Danaher Front Headlock System is a advanced difficulty Control System system. Integrates 6 components.
System ID: System Type: Control System Difficulty Level: Advanced
What is Danaher Front Headlock System?
The Danaher Front Headlock System represents one of the most comprehensive and dominant control frameworks in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Developed by John Danaher and proven at the highest levels of competition by his athletes, this system transforms the front headlock position from a transitional control into a complete offensive ecosystem. The system operates on the principle that the front headlock offers unparalleled control over an opponent’s movement while simultaneously providing access to multiple high-percentage finishing sequences.
At its core, the front headlock system is built around three primary finishing pathways: the guillotine choke family, the anaconda/darce choke family, and back exposure sequences. Each pathway contains multiple variations and entries, creating a decision tree that forces opponents into continuous defensive dilemmas. The beauty of the system lies in its interconnectedness - defensive reactions to one attack directly feed into setups for others, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of offensive pressure.
What distinguishes Danaher’s approach is the emphasis on systematic progression through clearly defined stages: entry, consolidation, breaking structure, and finishing. This methodical framework removes guesswork and provides practitioners with clear decision points based on opponent reactions. The system has produced exceptional results in both gi and no-gi competition, with athletes like Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, and Gary Tonon using it to dominate opponents at the highest levels of the sport.
Core Principles
- Head and arm control establishes dominant leverage over opponent’s upper body movement and posture
- Breaking down opponent’s defensive structure through systematic shoulder pressure and cross-face control
- Creating submission dilemmas where defensive responses to one attack open pathways to others
- Maintaining forward pressure to prevent opponent escape while transitioning between attacks
- Using spiral mechanics to transition from front headlock to back control when choke finishes are defended
- Controlling distance to prevent opponent from establishing defensive frames or re-establishing base
- Recognizing entry opportunities from snap downs, sprawls, turtle, and failed guard pull attempts
Key Components
Front Headlock Control Position (Establish positional dominance that limits opponent’s defensive options while providing multiple offensive pathways) The foundational control position establishes dominance through head and arm control with chest-to-back pressure. The position features multiple grip variations including the chinstrap, Russian tie, and arm-in configurations, each optimized for different finishing sequences. Proper weight distribution keeps opponent flattened while maintaining mobility for transitions.
Entry System (Create reliable pathways to front headlock control from common competitive scenarios and opponent actions) Multiple systematic entries from standing positions (snap downs, sprawls), ground positions (turtle attacks, scrambles), and failed guard pulls. Each entry emphasizes immediate head control followed by arm control, preventing opponent from escaping the front headlock trap. Entries are categorized by opponent’s starting position and movement patterns.
Guillotine Pathway (Provide high-percentage choke finishes that work across multiple opponent defensive strategies) The guillotine family includes arm-in guillotine, high-elbow guillotine, chin strap variations, and ten-finger guillotine. Each variation targets specific defensive reactions and body positions. The system teaches clear decision points for choosing between pulling guard, maintaining top position, or transitioning to anaconda/darce attacks based on opponent’s hand fighting and posture.
Anaconda/Darce Pathway (Exploit opponent’s attempts to defend guillotine attacks by transitioning to shoulder-lock based chokes) The shoulder lock choke family emphasizes trapping opponent’s near arm while feeding the choking arm through to the opposite side. The system distinguishes between anaconda (same-side arm trapped) and darce (opposite-side arm trapped) based on opponent’s defensive positioning. Both utilize similar finishing mechanics with shoulder pressure and spiral movement to complete the choke.
Back Exposure System (Convert defensive success against chokes into back exposure opportunities and point-scoring positions) When opponents successfully defend choke attempts by fighting hands and maintaining strong neck defense, the system transitions to back exposure sequences. This includes spiral rides to back control, truck entries, and crucifix positions. The key principle is using opponent’s choke defense (elbows tight, hands fighting) against them by redirecting pressure toward back control.
Structure Breaking Mechanics (Systematically eliminate opponent’s defensive structures to expose finishing opportunities) Systematic methods for dismantling opponent’s defensive posture including crossface pressure, shoulder pressure application, and spiral movement patterns. These mechanics prevent opponent from establishing frames, recovering guard, or escaping to standing. Each breaking method corresponds to specific defensive reactions.
