Why I Don't Use Neck Cranks During BJJ Training

Are Neck Cranks (and in particular the Can Opener) Dick Moves in BJJ?

Well it depends. . .

As always, what classifies a Dick Move is usually if the person’s intent who is executing the technique.

That said, when it comes to day-to-day training in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. My objective is to train hard. But make sure my partner is healthy and safe. And Neck Cranks have the ability to do some nasty stuff to the neck and the discs in the spine.

Because of that fact. I often avoid them.

Typically speaking, once your neck is injured. It’s never quite the same.

So for myself and my Brazilian Jiujitsu training partners. I avoid them for the most part.

I typically stick to submissions that I can finish cleanly, that aren’t dependent on pain to get the submission.

That said, it is important to understand how neck cranks work and how to defend against them in BJJ so that you are able to adjust to them. Because you never know if someone is going to use a neck crank on you!

Can Opener Neck Crank Counter

In this video I show some simple counters to the Can Opener technique. 1 is an easy adjustment of the grips and arms. The other is a sneaky armbar that will catch the person with the can opener neck crank by surprise!