How to do a PERFECT Twister
0
Twister From Back Ride·Brandon Quick
I’ve been doing the Twister since the 90’s. This is a great path for the fundamentals and any rank can catch on easily. …
Twister From Back Ride
Speciesツイスター(Tsuisutā)
TransliterationTranslation: Twister (katakana loanword)
Overview
The twister from back ride is applied when the attacker has a back ride position with one hook controlling the opponent's far leg (the 'truck' entry) and threads an arm under the opponent's chin from behind, then uses the trapped leg and upper body grip to rotate the spine in opposite directions. [1],[2] The attacker's legs control the lower body while the arms rotate the upper body in the opposite direction, creating severe rotational stress on the entire spinal column. [1] The back ride provides the base from which the twister's counter-rotational forces are generated. [1],[2]
History & Origin
The twister was popularized by Eddie Bravo and is a central technique in his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. [1],[2] Bravo adapted the guillotine ride from amateur wrestling into a submission by adding the cervical rotation component. [1] The technique gained mainstream attention when Chan Sung Jung finished Leonard Garcia with a twister in the UFC in 2011, the first twister finish in UFC history. [1],[2] The back ride entry is the most common path to the twister position. [1]
Effectiveness
The twister from back ride creates devastating rotational spinal lock — one of the most painful submissions in grappling. The back ride position provides the control needed to execute the rotation [1]
Lineage
Eddie Bravo's adaptation of the wrestler's guillotine to submission grappling; the back ride (or 'truck') position is the primary platform for the twister. Chan Sung Jung's UFC twister finish (2011) brought global attention [1]
Competition Record
Chan Sung Jung (Korean Zombie) finished Leonard Garcia with a twister at UFC Fight Night 24 — the first twister in UFC history. Regular finish at 10th Planet invitationals [1]
Images
No images yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest an image.
Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Compression of the neck structures — restricts blood flow or airway depending on technique application
Joints Involved — Cervical spine, surrounding musculature, and vascular structures of the neck
Force Vector — Directed compression against the neck from the choking limb or body position
Finishing Mechanic — Sustained pressure causes either vascular occlusion (unconsciousness) or tracheal restriction (breathing difficulty)
Position & Entry
From back control with seatbelt — Establish hooks or body triangle, slide choking arm under the chin, connect hands and squeeze
From turtle top (back take) — Break down the turtle, insert hooks, secure seatbelt grip, slide to back control and apply the choke
From standing back clinch — Secure rear body lock, drag opponent to the mat while inserting hooks, transition to choking position
Videos
Double Under PASS to TWISTER!!???
0
Twister From Back Ride·TeachMeGrappling Coach Brian
This video I demo a backward roll escape to a takedown when someone gets you in the double unders pass, as well as a bac…
The twister submission
0
Twister From Back Ride·CCMA Complete Control Martial Arts
The twister is a great submission from the back especially when your opponents hips are elevated. Today's video will sho…
1 / 2
3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The twister from back ride is a cervical rotation submission executed from the back control position, particularly effective when the opponent is in turtle or elevated hip position. CCMA Complete Control Martial Arts emphasizes initiating the technique when the opponent's hips rise during defensive movement—specifically removing the underhook hook, elevating the hips with the knee, locking down the far leg, and then securing a baseball bat grip on the opponent's arm before threading the elbow and shoulder through to apply neck torque. TeachMeGrappling Coach Brian presents the twister as a transition from the truck position (achieved via double underhook pass), stressing the critical distinction between lockdown and triangle leg configuration—a triangle must be maintained to prevent the opponent from slipping their foot inside the lock. Brandon Quick provides detailed hand-fighting and positional refinements, emphasizing a shallow arm hook gripped baseball-bat style, the importance of keeping the opponent's leg pinned to the ground via calf stomp, scooting laterally to achieve proper elbow positioning outside the armpit, and targeting the temple rather than the neck during the final rotation. All three instructors agree on the baseball bat grip and the requirement to keep hips elevated and controlled. Where they differ slightly: CCMA focuses on the seat-belt transition and hand placement variations; TeachMeGrappling distinguishes this from banana split and other truck attacks; Brandon Quick provides the most technical detail on leg positioning and the shallow-grip hook mechanic.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- CCMA Complete Control Martial Arts — The twister submission: Established the foundational back-ride setup, including when to attempt the technique (during hip elevation), the underhook hook removal, hip elevation with knee placement, far-leg lockdown, and the baseball bat grip transition with high-elbow shoulder threading for neck rotation.