Implementation Sequence
- Entry and Initial Control: Secure front headlock position through snap down, sprawl, or turtle attack. Establish head control first, then secure arm control. Immediate chest pressure prevents opponent from standing or recovering guard. Key points:
- Head control takes priority - secure before pursuing arm control
- Keep hips low and chest heavy to prevent opponent from standing
- Establish crossface or chinstrap grip based on opponent’s head position
- Monitor opponent’s far arm to prevent underhook establishment
- Consolidation and Assessment: Stabilize control position and assess opponent’s defensive configuration. Identify which arm is trapped or accessible, opponent’s hand positioning relative to neck defense, and their hip position. This assessment determines which offensive pathway to pursue first. Key points:
- Maintain forward pressure while consolidating position
- Identify whether opponent has inside or outside hand position
- Assess opponent’s neck defense strength and hand fighting
- Position body perpendicular to opponent’s shoulders for maximum control
- Primary Attack Selection: Choose initial attack based on opponent’s defensive configuration. If opponent’s near arm is exposed, pursue anaconda or darce. If neck is exposed with hands away, pursue guillotine. If structure is strong, focus on breaking mechanics before attacking. Key points:
- Don’t force attacks against strong defensive structures
- Use opponent’s defensive focus to identify exposed areas
- Maintain control throughout attack initiation
- Be prepared to chain to secondary attacks based on defensive reactions
- Dilemma Creation and Chaining: As opponent defends primary attack, transition to secondary attack that exploits their defensive positioning. Guillotine defense opens anaconda/darce; choke defense opens back exposure. Each defensive choice leads to new offensive opportunity. Key points:
- Recognize defensive patterns that signal transition opportunities
- Maintain primary control points during transitions
- Use spiral mechanics to maintain pressure through transitions
- Don’t abandon control to pursue low-percentage finishing attempts
- Finish or Advance Position: Complete submission if opponent’s defense is broken, or advance to back control/crucifix if choke defenses remain strong. Back exposure provides point-scoring opportunities and access to rear naked choke or subsequent submission attempts. Key points:
- Finish with controlled pressure - don’t rush or muscle submissions
- If back is exposed, prioritize seat belt control over immediate submissions
- Crucifix and truck positions provide additional submission opportunities
- Maintain offensive pressure even when transitioning between positions
- Reset and Re-Entry: If opponent escapes or neutralizes position, immediately work to re-establish front headlock control or transition to alternative dominant positions. Use opponent’s escape movements as entry opportunities for guard pulls, takedowns, or alternate top positions. Key points:
- Never concede neutral position - transition to next offensive opportunity
- Use failed submissions as setups for position advancement
- Maintain attacking mindset throughout position transitions
- Study escape patterns to improve future front headlock retention
How to Measure Your Progress
Entry Success Rate: Percentage of successful front headlock entries from various positions during live training and competition. Tracks ability to recognize and capitalize on entry opportunities. Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: Successfully enters front headlock 20-30% of available opportunities, primarily from obvious positions like sprawls
- Intermediate: 40-50% success rate with entries from multiple positions including turtle and scrambles
- Advanced: 60%+ success rate with entries from standing, ground, and transition positions including guard pull counters
- Expert: 70%+ success with ability to create entry opportunities rather than waiting for opponent errors
Submission Completion Rate: Percentage of front headlock positions that result in successful submissions. Reflects finishing ability and attack selection. Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: 10-20% submission rate from front headlock positions, primarily guillotine attempts
- Intermediate: 25-35% with successful execution of guillotine and anaconda/darce pathways
- Advanced: 40-50% with systematic chaining between attack families based on defensive reactions
- Expert: 50%+ submission rate or advancement to back control on remaining attempts
Position Retention Duration: Average time maintaining front headlock control before submission, advancement, or loss of position. Indicates control quality and ability to work attacks methodically. Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: Maintains control 15-30 seconds before position loss or rushed submission attempt
- Intermediate: 30-60 seconds with systematic work through attack sequences
- Advanced: 60-120 seconds with ability to reset and maintain pressure through multiple defensive cycles
- Expert: Maintains control indefinitely or until submission/position advancement, rarely losing position
