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TFS#31: Classic But Not Basic
You'll become a threat after learning this from the most common positions.
Wayne Terran
December 11, 2022
Most people have heard of an Armbar.
Even people who don’t follow BJJ or MMA know of the Armbar.
But most people don’t know how to do an Armbar.
Even people who train BJJ don’t know how to properly execute the Armbar.
There are variations of this classic submission from different positions but I what to share the three requirements to executing a successful Armbar.
First, you need to expose the arm. Forcing a reaction where they expose their arm is key.
Second, you’ll need to setup the position and get into position.
Lastly, Armbar requires securing the position and finishing.
Okay, let’s dive into a few examples.
1. Arm exposure
No matter the position, the rule stays the same: expose the arm.
How do we get our opponent to expose the arm?
The best way to anticipate a specific reaction from your opponent is to create the reaction.
(1) Closed Guard: Distract the opponent to make them expose the arm. A common setup is attempting a sweep in order for them to post the hand. (If they don’t post, they will get swept.) Cup the elbow to trap.
(2) Side Control: Fend off the frame on your neck. Any time they have a frame, they are essentially one step closer to escaping. Underhook that arm and use your head to push the forearm away.
(3) De la Riva Guard: Off-balancing will cause your opponent to post their hands on the floor. Their hands on the floor means their arms are vulnerable. I like to play DLR with the collar-sleeve. I’ll kick behind their knee to extend their far leg while turning my hips over, this will cause their off-balance. They’ll naturally want to stay upright so their hands will come down to post.
(4) Collar and Sleeve Guard: Create some tension on the arm by pulling on the arm, like a bow and arrow. Pushing with your foot on the hip and pulling the sleeve. Make sure to flare your elbow so the ground doesn’t block the extension of your arm.
General concept: Separate the arm from their body. Isolate the arm and secure it so they can’t escape the arm. Usually by controlling the elbow.
2. Securing the position
After you’ve forced the reaction of getting their arm away from their body, you trap their arm away from their body.
Now we move up to the next joint: shoulder control.
(1) Closed Guard: Maintaining the collar grip, you’ll shoot the left leg and scoop underneath their shoulder.
(2) Side Control: Roll your opponent onto their side and step over their head. Using your knee to push behind their shoulder, you’re ready to lock their shoulder.
(3) De la Riva Guard: Unhook the DLR foot, step on their hip and then turning over to put that knee over the shoulder. You’re putting pressure on them to keep them down while pinching your knees to lock the shoulder.
(4) Collar and Sleeve Guard: Similar to the DLR, you’ll step on the hip, and throw your leg over their back. This keeps their posture down as well as keeping their shoulder in place.
Control the minor joint (elbow), then control the major joint (shoulder).
3. Finishing details
Secure the position.
Keeping everything tight, you’ll be bridging and using your body as a lever to make the shoulder and elbow experience force in opposite directions.
(1) Closed Guard: Pinch your knees to secure the entire arm and adjust the arm accordingly. Use your inner thigh (your leg that’s closer to their body) as the fulcrum.
(2) Side Control: Posting your hand on the mat, you’ll swing the leg around the body and secure it tight against the shoulder. Sit into standard Armbar.
(3) De La Riva Guard: Post on your forehead and turn into an inverted Armbar. Or roll them over into a traditional Armbar position.
(4) Collar and Sleeve Guard: Pinch your knees to lock the shoulder and now you can finish the Armbar.
Bridging your hips while pulling down on the arm is the traditional finish but I think it’s nicer to rotate the arm so the elbow is pushed against your thigh (the one closer to their body). Some people have flexible shoulders which might give them an extra split second to fight it. But by pushing the arm to the side you have more room to pull on the arm—otherwise the arm can get stuck on top of your chest.
Push the arm towards the pinky.
The most important part is staying tight.
Since there are so many control points in this submission, it’s easy to loosen up as you progress.
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Closing Thought
Jiu-Jitsu is an exercise for some, while it's an art craft for others. It's not about the number of medals you've collected but the enthusiasm put into training. The more engaged and interested you are in training, the more it becomes your personal craft.
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