The twister hook is one of the main mechanisms used to take the back, especially in no gi grappling, where it is quite common. (So if you do no gi you should probably practice it because at some point it WILL be used against you.) Fundamentally, the twister hook is a method of entangling one of your opponent's legs with two of your own in a double triangle configuration. Once fully locked … [Read more...]
Twister
How To Do the Twister the Easiest Way
The Twister is a flashy and hellishly effective submission made famous by Eddie Bravo. It's now illegal in IBJJF competition, but it shows up sometimes in submission grappling and you're even starting to see it in MMA! If you catch your training partners in it - carefully and gently of course - then you get major bragging rights and some instant 'mat cred.' There are lots of advanced ways … [Read more...]
The Twister Vs. The Toehold
Q: You've previously discussed dangerous submissions. Do you think that the twister spine lock is a dangerous submission? How dangerous is the twister compared to other submissions, say something like a toehold? A: The quick answer is that both submissions (the toehold and the twister) are dangerous. If you were to collect injury statistics, you would probably find that more people have … [Read more...]