- TeachMeGrappling Coach Brian — Double Under PASS to TWISTER!!???: Presented the twister as a truck-position finish with emphasis on the critical distinction between triangle and lockdown leg configuration, demonstrating that triangles prevent foot escapes while lockdowns allow them, and showing real-time execution with hand-fighting sequences.
- Brandon Quick — How to do a PERFECT Twister: Provided detailed technical refinements including 45-degree knee insertion depth, tight elbow tucking in the turtle, calf stomp to pin the leg prior to triangle configuration, shallow-grip arm hook mechanics, lateral scooting to position the elbow outside the armpit, and temple-targeting rather than neck-targeting during the final rotation.
Learn This Technique
No instructional courses yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest a course.
Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
9
Extreme9/10
Rotation cranks twist the cervical spine; among the highest-risk submission categories
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Expert
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
— FIAS Sport Sambo — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes a...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — choke submissions are among the mos...
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The twister from back ride transitions from a wrestling-style back ride to the twister spinal lock — hooking the opponent's leg and controlling the head from the posterior position (Bravo, Mastering the Rubber Guard, 2006)
✓From back ride: the attacker is on the opponent's back (chest-to-back, not necessarily with BJJ hooks) — hook one leg with your leg and reach across to control the head
✓The back ride is the traditional wrestling platform: the attacker maintains posterior control with chest weight and arm control — the twister adds a submission to this wrestling position
✓The transition: from the back ride, hook the near-side leg (lockdown or calf hook), then reach over and grip the far side of the head — the twister position is established with the leg anchoring the lower body and the hand controlling the head
✓The back ride twister is direct: unlike the truck-to-twister path, it moves from back ride straight to twister without an intermediate entanglement position
✓The finish: with the leg hooked and the head controlled, rotate the upper body away from the leg — the spine is twisted between the fixed lower body and the rotating upper body
✓The twister from back ride combines wrestling riding skill with submission grappling: the wrestler's ability to maintain the ride is the foundation for the submission
Common Mistakes
!Not maintaining the back ride during the transition — keep chest weight on the opponent while hooking the leg and reaching for the head
!Hooking the wrong leg — hook the near-side leg (same side as the reaching arm); hooking the far leg creates incorrect geometry
!Applying the rotation before both controls are established — the leg must be hooked AND the head controlled before rotating; missing either allows escape
!Using explosive rotation — the spinal lock is dangerous; progressive application is essential
!Not following the opponent if they move — the back ride is dynamic; ride their movement while maintaining the leg hook and head control
!Confusing this with a standard back-take — the twister is a different position; the leg hook and head grip serve the twister, not hooks for the RNC
!Holding the twister at maximum rotation — release immediately on tap; continued rotation at end range risks severe spinal injury
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Establish Position — achieve the controlling position needed for this submission
2Create the Threat — begin the submission setup to force a defensive reaction
3Secure the Hold — lock the submission grip with proper body mechanics
4Finish — apply increasing pressure until the opponent taps or the joint/choke takes effect
Sources & References
Primary Source
note.com BJJ articles; Eddie Bravo 'Grappling Technique' Japanese edition (trans. 中井祐樹); JBJJF rules
Official Japanese BJJ federation — competition rules and terminology
2BookEddie Bravo — Grappling Technique: Rubber Guard (Japanese Edition)
Translated by 中井祐樹 (Nakai Yūki, 2007)
Japanese BJJ community writing platform
4OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
5Citationnote.com BJJ articles; Eddie Bravo 'Grappling Technique' Japanese edition (trans. 中井祐樹); JBJJF rules
Japanese terminology sourced from note.com BJJ articles; Eddie Bravo 'Grappling Technique' Japanese edition (trans. 中井祐樹); JBJJF rules
Community
Athletics
Requires
grip or squeeze strength, positional control
Favours
strong upper body for sustained compression
Key muscles
forearms, biceps, pectorals, core stabilisers
Sub-techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the key grip to use when hooking the arm on the twister?
