History Main / HeadlockOfDominance

* Marty does this to one of the fossa in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', after Alex shows up to join his friends in fighting the fossa.

* In an episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', [[TheBully Reese]] commonly puts his brothers and kids at school in headlocks. In on episode, when he gave up his bullying ways, during the power vacuum there was a chain of children putting each other in headlocks.

* Fit two of ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' (Primary phase) has Ford and Arthur in headlocks from the Vogon guard, assigned to throw them off the ship. During this, Arthur is panicking (or in his terms, still just the culture shock) while Ford tries to bargain for their freedom.

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Film - Animated ]]

[[folder: Film - Live-Action ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Radio ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Animation ]]

* In season 8 of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', the Reds and Blues are [[EnemyMine united]] against black armored Tex. When Tucker winds up getting his teal armor covered in soot due to a TeleporterAccident, Sarge of the red team gets him into a headlock and is punching him. When another red points out that it's Tucker, Sarge punches him again anyway.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* In ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Peralta is recounting the sting operation to [[DaChief Captain Holt]]. He says that Sergeant Jeffords was calm, and wisely didn't take on more than he could handle. GilliganCut to Jeffords (pictured above) with three thugs in headlocks (one under each arm, and a third [[UpToEleven in his legs]]) saying "I left one for you!" while several SWAT team members have guns pointed at the sole remaining mook.

[[folder:Radio]]

[[folder: Videogame ]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/BrooklynNineNine https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brooklyn_nine-nine_headlock_7620.jpg]]]][[caption-width-right:350:Don't touch Terry's yogurt![[note]]Terry loves yogurt.[[/note]]]]

* One Creator/DaveBarry column had him attend a sporting event where a professional football player the size of a gym playfully put his arm around Dave's neck for what felt like forty-five minutes.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/BrooklynNineNine https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brooklyn_nine-nine_headlock_7620.jpg]]]][[caption-width-right:350:Don't touch Terry's yogurt![[note]]Terry loves his yogurt.[[/note]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/BrooklynNineNine https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brooklyn_nine-nine_headlock_7620.jpg]]]]

* ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'' has two examples. The first is while Tarzan is in his growing up montage. Terk easily headlocks him and otherwise displays dominance. Once Tarzan has reached manhood, though, he puts Terk in one, then forgets to let go when the evidence of humans reaches his attention.

This is TruthInTelevision: a chokehold performed from the victim's back is the most dominant submission move in martial arts, as it allows the user to apply a large amount of pressure on the opponent's neck while reducing greatly the latter's capability to fend it off, and an expert grappler can leave his victim unconscious mere seconds after locking the technique.

* The choke from the back receives the name of "rear naked choke" in UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts, "hadaka-jime" in UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} (the same name in Japanese) and "sleeper hold" in UsefulNotes/ProfessionalWrestling. (The naked part doesn't make reference to [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence anything dirty]], but to the trait that the user can apply this technique with his bare arm on a bare neck, unlike other grappling chokes that require a sleeve or a lapel to pull.) As said above, a fighter locking this technique is a sign that the end of the fight is imminent.

[[caption-width-right:350:That's the way it is done.]]

A schoolyard staple, the headlock is a fighting move where victim's head is pinned between the assaulter's arm and body. In a legitimate fight, this is a bad idea to hold someone like this for an extended time as it leaves someone fairly exposed and simple to break free from. When someone is put (and held) in a headlock in fiction, it's usually a sign that the fight is being completely dominated. Sometimes you can punch the person you've got in a headlock for added dominance.

* One DaveBarry column had him attend a sporting event where a professional football player the size of a gym playfully put his arm around Dave's neck for what felt like forty-five minutes.

* In WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}, [[TheBully Cardin]] holds Jaune in a headlock while pretending to be "friendly". He then told his "friend" to help him and his friends in his assignment tomorrow because Cardin knows Jaune's secret (namely, [[spoiler:Jaune faked his transcripts to the Beacon Academy]]).

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/BrooklynNineNine http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brooklyn_nine-nine_headlock_7620.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:That's the way it is done.]]

The move is commonly associated with TheBully, both in real life and in fiction. It's also often a sign of a CurbStompBattle.

Compare SpinningPiledriver and SuplexFinisher.

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!Examples:

[[AC:AnimeAndManga]]
* In ''Anime/StreetFighterIITheAnimatedMovie'', Ken saves Ryu by tackling Bison. Unfortunately, Bison barely budges and immediately grips Ken's neck in a headlock, punching him three times in the face before tossing him into Ryu.
* A minor example in ''Anime/YuGiOh'', where minor character Mako Tsunami is seen with his arm wrapped around another guy's neck (though it's more of a BoisterousBruiser male-dominance thing rather than intent to cause harm). Though TheAbridgedSeries had him say "Does Mako Tsunami have to choke a bitch?"

[[AC:{{Film}} - Animated]]
* At the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/SinbadLegendOfTheSevenSeas'', Kale, Sinbad's second-in-command, punches one of Proteus' soldiers after Sinbad and his men attack the ship in an attempt to steal [[{{MacGuffin}} the Book of Peace]].
* Marty does this to one of the fossa in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', after Alex shows up to join his friends in fighting the fossa.
* ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'' has two examples. The first is while Tarzan is in his growing up montage. Terk easily headlocks him and otherwise displays dominance. Once Tarzan has reached manhood, though, he puts Terk in one, then forgets to let go when the evidence of humans reaches his attention.
** Later on in the film, Tarzan is fighting Kerchak and he ends up putting the ape in a headlock. He has a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment after that.

