A nelson hold is a grappling hold

Grappling hold

A grappling hold is a grappling, wrestling, judo or other martial arts term for a specific grip that is applied to an opponent. Holds are principally used to control the opponent, and to advance in points or positioning...

 which is executed from the backside of the opponent. One or both arm

Arm

In human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...

s are used to encircle the opponent's arm under the armpit, and secured at the opponent's neck

Neck

The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...

. Several different nelson holds exist, and they can be separated according to the positioning of the encircling arm(s).

The term "nelson" is derived from "full nelson", which dates back to the early 19th century. It is supposedly named after the British war-hero Admiral Horatio Nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...

, who used strategies based on surrounding the opponent to win the Battle of the Nile

Battle of the Nile

The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...

 and the Battle of Trafalgar

Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....

. But its true origin remains unknown.

Quarter nelson

The quarter nelson involves putting one hand on the opponent's neck, passing the free arm under the arm of the opponent, and locking the free arm to the other arm by clasping the wrist. In amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...

 a strong quarter nelson can be used to secure a pin

Pin (wrestling)

A pinfall, a pin, or a fall is a victory condition in various forms of professional wrestling that is met by holding an opponent's shoulders on the wrestling mat for a prescribed period of time...

, or to control the opponent and advance into a more dominant position

Grappling position

A grappling position refers to the positioning and holds of combatants engaged in grappling. Combatants are said to be in a neutral position if neither is in a more favourable position. If one party has a clear advantage such as in the mount they are said to be in a "dominant position"...

.

Half nelson

The half nelson is done using only one hand, by passing it under the arm of the opponent and locking the hand at the opponent's neck. Half nelsons are commonly used in amateur wrestling. In addition, the hand not being used should be holding the opponent's other wrist in so that they can not post the hand or peel the half nelson off.

A power half nelson is a type of half nelson. The hand not performing the nelson is placed on the opponent's head to increase the overall power of the half nelson.

Three-quarter nelson

The three-quarter nelson is done by performing a half nelson using one hand, and passing the other hand at the same side in front of the opponent. The passing hand is locked with the other hand around the neck at the wrist or using a palm-to-palm or interlacing fingers grip. The three-quarter nelson can be used in amateur wrestling to pin the opponent, and is more secure than a half-nelson.

Full nelson

The full nelson (sometimes called a double nelson or double shoulder lock) is done by performing half nelsons with both arms. In collegiate, high school, middle school/junior high school, and other forms of amateur wrestling, the move is illegal. The holder is on the back side of the opponent, and has his or her hands extended upwards under the opponents armpits, holding the neck with a palm-to-palm grip or with interlaced fingers. By cranking the hands forward, pressure can be applied to the neck of the opponent. The usage of the full nelson in combat sports is very limited. It is a secure hold which can be used to control the opponent, but does not allow for finishing action, such as pinning the opponent, executing a reliable submission hold, or allowing for effective striking

Strike (attack)

A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent. There are many different varieties of strikes...

. Because it can be used as a limited neck crank, it is considered dangerous in some grappling arts, and is banned, for instance, in amateur wrestling.

External links

• WRESTLING HOLDS Images of all the nelson holds both standing and on the ground.