Also called Bear hug, Body lock takedown, Waist lock
A body lock wraps both arms around the opponent's torso and locks the hands, pulling their hips tight to yours. From it you can lift, tilt or trip them to the mat. It is a core position in Greco-Roman wrestling and a favourite way to finish takedowns against the cage in MMA.
Satori's coaches are filming every technique, full speed and slow motion from two angles. Until it's up, the diagram shows the movement step by step.
How to do it
- 1Win an underhook and step your hips in close to the opponent's.
- 2Lock your hands behind their back, low around the waist, with a palm-to-palm grip.
- 3Pull their hips into yours and press your head into their chest.
- 4Step to the side and turn, or place your leg behind theirs, to take their balance.
- 5Take them down to the side and follow to the mat chest to chest.
- Locking high around the ribs, where they can squirm free.
- Leaving space between the hips, which lets them sprawl or turn.
- Lifting with the back instead of the legs.
Safety: Learn trips before lifts, keep takedowns slow and onto thick mats, and never lift a partner higher than you can control their landing.
Drills
From an over-under tie, partners take turns locking the body lock and finishing a slow outside trip onto a crash mat, five reps each side.
Legends known for it
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