The Full Nelson is one of the most basic female wrestling holds. If you go to a professional wrestling school or take up freestyle wrestling, it’ll be among the first holds you’ll be taught. The hold does not qualify as a submission hold or as a throw either. It’s aim is to offer the attacker control over the victim.

The full nelson can be applied from a standing and from a sitting position. In the standing position, the attacker needs to stand behind the victim, facing her back. In the seated position, the attacker sits behind the victim in a similar fashion. She then proceeds to slip her arms under her opponent’s arms from behind and then to reach up to grab the back of her neck with her hands. Once there, the attacker can opt to clutch her hands together. She can then easily apply pressure by simply straightening her arms.

The full nelson can be combined with other holds too. A Body-scissors complemented by a full nelson is an extremely potent combo hold, even in competitive women’s wrestling.

Possible escape: when in a loosely locked in full nelson, the victim can raise her arms and them bring them down hard, making the attacker’s clutched hands slip open. She can then proceed to reverse the hold. A solidly locked in full nelson is pretty damn inescapable.

Rating: the full nelson is not a particularly spectacular hold, but it is extremely efficient when used to control the victim, or in combo holds, where it may just make the difference between a submission and a ride-out.