Mma Submissions Moves

Could professional wrestling submission moves be used in MMA?

For instance,

They’re all legal. Mechanically, though, there are complications. The more complex a hold is, the more likely it is to fail.

Of the holds you listed, the “ankle lock” is actually attempted quite frequently. It’s real name is the toe hold (aka stopper toe hold, figure four toe hold, etc). It has even ended a few matches. Frank Mir used it to beat Tank Abbott, Josh Barnett used it to beat Pawel Nastula, Masakazu Imanari used it to beat Yoshiro Maeda, and Megumi Fujii is shown here beating Serin Murray:

In grappling terms, any time you use the forearm to drive across the face and turn the opponent’s head is a “cross face”. It can be turned into a neck crank submission. Here’s Kazushi Sakuraba using it against Andrews Nakahara:

The other holds you list simply aren’t that effective against a trained fighter. Your opponent would have to be impossibly stupid and very weak to fall into a traditional “figure four leg lock,” but there is a similar move called a leg lace submission:

Getting into a “boston crab” position is a little more probable, but again, only if the guy was stupid. The “guard” position is common in MMA, where one fighter has his legs wrapped around the other guy’s waist, but most people would be smart enough to simply let go of the guard once the guy started to roll them over. This guy, in a Jiujitsu match, was not that smart:

Going for the “sharp shooter” or “scorpion hold” as it was originally called (invented in Japan; sasori gatame = scorpion hold) is so complex that the bottom man would have to be even stupider than in the previous maneuvers. Plus, it actually sets you up to get leg locked. This is actually one of my favorite set ups for the heel hook:

Finally, the “camel clutch” by itself isn’t that bad an idea. Like the cross face, it’s a neck crank. The way it’s performed in pro wrestling, it wouldn’t be used, because a fighter knows that once his opponent is on his back, he’s in trouble, so that position would be rare enough. Plus, most guys are tucking their chin so they don’t get choked, which would make the neck crank that much harder. Also, in pro wrestling, they hardly ever try to actually use their arms to fight off the hold; in MMA, the first thing you do when someone reaches around your face is to try to control their wrists. However, a maneuver similar to the “camel clutch” has been used to lift the chin up enough for a choke to be applied. I’m not aware of any instance of it being used to actually submit an opponent.

Mixed Martial Arts Techniques : Triangle Figure Four Move in MMA

Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Grappling Instructional Series $44.99 In this amazing DVD instructional video series, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Cesar Gracie teaches the most effective Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, No Holds Barred and street fighting techniques ever assembled on to one set of videos! This high quality series contains 9 complete volumes of techniques ranging from basics, intermediate and advanced. Techniques are also taught with and without the kimono! In t…

UFC Undisputed 3 $43.00 The critically acclaimed and best-selling MMA videogame franchise returns to take players inside the Octagon with UFC Undisputed 3  delivering UFC action focused on intense toe-to-toe bat impressive visual presentation and increased accessibility.Featuring the addition of PRIDE Mode a brand new submission system new ways to finish the fight and increased accessibility through both traditional…

UFC Undisputed 3 $39.00 The critically acclaimed and best-selling MMA videogame franchise returns to take players inside the Octagon with UFC Undisputed 3  delivering UFC action focused on intense toe-to-toe bat impressive visual presentation and increased accessibility.Featuring the addition of PRIDE Mode a brand new submission system new ways to finish the fight and increased accessibility through both traditional…

UFC Undisputed 2010 $8.50 UFC Undisputed 2010 is action-packed fighting game that recreates the excitement and intensity of the real-life Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The game features all aspects of the UFC experience, including a roster of more 100 UFC fighters, a wide range of fighting styles—including new additions Sambo, Karate and Greco-Roman Wrestling—authentic environments and commentary, …

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series) $19.77 While most martial arts deal only with the initial punching and kicking stages of combat, Brazilian jiu-jitsu concentrates on ground combat. This guide shows how to use Brazilian jiu-jitsu to increase combat effectiveness. Photographs and step-by-step instructions show how to master the techniques used in this exciting new form of combat….

Mastering the Twister: Jiu Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts Competition $18.71 “The Twister” is a neck-jarring, spine-torturing submission hold refined and mastered by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu superstar Eddie Bravo.Early in his jiu-jitsu career, Eddie Bravo dominated dozens of jiu-jitsu competitions with this unorthodox move. When the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation banned his trademark move, he proved the effectiveness of his entire grappling style by defeating the legendary Royl…

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Submission Grappling Techniques (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu series) $10.00 The tactics and techniques of two of the greatest competitors in the history of mixed martial arts combat, Renzo and Royler Gracie, are captured in this book. Their ‘grappling’ style of martial arts is explained — methods that focus on holds and throws rather than kicks and punches, and come closer to the spirit and nature of real fighting than other martial arts. Covered are the history, rules, …