The Twister submission was popularized by 10th Planet head honcho Eddie Bravo and is a spinal crank from the back position. Since its creation, it has remained a rare but useful submission which has been seen in the UFC a handful of times, and sometimes is used in BJJ competitions too.
Usually, this submission is used in submission only no gi competitions, so it’s not really seen or legal in the gi. So, what is the Twister exactly and how does it work? Read on for more information.
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How to use the Twister in MMA & BJJ
Getting to the Twister can be done from the back. In other words, if you can take someones back then you can possibly get a Twister. There are three main ways to get there:
- From Turtle
- From the back
- From the Truck (sometimes referred to as the Twister Hook)
Effectively, all of these positions can become the same back take as they’re all linked. They all have one thing in common which is they end up in regular back control, but with a key difference. This difference is that instead of getting two hooks or a back triangle, you instead hook around one leg.
So, imagine you have one regular hook that goes above the knee of the opponent. This should be on the side that touches the floor. You’ll need to release your otherside hook from the hips and lock a triangle with your other foot. Then, with your hook that is under the legs of the opponent, you should then scoop your foot under their heel.
The point of this is to control the one side of their body which is the side that touches the floor. In fact, this sort of control is actually decent when maintaining the back even when you’re not thinking about the Twister.
Whilst doing this, you’ll also want to have some kind of upper body control on your opponent, such as grabbing the wrist or a half nelson. This means that your Twister Hook should control the lower body, whilst your upper grips should control the higher body.
How to finish the Twister submission
Imagine the above grips and position has been solidified. At this point, you’re ready to start attacking the Twister. However, this can be tough against a skilled opponent. From here, you’ll want to get both hands and move the nearside arm of the opponent from their chest to around your head and shoulders. In other words, if their left hip is touching the floor, you should get a two on one grip on their right arm.
With this in place, you should then try and pin it under your armpit. This means you’ve then isolated their head and trapped their arm which takes away their defense. From here, you should then get an S-grip around the opponents scalp and twist their head back.
You can use an alternative grip too, such as the Rear Naked Choke grip that Bryce Mitchell once used in the UFC. So, as long as your grip is secure and twists the neck then it will submit the opponent.
How does the Twister work?
The mechanics of the Twister act similarly to a heel hook. In short, it works by twisting the upper body against the lower body which stays still. This puts massive torque on the spine and if held with enough force, could literally snap the spin and cause paralysis.
This is why the Twister is banned in many gyms and BJJ competitions. It’s also why even the toughest MMA fighters fear it and tap early, as it’s probably the worst submission to be caught in regarding life changing injuries. Potentially if done hard enough, the Twister could kill.
The point is that the spine doesn’t just bend in half, it twists against itself which is why it’s so dangerous, just like a heel hook causes a complicated ligament break, rather than a clean snap.
Using the Twister in MMA
Even in rules where the Twister is legal, it’s not that common. Unless you’re a Twister specialist, you’d probably opt for back control in BJJ and MMA as it can lead to chokes and other submissions. Generally, standard back control means keeping a dominant position as well.
This means that even if you’re good at using the Twister then the chances are you may not even use it. One of the good things about the Twister though is it’s great to transition into if your opponents starts to escape the back and you can’t maintain regular back control. For instance, this could be set up if they strip one hook and threaten an escape. If you know how to set up your legs under theirs, then you can move into a Twister.
One of the biggest advantages on the Twister in MMA is being able to strike with your free arm. As the opponents arm is trapped under your armpit, it means you can rain strikes on their head. These may not be huge blows but can still do significant damage and lead to a possible stoppage or open up the submission. In short, this means the Twister is more advantageous in MMA compared to BJJ.
How to escape the Twister
The Twister isn’t a submission that you can tap late too and it’s not advised. If you’re fully locked in then just tap as you may get seriously hurt otherwise. However, the best way to escape is by winning the grip fight.
If your opponent cannot put your arm underneath their armpit then they can’t really Twister you as it’s much easier to defend. Therefore, keep your arms close and anticipate grip fighting. At some point, it may also be able to escape from the Twister hook.
This will be tough against a good player, but there’s a chance you can slip your foot from under the opponents hook. At this point you may even be able to spin to a top position, or escape to a bottom half guard. Of course, at this point it’s all about survival and you should be wary of chokes and neck cranks whilst freeing your feet. The good news is that Twisters are rare and aren’t really attempted much so it’s not a massive deal.
How many UFC fights have ended with a Twister?
Whilst there’s been a few Twisters in MMA, they are quite rare and even rarer in the UFC. As of 2021, there have been two Twister submissions in the UFC. The first was done by Chan Sung Jung, aka Korean Zombie, and the second was done by Bryce Mitchell. Korean Zombie got his from back control in the dying seconds, whilst Bryce Mitchell secured his from a top turtle position.
Remember, the Twister is fully legal in UFC but it’s also pretty rare and the chances are that many fighters haven’t even trained it. Therefore, if you’re a fighter then it’s probably better to train back escapes compared to Twister defense.
What’s more, when the UFC started in the early 90s, the chances are that the Twister wasn’t even used by Eddie Bravo – so it’s understandable that it’s quite obscure.
If you’re looking to learn more about the Twister then check out Eddie Bravo’s book which is literally called Mastering The Twister.