[[AC:{{Film}} - Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/PacificRim'', during the Hong Kong battle [[HumongousMecha Cherno Alpha]] does this a couple times to [[{{Kaiju}} Otachi]].
* In the first movie of ''Film/TheMatrix'' franchise, Agent Smith puts Neo in a headlock while awaiting an oncoming train to hit them both. Since Smith can BodySurf when his current avatar is killed, this would only ''permanently'' kill Neo. Neo escapes, however, by jumping to the ceiling and smashing Smith into it, and then flipping out of the way just in time to avoid the train.
* In ''Film/ManOfSteel'', the climactic fight [[spoiler:ends with Superman placing Zod in a headlock. Apparently unable to escape it, Zod responds by turning his EyeBeams on a helpless human family, in order to force Superman to perform a NeckSnap.]]
* In ''Film/ManOfTaiChi'', during the ([[CurbStompBattle completely one-sided]]) first part of the final battle, BigBad [[Creator/KeanuReeves Donaka]] gets the hero Tiger in a headlock and orders him to [[ActorAllusion "show me,"]] in an attempt to get Tiger fired up enough to actually put up a decent fight.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': In the sketch "Civil War Memories" (the US Civil War as recalled by high school dropouts) the Battle of Charleston is described in part thusly:
-->And then this southern plugged this Nazi guy in a headlock! And started pounding him! ''demonstrates'' Bam! Bam bam bam bam!!
** This same "southern" is later attacked by 2000 ninjas.
* In an episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', [[TheBully Reese]] commonly puts his brothers and kids at school in headlocks. In on episode, when he gave up his bullying ways, during the power vacuum there was a chain of children putting each other in headlocks.
* An episode of ''Series/That70sShow'' had Eric watching professional wrestling on TV with his friends. Later in the episode he and his dad Red playfully tussle, and he manages to get Red in a headlock. Red pretends that he's been put in submission by that and Eric says "who's the king?" Red suddenly flips around, breaks the headlock, and puts Eric in one, and says "I am".
* An episode of ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' has roommates Andy and Ben in a disagreement. Andy had several brothers, and they always fought until they resolved their issues. Ben's family, however, [[ExtremeDoormat would never confront anyone]]. During a TalkingHeads segment, Andy addresses the camera and explains this. The camera then zooms out and it turns out that Ben had been in a headlock the whole time.
* In ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Peralta is recounting the sting operation to [[DaChief Captain Holt]]. He says that Sergeant Jeffords was calm, and wisely didn't take on more than he could handle. GilliganCut to Jeffords (pictured above) with three thugs in headlocks (one under each arm, and a third [[UpToEleven in his legs]]) saying "I left one for you!" while several SWAT team members have guns pointed at the sole remaining mook.
* Often used in ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'' when the Barone brothers revert to childhood and need a way of resolving differences. Usually Robert to Ray, although it has been the other way around.

[[AC:Videogame]]
* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' while ''Film/TheMatrix'' example above is shown during a cutscene, it doesn't actually happen in-game.

[[AC:WebAnimation]]
* In season 8 of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', the Reds and Blues are [[EnemyMine united]] against black armored Tex. When Tucker winds up getting his teal armor covered in soot due to a TeleporterAccident, Sarge of the red team gets him into a headlock and is punching him. When another red points out that it's Tucker, Sarge punches him again anyway.
* In WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}, [[TheBully Cardin]] holds Jaune in a headlock while pretending to be "friendly". He then told his "friend" to help him and his friends in his assignment tomorrow because Cardin knows Jaune's secret (namely, [[spoiler:Jaune faked his transcripts to the Beacon Academy]]).

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]
* One of the most famous baseball highlights of all time is the August 4, 1993 brawl between the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, in which Robin Ventura charged the mound after getting hit by a pitch, only to have pitcher Nolan Ryan grab him in a headlock and punch him in the face. What made this even funnier is that Ryan was 46 years old, ancient for a baseball pitcher and 20 years older than Ventura.
* One DaveBarry column had him attend a sporting event where a professional football player the size of a gym playfully put his arm around Dave's neck for what felt like forty-five minutes.
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* In season 8 of ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', the Reds and Blues are [[EnemyMine united]] against black armored Tex. When Tucker winds up getting his teal armor covered in soot due to a TeleporterAccident, Sarge of the red team gets him into a headlock and is punching him. When another red points out that it's Tucker, Sarge punches him again anyway.

* In ''Series/TheSimpsons'', [[TheBully Nelson]] is particularly fond of this.

A schoolyard staple, the headlock is a fighting move where victim's head is pinned between the assaulter's arm and body. In a legitimate fight, this is a bad idea to hold someone like this for an extended time as it leaves someone fairly exposed and simple to break free from. When someone is put (and held) in a headlock in fiction, it's usually a sign that the fight is being completely dominated. Sometimes, for BonusPoints, you can punch the person you've got in a headlock.

The move is commonly associated with TheBully, both in real life and in fiction. Often a sign of a CurbStompBattle.