How to control the ground fight by using the simple and effective overhook technique.
In today’s lesson I will teach you how to use the simple overhook to hold and control your opponent so you can either terminate them with strikes, roll to a superior position, or hold them without harming them.
Overhook in Ground Fighting
The overhook is a simple and quick technique you can use to wrap around your opponent’s arm, or both of their arms. This will allow you to hold them close so they can’t make space to create leverage to rain down strikes against you. You can also use it to position yourself to roll them or move to a better position. It is an amazing way to hold them while you deliver your own finishing strikes.
Overhook Technique
First things first, as I always teach you should be occupying the center gate. That means keep your arms must be between your opponent’s arms and normally extended out a bit. This forces your attacker to have to go around the outside of your arms (the outer gate) as they punch or grab you. Now from here if they strike or grab it is easy to block, then wrap over and around their arm or both arms. From there simply wrap that arm up tight and hold it.
Overhook Above the Elbow
See how the guy on the bottom has his overhook above the elbow. This will ensure that the elbow won’t easily slip out.
Contrast that with this image. See how the elbow is above the wrap. That elbow will be easy to pry out and get free. This overhook will fail.
Double Overhook
What is better than 1? 2 of course. It is typically pretty easy to acquire a 2nd overhook once you get the 1st one because your opponent will now be close and likely reaching out to the side with their free arm… or trying to punch around the outside of your free arm thus you simply repeat the exact same process you used to get the 1st overhook. When holding a double overhook try reaching as far as you can. Can you grab your own hands? Wrists? Elbows?
I’m having the guys in this picture lean away from each other so you can see the double overhook but typically there would not be much space between them.
Overhook Applications
Under most circumstances you should immediately go to overhooking whenever you are on the ground and intend to stay there for even just a moment. But here are a few specific ways you can use it.
Stop the Ground & Pound
If your attacker is on top of you trying to smash your money maker in, follow these steps:
- Occupy the center gate with your arms as previously discussed.
- As they punch block their outer gate (hooking) punch.
- Do a hip thrust to throw their balance forward.
- If needed you can also pull on their elbow(s) to make them fall forward and land on their hands.
- Now reach up and overhook one or both of their arms.
- From here you can trap their foot as seen on the video and roll them to get on top.
Wrap & Hit
Whether you are on the bottom, the top, or anywhere you can overhook your attacker’s arm and use your free arm to fire off rapid strikes that will put them on the defense and even end the fight with a knockout if desired.
- Get your overhook.
- If you can, shift your body to your opponent’s side… the side of the overhook (as seen in the picture).
- Get your free arm on the same side that is overhooked as well.
- Now they will not be able to reach you to be able to punch your head AND you will be able to use your free arm to land elbows, or hammer fists, etc.
Control Without Hitting
I always tell people if you are in a real violence in an unfamiliar situation you need to get up off the ground fast. You never know when your attacker’s friend may double team you and start kicking you in the head.
However there are certain times when you are in a safe environment and holding your attacker on the ground until help can arrive might be a good idea.
Perhaps it is family member acting out of control at a family reunion and smashing their teeth out would be generally frowned upon… Maybe you should find a new family!
Ok simply get a double overhook and hold them tight. Now push your head into their head / face to prevent them from headbutting you or biting you. You can add a double grapevine with your legs for extra control as seen in the video. Now simply hold them until they calm down, others come to help, or the police arrive.
Final Thoughts
I can’t tell you how many students have come to me from other martial arts schools and were never taught how to control the fight on the ground and were super stressed out by it. But then I show them how to get calm, occupy the center gate, get an overhook which stops their opponent’s attack. Now they can calm down and figure out their next move.
Master the overhook and the ground fight will get a lot easier.
Until next time,
Brian