Attack Pathway Diversity: Number of different finishing pathways successfully executed from front headlock. Measures systematic completeness and adaptability. Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: Primarily uses 1-2 attacks, typically guillotine variations only
- Intermediate: Successfully executes 3-4 attacks across guillotine and anaconda/darce families
- Advanced: Uses 5-6+ attacks including back exposure sequences and position-specific variations
- Expert: Seamlessly chains through all attack families based on opponent reactions, rarely forced into predictable patterns
Defensive Adaptation Recognition: Ability to recognize opponent defensive patterns and select appropriate counter-attacks. Reflects systematic understanding and decision-making quality. Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: Continues attempting same attack regardless of defensive success, limited pattern recognition
- Intermediate: Recognizes obvious defensive patterns and transitions to alternate attacks with prompting
- Advanced: Independently identifies defensive patterns and selects appropriate counter-sequences in real-time
- Expert: Anticipates defensive reactions and sets up counter-attacks before defenses fully develop
Expert Insights
- John Danaher: The front headlock represents the perfect intersection of control and attack - a position where you dominate your opponent’s movement while simultaneously threatening multiple high-percentage submissions. What makes this system particularly powerful is its self-reinforcing nature: every defensive action an opponent takes to address one threat directly exposes them to another. The guillotine forces hands to fight at the neck, which exposes the arm for anaconda and darce attacks. Defending the arm-triangle chokes requires pulling the arm free, which re-exposes the neck to guillotine attacks. And when both choke pathways are defended, the very defensive structure needed to stop chokes - elbows tight, hands fighting - creates the perfect configuration for spiral mechanics to expose the back. This is systematic jiu-jitsu at its finest: not a collection of techniques, but an interconnected framework where each component reinforces the others, creating a web of threats from which there is no safe defensive position. The key to mastery is understanding these connections deeply enough that your attack selection becomes automatic, driven by opponent reactions rather than predetermined sequences.
- Gordon Ryan: I’ve finished more matches from front headlock than probably any other position in my competition career, and there’s a simple reason why: it works at the highest levels against the best defensive grapplers in the world. When someone shoots a terrible takedown attempt, gives you a front headlock off a failed guard pull, or makes themselves vulnerable in turtle, you have to capitalize immediately and finish the match right there. The guillotine is my go-to because it’s the fastest finish - if I get the right grip configuration with their posture broken, they’re going to sleep in seconds, not minutes. But what separates good front headlock players from great ones is knowing when to abandon the guillotine for the anaconda or darce. Against elite defenders who know how to hand fight and create space, sometimes you’re better off trapping the arm and going for the shoulder choke. And honestly, some of my best submissions have come when I couldn’t finish the choke but used their defense to take the back and finish with the rear naked instead. In competition, you don’t get style points for attempting thirty guillotines - you get the win for finishing one submission or dominating position for points. The front headlock system gives you every tool you need to do both.
- Eddie Bravo: The front headlock game is where wrestling meets jiu-jitsu in the most beautiful way possible, and we’ve developed some crazy variations in the 10th Planet system that nobody sees coming. Traditional front headlock attacks are great, but we add our own flavor with things like transitioning from front headlock to the truck position using what we call the ‘turbo spiral’ - it’s like the standard back take but with way more rotation and it sets up the twister perfectly. The standard anaconda and darce are money, but we have variations where you’re attacking from weird angles, even from bottom positions where you wouldn’t normally think front headlock attacks are available. What people don’t realize is that the front headlock is one of the best positions to work in the gi or no-gi - sure, in the gi you have collar options, but the core control mechanics and submissions work identically. My advice? Master the traditional Danaher system first because it’s absolutely sound and proven at the highest levels, but then start experimenting with unconventional entries and finishes. Some of my students hit front headlock submissions from positions that would make traditional grapplers shake their heads, but when it works in competition, nobody’s arguing with the results. The front headlock is one of those rare positions where creativity and systematic approach can coexist perfectly.