28%
Favors Controller · Overall estimate
Gi25%
No-Gi30%
Front Headlock
Controller holds the head, often with an arm, while the defender is bent over or turtled. It sits between standing, turtle, and the back.
Where does this position usually go next?
- Roadmap
- Volume 2
- Roles
- Controller + Defender
- Formats
- Gi and No-Gi
Understand the position
Understand the position
Controller
The Controller is in front of the Defender, wrapping the head and an arm while the Defender is bent over.
Defender
The Defender is bent forward or on knees with the head trapped, working to free it.
Quick Read
Understand this position in 10 seconds.
Favors Controller
59%
Controller establishes the stronger next position or finishes the exchange.
Favors Defender
41%
Defender establishes the stronger next position or finishes the exchange.
Largest group: Favors Controller (59%). Most common individual transition: Controller takes the back (28%).
What does "favors" mean?
It is not a player's chance of winning the match. It describes which player benefits from the estimated next outcome of this position.
The distribution
Overall Outcome
Outcome distribution for Front Headlock
Favors Controller 59%
Favors Defender 41%
One-step map
Where It Goes Next
Sort by
- From Front Headlock: Controller takes the back, 28 percent overall, Favors Controller.
- From Front Headlock: Controller snaps down to turtle / side control, 16 percent overall, Favors Controller.
- From Front Headlock: Controller submits, 15 percent overall, Favors Controller.
- From Front Headlock: Defender stands / returns to neutral, 18 percent overall, Favors Defender.
- From Front Headlock: Defender sits to guard, 13 percent overall, Favors Defender.
- From Front Headlock: Defender reverses / re-shoots, 10 percent overall, Favors Defender.
These are possible next events, not guaranteed paths to another named position. Open a transition below for a plain-language explanation.
Every outcome
Transition Breakdown
Favors Controller
16%
Favors Controller · Overall estimate
Gi20%
No-Gi12%
15%
Favors Controller · Overall estimate
Gi12%
No-Gi18%
Favors Defender
18%
Favors Defender · Overall estimate
Gi18%
No-Gi18%
13%
Favors Defender · Overall estimate
Gi15%
No-Gi12%
10%
Favors Defender · Overall estimate
Gi10%
No-Gi10%
Compare the formats
Gi vs No-Gi
Gi25%No-Gi30%
Gi20%No-Gi12%
Gi12%No-Gi18%
Gi18%No-Gi18%
Gi15%No-Gi12%
Gi10%No-Gi10%
Gi
The roadmap estimates more snap-downs into turtle or side control and more guard sits in the Gi.
No-Gi
It estimates more back takes and submissions for the controller in No-Gi.
In practice
What This Means on the Mat
For Controller
Keep head-and-arm control, go behind, finish, or snap down to a pin.
For Defender
Clear the head, build posture, stand, sit to guard, or re-shoot.
Methodology
How to Read These Numbers
These percentages are coaching estimates informed by published research, not measured probabilities from a single dataset.
EstimatedThe Simplex Motus Position Transition Roadmap, Volume 2 supplies the baseline, Gi, and No-Gi values. The overall split groups the baseline outcomes by which role they favor. Published studies provide context for the estimates, not direct measurements of these exact exit percentages.
Gi means grappling with a uniform jacket and pants; No-Gi means grappling without that uniform. “Overall” is the roadmap's baseline estimate, not an average calculated from the two formats.
Limitations
The cited studies provide context, but do not report these exact position-exit rates. Without raw counts or a reproducible calculation for the displayed percentages, these estimates should not be treated as measured frequencies or predictions for a particular match.
Research trail
Evidence & Sources
The original roadmap, Volume 2 (PDF) provides the displayed baseline, Gi, and No-Gi values and assigns the references below to Front Headlock. Public studies do not track every specific position exit shown here. Where direct measurements are unavailable, the roadmap uses evidence-constrained coaching estimates. No sample size, raw counts, or reproducible calculation for these exact percentages is provided in the document. Treat them as a directional training guide, not observed rates or a prediction for a match.
Continue exploring
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Front Headlock
Explore Related Positions
Related positions are useful positions to explore next and are not necessarily direct transitions shown in the roadmap.
Volume 1
Closed Guard Bottom player has both legs locked around the top player's torso, limiting posture and mobility.Side Control Top player pins across the chest from the side with the legs cleared.Half Guard Bottom player traps one of the top player's legs. It sits between guard and a completed pass.Knee on Belly Top player controls from the side with a knee or shin across the torso while staying mobile.Mount Top player sits astride the torso. Mount scores 4 points under IBJJF rules.Turtle Bottom player is on knees and elbows or hands with the back facing the top player.Back Control Top player controls from behind with chest-to-back connection and hooks or equivalent control.
Volume 2
Open Guard Bottom player controls distance with legs and grips without locking closed guard, including DLR, RDLR, spider, lasso, and single-leg X.Butterfly Guard Bottom player is seated with inside hooks under the top player's thighs, usually with upper-body connection.North-South Top player pins from above the head, chest to chest, facing the bottom player's legs. It is part of the side-control family.Standing / Neutral Both athletes are on their feet. There is no top or bottom yet, so the roles are Scorer, Defender, and Neutral.Leg Entanglement / Ashi Garami The legs are connected in a control system such as ashi garami, outside ashi, saddle/411, or 50-50. Top and bottom labels do not apply.