A neck crank is a submission that bends the neck forward, back or sideways against the trunk until the pain forces a tap, with no pressure on the arteries. A choke closes the arteries or the airway; a crank bends the spine. Most cranks appear by accident, as a badly placed choke.
- In competition: BJJ Heroes records that spinal locks were ruled out when BJJ became a sport in the early 1970s, and most rule sets still exclude them.
- Deliberate cranks: the twister, the can opener from inside the guard, and the face-crank finish of a loose guillotine.
- Rule in most gyms: a neck crank is a mistake unless both partners have agreed to train them.
What is the difference between a neck crank and a choke?
The difference is where the pressure lands. A choke sits on the sides of the neck or the throat and makes the partner feel faint; a crank sits on the chin, the face or the back of the head and makes them feel their spine. Rear naked chokes across the jaw and guillotines on the chin are cranks until the position is fixed. BJJ Heroes describes Eddie Bravo's twister as a neck crank submission developed from a wrestling position, which is the best known deliberate one.
How do you handle a neck crank safely?
The steps are about telling cranks from chokes and treating them safely.
- Know the feeling. On the receiving end, pressure on the chin, the face or the back of the skull means crank. Tap at once; there is no technique to wait out.
- Fix the position when you are on top. If your rear naked choke is on the jaw, loosen it and slide the forearm under the chin before squeezing again.
- Use the crank as a lever, with care. In a loose guillotine, lifting the chin can make space to reset the forearm under it; keep the lift slow and small.
- Agree before you train them. If your gym allows the twister or the can opener, say so to your partner before the roll starts.
- Release at the first tap. Cranks give the tapper no margin, so your hands open the instant you feel the tap.
The key point is that cranks work by pain and chokes by blood. Pain makes partners tap late and angry; blood chokes make them tap early and calm. Build your game on chokes and treat cranks as something to recognise.
Are neck cranks legal in BJJ?
Under the IBJJF Rules Book's table of illegal moves, the spinal lock without a choke is illegal in every division, for every age and belt, gi and no-gi.
A choke combined with a spinal lock is illegal for everyone under 16. In judo the IJF rules give hansoku-make for any action that may endanger the opponent's neck or spinal vertebrae.
Why do neck cranks happen?
Fatigue and frustration. A tired partner pulls a triangle on the back of the head because the angle is gone; a frustrated one squeezes a face instead of resetting. A mouthguard for the rounds that get rough is in our BJJ training gear.
Sources
- BJJ Heroes records, BJJ Heroes
- BJJ Heroes describes Eddie Bravo's twister, BJJ Heroes
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
- IJF rules, International Judo Federation
Related terms
Twister, Rear naked choke, Guillotine, Triangle choke, Tap / tapping out, Chokes.