The Nelson Necktie with Guillotine Master Neil Melanson

By Fanatics Authors, February 07, 2018

Neil Melanson has made a career being one of the most prolific MMA and grappling coaches out there. The words "grappling genius" can get overused, but Neil is one of those true "mad scientists" as the fighters who have worked with him can attest. He has developed a hybrid style of grappling that mixes his deep catch wrestling knowledge with a number of other styles to form a collection of some of the most powerful and deadly submissions available.

For another look at Neil and his impact on grappling, check out this article from BJJ Fanatics that looks at the innovative closed guard techniques of this mastermind.

In this newest release from BJJ Fanatics, Neil takes us deep into the world of guillotine chokes. "The Headhunter Guillotine Series" will take you deep into this mad scientists laboratory and have you wrecking necks in no time.

In the video below, Neil demonstrates one of his favorite submission techniques, "the Nelson Necktie". This is a technique that combines elements of wrestling's "Three quarter Nelson" hold which allows a wrestler to control the body and posture of their opponent by gripping the neck trapping the shoulder close to the head, and the BJJ "Peruvian Necktie" which, although reminiscent of a head and arm or Anaconda style choke, adds the extra element of employing the hips driving into the choke that a standard head and arm choke doesn't have.

Some key elements of this video to pay close attention to are Neil's ability to "hide his hands" when setting up this choke. Once the hands are together, make note of the various grips that he shows which are available, but there is one that stands out as more effective for his style. This is another great example of something that Neil brings to the game, in terms of the modifications he has developed to make techniques more effective and devastating.

The use of the driving knee against the neck is what brings the "necktie" element to the submission. The beauty of this technique is Neil has also thought out the possible counters and eliminated the weaknesses ahead of time, preparing for any contingencies. Should someone be able to remove the powerful driving knee, the powerful arm control will be enough to finish the submission.

The elements we talked about above can also prove to be beneficial in other techniques. Those different grips, the placement of the shin, and being able to adjust your body to finish the technique are all creative elements that remind us that BJJ and grappling are continue to develop and the best practitioners are the ones that are able to piece together all of the moves that work the most effectively regardless of the scenario.

Check out the latest release from this mastermind of American grappling and MMA, Neil Melanson. He has trained and coached some of the biggest names in combat and is considered one of the most dangerous grapplers on the planet, despite never earning his BJJ black belt. His mix of catch wrestling and submission grappling knowledge makes him one of the most creative coaches out there today. Get his 4 volume series "The Headhunter Guillotine Series" available now from BJJ Fanatics!