Every wrestler should know how to use the front headlock to his advantage. Knowing this position will not only allow you to defend against your opponent’s attacks, but it will also give you an opportunity to score on offense. This guide offers two effective techniques you can use to score the takedown after you’ve secured a front headlock on your opponent.
The Inside Arm Drag
This is one of the most basic and effective ways to get a takedown after securing a front headlock on your opponent. With this drag, you give yourself the opportunity to score a takedown on your opponent on the same side of his body as the arm you’ll have secured in the headlock. Read the following steps closely to learn how to execute the arm drag.
1. Control the Front Headlock
Make sure your body is in a good position for the front headlock. Keep your arm tight around your opponent’s head. Cup his chin with your hand. Use your free arm to pull your opponent’s elbow in an upward motion in order to take his hand off of the mat. From here, keep your legs back and stay on your toes — this will help you keep pressure on your opponent’s neck and upper back.
2. Snap Forward
With control of the front headlock, snap your opponent forward and away from whichever side of his body you’ve controlled. That is, if you are controlling the right side of his body; snap him toward his left. Do this by moving your hips backward as you snap your opponent towards you. Since you’ve gained control of your opponent’s arm by taking it off of the mat, he’ll fall forward without support. This will leave him open to be scored on.
3. Switch Arms
Bring the arm you’re using to control the headlock to the opposite side of his head. Continue moving your arm across his shoulder to grip the inside of his arm, high on the triceps, near his armpit. This will be your arm drag. Your thumb should be pointed upward, and your fingers should be wrapped around his triceps.
As you do this, release the grip you have on your opponent’s elbow (with your other hand) and reach across your opponent’s body to grab his hip. (If you used your left hand to control his right elbow, reach across his body and grab his left hip.)
Now, drag the arm that’s secured in the arm drag towards your opponent’s other arm — this will cause his body to slightly turn. Stay on your toes and drive as you circle behind him, and drive toward the arm you’ve controlled. Keep your chest in contact with the side of his body/back. This will make it easier to get behind him to score your takedown.
Hot Tip: Turn the Body
The harder you pull the arm drag across your opponent’s body, the more his entire body will turn. This makes getting behind him much quicker and easier for the takedown.
The Go-behind
The go-behind is one of the simplest ways to score a takedown when you have your opponent in a front headlock. This can be done when your opponent keeps his hands on the mat. Learn this technique by following the steps below.
1. Control the Front Headlock
Make sure your body is in a good position for the front headlock. Keep your legs back and stay on your toes — this will put pressure on your opponent’s neck and shoulders as you pull him towards you. With the arm you’re using to control his head, cup his chin with your hand. With your other arm, pull your opponent’s elbow up to bring his arm off of the mat (as you would for an arm drag).
2. Switch Grips & Circle
Switch the grip you have on your opponent’s elbow by sliding your hand up his arm to grip high on his triceps, almost near his armpit. Keeping your elbow tight to your body, pull your opponent’s arm towards you. As you’re gripping him and pulling his arm towards you, circle away from the arm you’re controlling. That is, if you are controlling the right arm, circle to your left.
3. Bounce His Head
As you circle, snap your opponent forward. Try to “bounce” his head off of the mat. By doing so, you will put pressure on his upper body, making him break down either to his elbow or completely flat on the mat. With whichever of yours legs is opposite of the opponent’s arm you’re controlling, drop your knee to the mat. For example, if you are controlling your opponent’s right arm, snap your opponent down and drop to your left knee.
Hot Tip: Only a Split Second
Keep in mind that you only want to be on your knee briefly — ideally for less than one second — before you move to spin around your opponent. If you stay on your knee for too long, you will be vulnerable to takedowns.
4. Block
Next, get off your knee and get back up on your toes. The hip of whichever leg was kneeling should be facing the mat — this allows you to exert pressure on your opponent as you spin behind. With the shoulder that’s on the same side of your body as the hip that’s facing the mat, put pressure on the middle of your opponent’s back. That is, if your left hip is down, use your left shoulder.
From here, let go of the headlock. Bring your newly freed arm towards your opponent’s arm that you’ve controlled. Place the back of your hand on the outside of your opponent’s armpit, palm facing up. You will use this arm to block. With the hand that has been gripping his triceps, push down on his arm. This will keep him from defending when you spin behind for the takedown.
5. Spin
Now use both arms to apply pressure to his arm as you spin towards his back. As you move behind him, use the arm that initially controlled his arm and reach across his back and grip his far hip. (If you used your right arm to initially control his arm, reach across and grab your opponent’s right hip.) From here, pull the hip towards you as you spin behind for the takedown.
Score at Will
Knowing how to score when you have your opponent in a front headlock will take your wrestling to another level. Essentially, if you know how to score from here, you will score every time you’re in this position. Make sure to drill these techniques so they become second nature. Now, get out there and perfect these moves!
