks are usually banned from sports competitions, with notable exceptions in combat sports such assubmission wrestling andMMA, where they are used assubmission holds or as a guard passing technique.
Thecan opener (in Judo referred to askubi-hishigi) is a hyperflexing neck crank that can be applied from the opponent'sguard or from amounted position, by grabbing the opponent's head using the hands, and forcing it towards the chest of the opponent. If applied effectively in a competition it may force the opponent tosubmit.
This may also refer to a type of neck compression employed from a rear mount position in which the back of the thumbs are used to drive into the neck starting from the hightrapezius muscle toward thesternocleidomastoid muscles, causing severe discomfort and even submission. As of 2006, this is permitted inshiai (competition) as long as the combatant's thumbs remain straight and not bent. Its most common uses are to open up an opponent's chin forshime-waza or as a diversionary tactic.
Thecattle catch (also referred to asreverse crucifix,iron cross orstocks) is a hyperflexing neck crank involving trapping the opponent's hands and forcing the head towards his or her chest. The technique is performed with the opponent lying on his or her back, and the combatant performing the neck crank perpendicularly face-down in aside mount position above the head of the opponent, with the opponent's head resting towards his or her armpit. The combatant traps one arm using the legs, and the other using the arms. By using the pinned arms and legs as a point of leverage, the combatant can forcefully crank the head towards the opponent's chest.
Thecrucifix neck crank is similar to the cattle catch, but involves the combatant performing the neck crank being mounted on the opponent. Both of the opponent's arms are controlled, and the opponent's head is held in the armpit. By cranking the body upwards while keeping a tight hold on the opponent's arms, the opponent's head is forced towards his or her chest.
Both the cattle catch and the crucifix neck crank are colloquially referred to simply as thecrucifix, which often leads to confusion with the traditionalcrucifix position.
Thetwister (a similar move inwrestling is known as aguillotine) is a sideways body bend and neck crank, which involves forcing the head towards the shoulder while controlling the body, hence causing lateral hyperflexion of thecervical spine. The technique involves tension in several body parts, and depending on the flexibility of the recipient, can also involve pain in the knees, abdomen and torso. The twister is often confused with the spine crank since it involves a degree of lateral non-cervical spinal flexion. The main pressure is, however, on the cervical spine, making it a neck crank. It is performed from a back mount single vine ride position, where the top combatant has one "hook" threaded through the bottom opponent's legs and secured behind the ankle. The combatant then pulls the opponent's opposite arm behind his or her own head and grabs hold of the opponent's head, pulling it down to the shoulder. The move was popularized byEddie Bravo and the10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system.[8] On March 26, 2011Chan Sung Jung finishedLeonard Garcia atUFC Fight Night: Seattle in round 2 of their fight using a twister. This was the first and only twister finish inUFC history untilBryce Mitchell defeated Matt Sayles with the maneuver in December 2019. Prior to this, Shuichiro Katsumura defeated Hiroyuki Yamashiro with a twister inZST 20 on May 24, 2009.[9]Shayna Baszler also submittedMegumi Yabushita with a twister on January 30, 2010.[10] On December 31, 2014,Shinya Aoki scored a first-round twister win over Yuki Yamamoto atInoki Genome Federation'sInoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014.[11] At the 2015 ADCC tournament in São Paulo,Vinny Magalhaes submitted Rodrigo Artilheiro in the quarterfinals using a twister.[12]Angela Lee defeated Natalie Gonzalez Hills by twister atOne FC: Pride of Lions.[13] This move is also used in professional wrestling by various performers such asJD McDonagh,Tama Tonga, andMatt Riddle.
This technique involves facing the opponent as though leveraging a guillotine, but cross facing the individual and rotating their head laterally, creating an incredibly dangerous hyperflexion of the neck sideways when hips are leveraged and the cross face is pulled up, attempting to apply extreme pressure and damage to the cervical vertebrae.[14]
Aspine crank (the termspine lock is also often used to refer exclusively to this type) is a spinal lock that affects thethoracic and/orlumbar regions of the spinal column. A spine crank is applied by twisting or bending the upper body beyond its normal ranges of motion, causing hyperextension, hyperflexion, or hyperrotation of the spine. In martial arts, spine cranks are generally rarer techniques than neck cranks because they are more difficult to apply. Twisting or bending the upper body to apply pressure to the spinal column requires large amounts of leverage compared to twisting or bending the head.
One of the most well known spine cranks is theBoston crab, which is usually seen inpro-wrestling. Similarly to neck cranks, spine cranks are illegal techniques in most combat sports, excluding some submission wrestling and mixed martial arts competitions, where they are used as submission holds. Even if allowed, spine cranks are very rarely featured because of the difficulty of applying them. Jonno Mears is the only combatant to have ever won a mixed martial arts bout with a Boston crab, which he achieved in 2017.[15]
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