The side headlock is probably the most basic wrestling maneuver ever. There probably isn’t a single person on the planet who has never put a side headlock on someone, when play-fighting or when wrestling for real. In women’s wrestling, the side headlock is used to control the opponent and to pressure her into positions that will lead to other holds/throws. The side headlock can be a standing one, or it can be one applied on the mat. One can also be transitioned to the other.

The standing headlock begins with the attacker throwing an arm around the victim’s neck. She then pulls the victim’s head downward and she turns in the same time, eventually having her opponent in a leant-over position, with her neck under her arm. From this position she can use her bodyweight to take her opponent off her feet in a variety of ways.

She can use a hiptoss to drive her opponent onto the mat, face up, and she can keep the headlock on after they both fall to the mat. By spreading her leg apart she can counter the victim’s escape attempts efficiently.

Possible escape: a standing headlock can be escaped by simply pulling one’s head from the attacker’s grip while pushing the attacker’s body forward. In professional women’s wrestling, the victim most often escapes a headlock on the mat by pushing on her attacker’s chin to get her head into position and then by slapping a neck-scissors on her.

Rating: The headlock is a “work-over” move. Used to set up various other holds and moves it’s relatively easy to counter. It does remain an efficient weapon in every wrestlerette’s arsenal though.