Title: Twister: Steps, Key Details & Mistakes | DARCE

Canonical: https://darce.app/techniques/bjj/twister

> Twister. From the truck, control the trapped leg and crank the head toward it to twist and torque the spine.

# Twister

- BJJ
- Back Attacks
- advanced
- The truck
- 3 steps

From the truck, control the trapped leg and crank the head toward it to twist and torque the spine. Also known as the Guillotine (wrestling) or the Spine lock. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 3 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.

## When to use it

Use the twister from the truck when you hold a lockdown on one leg and the opponent turns away. Clear your arm and cup their head before you crank. Apply it only where your rules and training partners allow it, since many rule sets ban spinal locks.

## Step by step

1. 01

   ### Take the truck

   From the back, roll under and lock down one of their legs in the truck, hips controlled.

2. 02

   ### Free the head

   Clear your trapped-side arm and cup their head, lining your shoulder up with their jaw.

3. 03

   ### Crank & twist

   Pull their head toward the trapped leg while the lockdown holds the hips, twisting the spine. Apply slowly.

## Key details

- The lockdown must pin the hips. The twist only works when the lower body cannot follow the head.
- Drive their chin toward the trapped-side shoulder, not straight back.
- Hips and head rotate in opposite directions; that counter-rotation is the lock.

## Common mistakes

- Losing the leg lockdown so they simply turn with the pressure.
- Pulling the head straight back (a neck crank) instead of rotating it.
- Applying explosively. Spinal torque is dangerous; finish slow and controlled.

## Common counters

Opponents free their leg from the lockdown, turn their head the other way, or roll to face you. Pulling the head straight back is a neck crank, not a twister. Keep the lockdown tight and rotate slowly.

## How to drill it

From the back, roll to the truck and lock the leg, then cup the head without cranking, five reps on each side. Then do two rounds of one minute of truck entries with no finish.

## Related techniques

- [Guard Pull BJJ From standing grips, sit down and pull the opponent into your closed guard to start the bottom game.](https://darce.app/techniques/bjj/guard-pull)
- [Rear Naked Choke BJJ The highest-percentage finish in grappling: slide an arm across the throat from the back and squeeze.](https://darce.app/techniques/bjj/rear-naked-choke)
- [Bow and Arrow Choke BJJ A powerful gi collar choke from the back: grip the collar and a leg and pull like drawing a bow.](https://darce.app/techniques/bjj/bow-and-arrow)

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