When it comes to neck cranks in BJJ, they are often seen as a taboo move. Although cranks are effective in getting the opponent to tap, they can also be seen as negative to due the long-term injuries they may cause. Because of this, neck cranks are often made illegal in IBJJF competitions. One example of this is the twister submission.
Although the twister is a spinal lock and not a neck crank, it is still illegal due to the safety risk it poses. However, most cranks from the rear naked choke position are still legal under IBJJF. For instance, if you put a short choke grip on the teeth of the opponent, it won’t choke them but will put pressure on the neck. This is completely legal and historically refs will not deem this as an illegal move.
This brings us to the Dragon Sleeper submission. Whilst this move can be a part choke, it is mostly a neck crank. Mechanically it is a reverse guillotine where the opponent’s eyes are looking up to the sky, instead of the floor. Unlike most cranks from the back mount position, it is illegal under most rulesets including the IBJJF.
With this said, it is best of think of it like a twister and treat it with caution. Similarly, if you start hitting the Dragon Sleeper in the gym against teammates then you may create enemies. Interestingly, the submission has a cool name but no one really knows its origins and it sounds like something out of WWE rather than a traditional BJJ name. Below we will discuss the entries into the Dragon Sleeper, as well as the mechanics of finishing the move.
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Entries into the Dragon Sleeper submission
The Dragon Sleeper primarily has two entries. The first is from the back mount and the second is from the north south choke. Firstly, we shall look at the back mount entry. Starting from the back position, typically BJJ practitioners will try to attack for rear naked chokes and other strangles. However, the Dragon Sleeper works differently. Imagine trying to guillotine someone whilst on their back, this is basically the Dragon Sleeper.
To do this, you need to swing your arm over the face of the opponent and put your armpit under their chin. With the armpit around their throat, you can then connect both hands. At this point, you should have the opponent’s head trapped in between your arms. At this point, you have successfully transitioned from the back position to the Dragon Sleeper.
The second entry is from the north south choking position. Remember, this is from the choke position, not the general north south position. So, imagine you’re trying to finish a north south choke but somehow the opponent just won’t tap. At this point, you can get to your knees whilst keeping the north south choke. This should naturally raise the head of the opponent as your legs raise in unison. From this point, you can wrap your legs around the body of the opponent and now you’re basically in back mount with the Dragon Sleeper grip. At this point, you are now ready to start submitting the opponent.
Submitting with the Dragon Sleeper
To finish the Dragon Sleeper, you should control the head of the opponent fully with no room to escape. Imagine you’re holding a tight guillotine or north south choke. With this done, you should then bring your arms back to bring the head towards the floor. Simultaneously, you want to thrust your hips forwards into the back of the opponent. This creates great tension as the opponent’s head is being pushed in the opposite way of the body.
Combined with the force of your arms, this should lead to the opponent tapping as the pressure on their neck is too much. Ideally, you would also be choking their throat at this point, but even as a pure crank, the Dragon Sleeper is too much for even the toughest of opponents to avoid tapping.
To add more fire power, you can also twist your arms towards the side and bring your elbows in as you lean back. If ever you’ve been caught in a regular guillotine crank, some people have a skill of twisting to add more pain. Basically, it’s good to know that not all cranks are equal and certain adjustments can increase pressure.
This means, that like other submissions, some cranks rely on technique and aren’t just strength or goon moves. Anyway, by twisting your arms and elbows back, it will only twist the opponent’s head in another direction. In other words, their head won’t just go back, but also to the side, adding further torque to their neck. Although a regular finish should suffice, this will only speed up the process of the opponent tapping due to the level of pain.
As a side note, you can also do an arm-in Dragon Sleeper, similar to how you would use an arm-in guillotine choke. However, overall both should result in the opponent tapping and it’s mostly down to personal preference. Please remember to apply the Dragon Sleeper with a gentle effort. As it puts so much pressure on the neck and spine, it could easily cause long-term damage such as spinal injuries and even paralyse the opponent.
With this said, even drilling the move should be done carefully and if it’s legal – even in competition you should take care of the opponent. This proves just how dangerous the move can be.
Final Thoughts on the Dragon Sleeper
Although it looks like a flashy move, mechanically speaking the Dragon Sleeper is sound and reliable. Whilst purists may sneer at the use of cranks, this move is so strong that no one is escaping it if it’s fully locked in. Within some circles, it’s also referred to as a reverse guillotine or an executioner but mostly it’s called the Dragon Sleeper.
Remember, this move is often illegal and it’s not fun to be tapped by it. However, it does have practical implications and if you’re in a competition where it’s legal and you can’t finish a choke from the back or north south position, it provides the perfect counter to a stubborn opponent. With this in mind, it may be an idea to add this to your arsenal and increase your chances of finishing tough opponents from the back position.
