ATTN: Ryu

[Jeff Liboiron]

hey man, i thought you might be the best one to ask about getting out of different holds

There are two that i am having trouble with:

1.) The full nelson
2.) The sleeper

I'm hoping that you can give me some counters for these, thanks alot :)

[Ryu]

When you mention the full nelson, are you talking about on the ground of standing up?

Well first, the two techniques you're discussing have something in common. If the opponent gets them in all the way, you're probably finished. :)

For the full nelson, I'll start with the standing version. The most important thing to do here is not allow the opponent to clutch it in all the way. Once he gets behind you and you feel his arms coming up under yours, squat down slightly, and keep your arms down, trapping his from getting the hold. But obviously the guy won't stand there "shocked" that you are defending, so you should move quickly, pinning his arms with yours, turn into him and lock him up for a throw, takedown, etc. Merryprankster should have some great counters for this so I hope he posts too.
On the ground, I have defended it by keeping his arm pinned (like mentioned before) and rolling so that A. He rolls too with his trapped arm, putting you in a top control position, or B. You get to guard, and can work some reversals or subs.

As far as the sleeper...well if this one gets in it's all over. There's no escape if the guy has it deep and it's properly applied (unless you can stab his arms with a knife or something..)
This, like the full nelson, has to be defended against BEFORE it is put on. When you feel the guy's arm circle around, don't let him get a good hold on your neck. Tuck your chin, and place your fingers between his forearm and your neck. This will give you some breathing room. Try to turn into the choke by crowbarring your elbow between yourself and his chest, while turning into his guard. You gotta practice this though... good guys will just ride your back if you haven't developed it in sparring.
(note: this move is done when the opponent is choking you from the rear, but is on his back underneath you. If he's ontop of you, you can turn him over as he'll probably be trying to ride with hooks in. It's one thing to say, and another to do however.

There are other things to do, and I'm sure some of the other grapplers can explain them well.
I can't remember if you turn into or away from the choke... :( Hmm
Merryprankster, if you post could you correct me if I'm wrong.

Well hope that helped.
The most important message here is DO NOT let the person fully put these chokes and cranks on you. Defend them as soon as you feel them going on. Once they're truly in, you can't get out without a big attribute difference.

Ryu

[Jeff Liboiron]

Thanks alot Ryu :)

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

or you could stab them in the groin.