Purpose

The front headlock is the controlling position from which guillotines, D’Arce chokes, anacondas, and back takes all originate. None of those attacks are available to a practitioner who cannot consistently close the front headlock from a scramble or sprawl. The most common failure is wrapping the arms around the neck alone — producing a headlock rather than an arm-and-head control — which gives the opponent enough space to extract the head by turtling tighter or rotating.

This drill trains the correct two-point encirclement: one arm under the chin (not around the neck) and one arm behind the head, with the hands connected in front of the face. A cooperative partner allows the student to feel and verify the correct geometry before adding resistance.

Setup

Bottom player is turtled on all fours, head neutral, neck relaxed. Top player kneels to one side of the bottom player’s head with their own chest positioned above the back of the bottom player’s neck. No grip has been established. The top player’s hips are square to the mat — not yet extending into sprawl weight.

Execution

From the starting position, slide the near arm under the bottom player’s chin, palm facing up. The forearm presses against the throat from below — not choking, but contacting. The elbow points toward the mat.
Bring the far arm over the top of the bottom player’s head and reach toward the near hand. The far arm’s inner forearm rests against the back of the skull.
Connect the hands in front of the bottom player’s face — a Gable grip (palm-to-palm) or wrist-to-forearm. The connection sits approximately at nose level.
Once the grip is closed, verify three checkpoints:
- The chin arm is under the chin, not wrapped around the neck
- The far arm’s forearm is on the back of the skull, not on the neck
- The hands are connected in front of the face, not behind the head
Apply gentle inward squeeze — both forearms draw toward each other. The bottom player’s head is sandwiched between the forearms. This is the control position.
Release fully and reset. Ten reps per side.

Constraint: The bottom player does not move. If the grip slides to a rear-choke position (both arms around the neck), reset without credit. The distinction between a choke and a control position is the whole point of this drill.

Coaching Notes

The forearm-under-chin position feels unfamiliar at first. Students default to wrapping the full arm around the neck because it feels tighter — it mimics a headlock. Cue them: “Your elbow should point at the mat, not at their spine.” When the elbow points down, the forearm is anatomically forced under the chin rather than around the neck.

The far arm placement is equally critical. Students who lay the far arm flat across the top of the head (forearm horizontal, pressing down) lose all rear-skull contact. Cue: “Your forearm should be pressing against the back of their head, not laying on top of it.” The forearm needs to contact the occiput — the bony ridge at the base of the skull — to prevent the opponent from lifting out.

Watch for students who connect their hands behind the opponent’s head. This creates a reverse headlock — not a front headlock — and the chin arm loses its leverage. The connection must be in front of the face to maintain the sandwich geometry.

Common Errors

Arms around the neck rather than chin-under: The grip has become a rear choke rather than a front headlock. The chin arm must go under the chin, elbow pointing at the mat. Reset.

Far arm flat on top of the head: No rear-skull contact. The opponent can posture up by simply lifting. Move the far arm forward until the forearm contacts the occiput.

Hands connected behind the head: The geometry has inverted. The connection must be at nose-to-chin level, in front of the face. Reset the arm positions.

Top player’s hips too high: The top player is kneeling upright rather than driving their chest toward the back of the partner’s neck. Lower the chest — the weight load helps maintain the position.