What's a Crossface?

[InsideHeadKick]

I hear it used in different ways... crossface in half guard, crossface in wrestling, bruising faces, stopping shots, keeping position, etc... Can someone explain exactly what it means to crossface?

 

[Darkslide632]

To drive your forearm across your opponent's jaw in an effort to control them.

 

[BJJGuy]

To drive your forearm across your opponent's jaw in an effort to control them.

You can crossface with your shoulder as well, especially in top half and side control.

 

[InsideHeadKick]

glad I asked. At first I thought it was when you take your opponents arm and put it across his own neck and then apply pressure to it, trapping him.

 

[Jim J]

The typical wrestling application of a crossface is when you are sprawled on your opponent and using the inside of your forearm/elbow/bicep area to push his face away from you.

In bjj they'll use the term to describe a reverse half nelson with shoulder pressure than turns their head away.

Either way, you are using part of your arm to push your opponent's face away from you.

 

[Striderxdj]

Either way, you are using part of your arm to push your opponent's face away from you.

Basically this.

 

[Darkslide632]

You can crossface with your shoulder as well, especially in top half and side control.

I know some people consider that a crossface too, but I don't. I just consider it strong shoulder pressure. My 4-year-old will start yelling "SHOULDER OF JUSTICE!" if he gets it locked in, which always makes me laugh.

 

[Toastytoy]

i usually use my bicep/middle arm to crossface more than the forearm. It can be either though.

For example, you are in someones half guard and they are trying to dive under for deep half guard. you stop them by sprawling and crossfacing. blocking the person by their face with your arm

 

[virtuoso]

glad I asked. At first I thought it was when you take your opponents arm and put it across his own neck and then apply pressure to it, trapping him.

That's a gift wrap.

 

[shunyata]

That's a gift wrap.

Also sometimes called a bully choke particularly if one applies the control to setup punches to the head with the free hand on the side that they can longer block with.

One of our guys got the tko on that in his last fight.

 

[King Creatine]

glad I asked. At first I thought it was when you take your opponents arm and put it across his own neck and then apply pressure to it, trapping him.

I'm glad you asked to. Your old idea of what cross face means can work as a choke though.

 

[Ladder Master]

My 4-year-old will start yelling "SHOULDER OF JUSTICE!" if he gets it locked in, which always makes me laugh.

Thats pretty funny I will have to remember that one.

 

[SonOfZion**]

Also sometimes called a bully choke particularly if one applies the control to setup punches to the head with the free hand on the side that they can longer block with.

One of our guys got the tko on that in his last fight.

ive heard it called "who's your daddy" aswell.

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

I'm glad you asked to. Your old idea of what cross face means can work as a choke though.

I don't think you can really put someone to sleep with a gift wrap, the shoulder isn't cutting into the nearside carotid. Even if you take your free hand and do an ezekial throat crush, their own arm will be stopping your forearm from doing much.

 

[shunyata]

I don't think you can really put someone to sleep with a gift wrap, the shoulder isn't cutting into the nearside carotid. Even if you take your free hand and do an ezekial throat crush, their own arm will be stopping your forearm from doing much.

Yeah I can't think of a single time that gift wrap / bully choke was used to finish as a choke itself. In MMA the control can easily be used to earn a tko as it can become very difficult to intelligently defend yourself when mounted and gift wrapped but in pure grappling it's just a control not a finishing move.

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

You can crossface with your shoulder as well, especially in top half and side control.

I've only ever heard that called a crossface in BJJ circles. The BJJ community appropriated the term and used it to describe something completely different.

 

[fadingxero]

It can also mean a facelock/neck crank (i.e. in Catch or pro wrestling)

 

[virtuoso]

in pure grappling it's just a control not a finishing move.

Yep. It's great to use for setting up kimuras, armlocks, etc. You can even use it to take the back.

 

[sb413197]

My 4-year-old will start yelling "SHOULDER OF JUSTICE!" if he gets it locked in

Future mundials champion identified. Noting thread

 

[Jopo]

Imagine being stuck in someones guillotine in their guard..

Frame your forearm in front of their face and rip ur head out. Thats how I use a cross face =D