Use a shallow grip when hooking the arm—if you stick your arm through deeply, your opponent can pull your wrist and tap you. Keep the grip over the ribs with a shallow angle to prevent this escape. Brandon Quick emphasizes keeping your elbows tight and your arms connected strongly.
How should I position my leg lock to prevent my opponent from escaping?
Keep your opponent's leg on the ground throughout the technique rather than letting it come up in the air, and maintain a triangle leg position. Coach Brian notes to always use a triangle grip on twisters rather than a lockdown, because a lockdown allows the foot to slip inside and escape.
What's the proper way to control the arm and build the finish?
After hooking the arm with a shallow grip, separate and transition to a baseball bat grip. Then scoot closer to your opponent by digging your heels and butt in, keeping your elbow high out of the armpit while pulling the arm away—not just holding it. Pull at the temple rather than the neck to twist them effectively.
How do I set up the twister from the back ride position?
Position yourself over your opponent's back with a seatbelt grip, keeping their hips elevated on your knee so they can't fall away. Drive your knee inside and step on their ankle before their butt can sit down, then insert your hand to start building the seatbelt grip for the twister entry.
How does the Twister From Back Ride work?
The twister from back ride is applied when the attacker has a back ride position with one hook controlling the opponent's far leg (the 'truck' entry) and threads an arm under the opponent's chin from behind, then uses the trapped leg and upper body grip to rotate the spine in opposite directions. The attacker's legs control the lower body while the arms rotate the upper body in the opposite direction, creating severe rotational stress on the entire spinal column.
Where does the Twister From Back Ride come from?
The twister was popularized by Eddie Bravo and is a central technique in his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. Bravo adapted the guillotine ride from amateur wrestling into a submission by adding the cervical rotation component.
Is the Twister From Back Ride legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal at all belt levels, gi and no-gi — chokes are the safest submission cat…; IJF: legal — Legal (shime-waza) — strangulation techniques are one of three permitted subm…; ADCC: legal — Legal; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — choke submissions are among the most common finishes in MMA; FIAS Sport Sambo: banned — All chokes prohibited in Sport Sambo; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Twister From Back Ride?
Danger rating 9/10. Rotation cranks twist the cervical spine; among the highest-risk submission categories
How do I set up the Twister From Back Ride?
The standard setup chain: Establish Position → Create the Threat → Secure the Hold → Finish.
How do I defend against the Twister From Back Ride?
Standard counters include: Early Recognition — identify the submission attempt early and begin defence immediately / Posture and Base — maintain strong posture and base to prevent submission setups / Grip Fight — deny the attacker their preferred gripping configuration.
What are the variants of the Twister From Back Ride?
Common variants: Standard grip variation (primary hand configuration for maximum choking pressure); Gi variation (uses the lapel or collar as an anchor for additional fric…); No-gi variation (adapted grip and positioning for submission grappling wit…); Transition finish (applied during a positional change to catch the opponent …).
How effective is the Twister From Back Ride in competition?
Chan Sung Jung (Korean Zombie) finished Leonard Garcia with a twister at UFC Fight Night 24 — the first twister in UFC history.
What are common mistakes when doing the Twister From Back Ride?
Top errors to watch for: Not maintaining the back ride during the transition — keep chest weight on the opponent while hooking the leg and rea… / Hooking the wrong leg — hook the near-side leg (same side as the reaching arm); hooking the far leg creates incorrect… / Applying the rotation before both controls are established — the leg must be hooked AND the head controlled before ro… / Using explosive rotation — the spinal lock is dangerous; progressive application is essential.
What are other names for the Twister From Back Ride?
The Twister From Back Ride is also known as Tsuisutā, Back Ride Twister, Wrestling Ride Twister.