Alias · Leg Locks
The Split
Also known as Banana Split — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: Informal shorthand
Shorthand for the banana split hip-and-spine attack
The Split is the shorthand name for the banana split — a hip-and-spine attack from the back position in which the attacker controls one of the opponent’s legs and pulls it across the body to load both the hip and the spinal structures simultaneously.
Etymology. “Banana split” — the canonical name — references the ice-cream dessert in which the banana is split lengthwise; the technique’s geometry resembles the split-banana shape with the opponent’s trapped leg pulled across the body. “The Split” is the abbreviation that strips the metaphorical naming back to the underlying mechanical action — the split between the two halves of the opponent’s body. The shorter label is common in coaching and competition commentary where the longer “banana split” is unwieldy.
Mechanics. The attack isolates the target leg and applies force at a vector that loads the hip joint and the lumbar spine simultaneously — the opponent cannot defend both structures at once, which is why the technique threatens injury at the hip while the spinal pressure provides a secondary tap stimulus.
Cross-reference. “Banana split” is the standard published name. Full mechanical coverage on Banana Split.