The full nelson, also known as a neck crank or a double nelson, is generally considered illegal in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) competitions and other grappling sports. Having said this, under certain rulesets such as ADCC where neck cranks are legal, it’s fine to do. Just don’t expect to get away with it if you’re in an IBJJF competition.
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Why the Full Nelson is banned in BJJ
- Safety: The full nelson can put significant pressure on the neck and spine, which can lead to serious injuries, particularly to the cervical vertebrae. BJJ prioritizes the safety of its practitioners, and certain submissions or holds that can cause unnecessary risk are often prohibited to prevent potential harm.
- Focus on Joint Locks and Chokes: BJJ primarily emphasizes joint locks and chokes as submission techniques. These techniques are designed to control an opponent without causing severe damage, as they rely on applying pressure to specific joints or cutting off blood circulation to induce a tap-out rather than causing pain or severe injury to the neck and spine.
- BJJ Ruleset: Different grappling sports have their own rulesets, and in BJJ competitions, the full nelson is explicitly banned to maintain fairness and safety. The focus on other grappling techniques allows for a wider range of possible submissions without resorting to potentially dangerous holds.
- Legal and Liability Concerns: In some jurisdictions, certain grappling techniques or submissions may be considered illegal due to potential legal and liability issues. To prevent any legal complications, BJJ competitions typically enforce strict rules against dangerous techniques like the full nelson.
Can you do a full nelson hold in a BJJ gym?
Most gyms won’t allow full nelson holds due to their dangers. In some ways, this is similar to most gyms making twister submissions illegal too. However, this depends on each individual gym and their interpretation of what is right and wrong. So, although most gyms won’t allow it – some will, and this is more the case with MMA gyms which seem to be less caring about BJJ’s proper rules.
Is the half nelson legal in BJJ?
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the half nelson is completely legal in all formats and it’s actually a very effective hold. Typically, this can be done to pin people during side control, or the power-half can be used to force a back take from the turtle position.
This is like the full nelson but only uses one arm around the back of the neck, hence its name. Although far less dangerous, it can still cause injury and it’s essential to note that the half nelson should be practiced and applied with control, especially in training or sparring situations, to avoid causing unnecessary discomfort or injury to your training partner. Like any grappling technique, its effectiveness can depend on the skill and timing of the practitioner using it. Still, it’s worth learning and is pretty good against the turtle.
Charles Vieira
Charles Vieira is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt. He has travelled the world extensively training on 4 continents.
A full Nelson is safer than a real naked choke ever a rear naked choke can kill you.
If you don’t tap to a rear naked choke, the referee will make the opponent release it once you are unconscious.
If you don’t tap to a full nelson, you could maintain spinal cord damage before anyone realizes.
This isn’t too complicated to understand.