Tijeras

"Top-Rope Headscissors", "" all link here.

Felino

A tijeras ("scissors") is any headscissors move. They are sometimes instead referred to as pinzas ("pliers"). Technically speaking, a "headscissors" just refers to gripping someone's head between one's legs, so can refer to various grounded moves & submissions (see bottom of page). The term is often used, however, to refer to Tijeras Voladoras or Flying Headscissors, a form of acrobatic takedown that necessitates both of the attacker's feet leave the ground.

The simplest form of flying headscissors - with the least number of steps & amount of body-to-body contact - is to leap at an opponent legs first, grapple around their shoulders with your calves, and lean backwards (and-to-the-side) enough to propel them forwards. i.e. Going from facing one another, to both facing the same direction (albeit with the attacker upside down).

• This is the basic type usually employed during dives from an elevated surface - such as top turnbuckle, a springboard, or to outside the ring - as to get enough height to even apply the grapple.
• It's also possible to perform this from equal footing with the opponent, albeit trickier & often requiring a run-up. Typically from the side, as to both add more momentum to the resultant swing and to ensure both parties are falling in different directions.
  • The side-on run-up can also incorporate a sort of rolling flip between reaching the opponent's position & securing the scissors for extra flair, ala a torito.
• Those with a high enough jump to perform this kind of tijeras from a static standing position tend to do so with the intent of leaning fully backwards whilst maintaining the hold (due to the lack of momentum). This will either result in a pinning predicament or a nasty head-drop. Colloquially known as the Hurracarana and the Frankensteiner, respectively. Hence many tijeras reflexively being called one of those names.

The inverse technique - starting facing one another, and ending still facing one another - is far less common. And requires a different kind of grapple to pull off. Instead of hooking their calves over the opponent's shoulders, the attacker must instead cross their feet around the opponent's neck. From there, they twist their body in a tornillo-like motion to being the opponent off-balance.

• It's also far less varied in execution, only really being performed from a standing jump directly in front of the opponent. Likely due to the fulcrum between attacker-and-opponent (the ankles) being relatively small, weak, and susceptible to damage if jolted from a more extreme position.
  • This method was supposedly favored by Blue Demon. Which - given its users in more modern times - might suggest it's better-used by heavyset wrestlers. Who's weight can prohibit fancier tijeras but also help drive the opponent off their feet in this version.
• One of the rare variants it does have supports the safety theory, since no "flying" is even involved. If engaged in grounded chain wrestling, a luchador can apply the hold itself whilst lying on the mat, perform a headstand, and spin themselves using their head as a pivot. It's a signature spot of Xelhua's.
• the Rope Walk Armdrag and Headscissors Combo utilizes this method, depending on gravity to do most of the work.
  • upward-facing headscissor takedown that use the ankles rather than the thighs are exceedingly rare, but not unheard of. One such example being a dumbed-down version of the above combo, only bracing off of the first oppoenent with something sturdier than a wristlock, like a headlock or their own Full Nelson.
• likewise, it's possible to apply & drag someone over with if there's some other sort of downward force to make up the difference, such as a backflip or some insane manner of human hopscotch.

Two other - more complex, but still commonplace - tijeras sub-families that share the same about-face dichotomy can be found on the Spinning Headscissors page.

See also:

• Spinning Headscissors
• Hurracarana
• tijeras suicidas
  • Delta Tiejeras
• Rope Walk Armdrag and Headscissors Combo
• Sarape con Tijera
• Satellite headscissors
• Huitzil's Santa Maria Headscissors

Pins & other moves set up with a tijeras:

• Dos Caras Clutch
• Victory Roll
• Spinning headscissors into octopus hold
• La Mistica
• Volador Spiral

Whilst typically used as a takeover or transition, it can also refer to a subset of submission should the applier squeeze hard enough; typically used in conjunction with other holds, to provide extra leverage against the recipient's body mass.

Examples include:

• El Remo
• La Ayakita
• Masato Yoshino's Coumori
• Trash's Trash Lock