How would you set up this technique in MMA?

[Superhet]

This standing crucifix with both arms behind his neck is something I really wanna get down.

The problem however that I've found on the few times I've tried doing it so far is that it's easy to get one underhook in, but when you reach for the other one, the guy pulls down with his arm whether by instinct or realisation and you can't get it through far enough to form the lock if you just try to force it. I have managed to pull it off though.

My own thoughts are:

- Try to stun him to the body right before inserting the arm
- Somehow get his arm away from his body first, so that it's weaker (this is how I managed to get it, but I don't know the "scientific" method of how to do so)
- Lift him from the side you want your arm to go in, toward where you already have the underhook, making it easier to get in - but might also make it harder for the other one to stay (as far) in
- Try to switch which side his head is on once you have an underhook?

Please help me, I love this technique but I haven't been able to find any good details for how to do it!

 

[mattemate]

I don't think it's as easy to set up as in this clip. Bas showed the exact same thing on an old instructional. I don't ever remember seeing it in MMA though

 

[Superhet]

I don't think it's as easy to set up as in this clip. Bas showed the exact same thing on an old instructional. I don't ever remember seeing it in MMA though

It definitely isn't and that's why I made the thread . I think learning to set it up would be worth it though, I mean it's probably the most dominant clinch position you could possibly achieve.

 

[rmongler]

Cow-catcher is something you can sometimes see on a highlight reel; Aoki is a notable example.

The real issue is not really the move itself though, but rather, what do you get out of training it specifically instead of training front headlock or double wrist lock attacks that can apply to the same situation?


On the other hand: consider the Sakuraba 'Secret Weapon'.

 

[TheFakeMacoy]

Here's Kikuno getting the hold on Alvarez in Dream (go to the 0:20 mark to see the start of the sequence). He isn't able to finish it, though.


This isn't a standing one, but Hironaka finished the crucifix against Kotani on the ground:

 

[EndlessCritic]

Gary Goodrige hit that on Augusto Menezes Santos.

 

[Zefram Cochrane]

- Lift him from the side you want your arm to go in, toward where you already have the underhook, making it easier to get in - but might also make it harder for the other one to stay (as far) in

I do something somewhat similar when I end up sprawled on someone, so I'm just using a bit of imagination here to figure out how to make this work standing. Take this with a grain of salt.

If anything, I would try to do the opposite of what you describe in the part I quoted i.e. I'd elevate the side where you have the underhook. I would step between their legs, shoot the underhook deep and up and angle out your hips to break his posture as you were going to throw him. You can add trips, sweeps, hip bumps etc to help. From there you can square up (and likely he will try to do that too) and shoot the other underhook if when you turn into each other he's facing down off balance and typically with his free arm open. If they have better posture you can grab a headlock with your other hand (and keep the original underhook) and take it from there. Maybe steer him around to make him move his far arm away from his body to post/stiff arm. Or threaten with knees.

Again, this is just me trying to come up with an idea and I hope the explanation makes sense.

 

[SummerStriker]

I've done it a lot sparring. For self defense, you don't want to lock your hands together. You want to force both of their arms up so they can't nut you. Everyone in that position I've ever done it on tries to stand up. When they try, you don't have to circle. You can go straight to a reap.

I was newer to martial arts then and I don't think it is a sparring move. People spaz too much because it feels dangerous, and if you slip, you can really hurt them. It's stupid anyway.

Edit - because of my large size and luck, I never tripped and they were never strong or heavy enough to make me fall. I would shush them and put them down slowly. I wouldn't look for a tap, other than to the position. It is a shit stupid move.

 

[jack36767]

It's hard to get double unders.. on anyone competent, that's your answer