Issue 001
March 2005
New to the sport? Here's your essential guide to the main terms you will hear and see when you watch a mixed martial arts contest.
Ankle Lock
Includes all locks, bars, and holds that cause enough pain to cause an opponent to submit. Many of these holds can result in serious injury if the opponent does not tap out in time. A few popular submission holds are arm bars, ankle locks, knee bars, and neck cranks.
Arm Bar
Where the opponent’s arm is hyperextended or bent the opposite way. Raising your groin to hyperextend the opponent’s arm, forcing him to submit or face serious injury. Can be used in the mount or guard position.
Clinch
Where two standing fighters are locked together with underhooks, overhooks or combination of them both. Fighters often use this position to deliver knees or to take down their opponent.
Ground and Pound (GnP)
Where the fighter on top of his opponent rains down punches, forearms and or elbows. The opponent will often receive a lot of punishment without being able to counter or defend himself adequately.
Guard
With the fighter on his back, he traps the opponent between his legs crossing his legs behind his opponent’s back. From here the fighter has a good defence as the opponent is trapped, but can also attempt numerous submission holds aswell.
Guillotine
With the fighters facing each other. The fighter traps the opponent’s head beneath his armpit and with his arm round one side of the opponent’s neck. The fighter grabs his own wrist and pulls it in tight and up, to cut off the oxygen to the opponents brain causing him to either submit or risk going unconscious.
Half Guard
With the fighter on his back, he traps one of his opponent’s legs with his own legs and crossing them, thus preventing him from reaching mount position. From here the fighter will attempt to get his opponent back into full guard as a better defensive position. The opponent will however, try to pass the guard and get in a good position to ‘GnP’ or attempt a submission hold.
Heel Hook
Where a fighter isolates an opponents leg using his own legs. He traps the opponents toes under his armpit allowing him to lever the opponents heel around using his forearm, forcing him to submit or face serious injury.
Kimura
Where a fighter isolates an opponents arm and rotates this arm against the elbow and or shoulder joint, forcing the opponent to submit or face serious injury. Once the fighter has isolated the arm, there is not much opportunity for the opponent to defend against this submission hold.
Knee Bar
Where a fighter isolates an opponents leg using his own legs and continues to hyperextend the opponents leg against the knee joint. He does this by pulling the foot in tight to his chest and lifting his groin against the opponents knee, forcing the opponent to submit or face serious injury.
Knock out (K.O.)
A fighter is knocked down and unfit to carry on fighting.
Mount
The fighter is sitting on the chest of his opponent, straddling him. Very strong position as the opponent does not have many options other than to cover up or to try and remove the fighter from this position.
Neck Crank or Can Opener
Where the fighter places his hands around the back of the opponents head and his forearms on the opponents chest. He then levers the head forward and down to cut off the oxygen to the opponents brain, causing him to submit or risk going unconscious.
Rear Naked Choke (RNC)
The fighter is behind his opponent with his arm looped around the opponents neck. Locking it in by grasping his other arm and nipping in tight to cut off the oxygen to the opponents brain, causing him to submit or risk going unconscious.
Submission
Where a lock, bar or hold is applied which causes the opponent to submit.
Suplex
Where the fighter with double underhooks, lifts up the opponent before slamming him to the canvas.
Takedown
Where a fighter either shoots in low either taking one or both legs, forcing the opponent to fall to the canvas, or trips, sweeps or throws the opponent from a clinch to the canvas.
Tap Out
Where a fighter taps the mat three times in sucession to signal to the referee that he wishes to submit.
Triangle Choke
With the fighter on his back he raises his legs around the opponents shoulders trapping his head and an arm. The fighter will pull in tight by getting his foot behind the knee on his other leg and pull the opponents head down to cut off the oxygen to the opponents brain, causing him to submit or risk going unconscious.
Underhook
Where a fighter hooks his hands underneath the opponents armpit and or thigh.
Verbal submission
Where a fighter verbally signals to the referee that he wishes to submit.
SUPLEX
Tengiz Tedoradze (UK) suplexing Jeff Monson (USA) at Cage Warriors 9 in Sheffield. Tengiz from the clinch has one underhook and one overhook.?Tengiz then proceeds to sweep Jeff Monson’s legs lifting him up and back to the canvas, landing in side mount position.
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