Marceloplata
Chain finish · Butterfly Guard
An omoplata: a shoulder lock where his arm is bent behind his back under your leg and hip, and the shoulder is rotated inward. It is Marcelo Garcia's variation of the omoplata. It starts like the spinning armbar from butterfly guard, when he sits back and posts a straight arm on you. Instead of spinning, overhook the arm at the elbow, turn to the side and swing the leg on that side over his shoulder onto his back. When he rolls forward to escape, as most do, roll with him, keep the elbow and come up on your knees on his back; then bring your other leg over his head and pinch your knees together, the arm trapped across your hips. Now the roll no longer saves him: a small turn of the hips finishes it, and you stay on top rather than falling back. Beginners leave a gap between the knees, and a flexible opponent pulls the elbow out. Turn slowly: the shoulder gives little warning.
How to do it
- From butterfly guard, threaten the sweep: he sits back and posts a straight arm on your chest or shoulder. Overhook that arm just above the elbow with your same-side arm and clamp it to your ribs.
- Turn onto your side away from the trapped arm, sliding your hips out so that your body is at an angle to his, with your head going away from the trapped arm.
- Take the butterfly hook out on the trapped-arm side and swing that leg over his shoulder and across his back, so the back of your knee sits on the back of his shoulder and his arm is wrapped between your leg and your hip.
- When he rolls forward over the shoulder to escape, roll with him, keeping the elbow, and come up on your knees on his back. Bring your other leg over his head and pinch your knees together: now the roll cannot save him again.
- Sit up toward his feet as far as you can, holding his belt or hip with your free hand, and keep his trapped arm bent with the hand on your hip.
- Finish by turning your hips toward his head and sliding them forward along his back while your knees stay pinched together; the bent arm rotates inward until he taps.
Key details
- The second leg over his head is the whole idea: the forward roll, the normal omoplata escape, no longer frees the shoulder.
- Overhook above the elbow and keep it clamped while you turn: if the arm slips out before the leg arrives, there is nothing to lock.
- Angle first, then the leg: square to him, your leg cannot get over the shoulder.
- Keep his hand on your hip with the elbow bent; if he straightens the arm, the shoulder rotation is gone.
- If he keeps posting and you cannot finish, the same position often sweeps him: come up on top.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the knees apart. — A flexible opponent pulls his elbow out through the gap and the lock is gone. — Pinch your knees together, your foot behind his back, before you start the finish, and stay on top instead of falling back.
- Lying flat on your back with the leg on his shoulder. — He postures up and pulls the arm out. — Sit up toward his feet and grab the belt or hip.
- Yanking the arm with your hands. — The arm straightens and slips out, and the shoulder is not loaded. — Finish with the hips moving forward, the arm stays bent.
How to drill it
Partner sits in butterfly guard and posts a straight arm on your chest. Overhook, angle, leg over the shoulder, partner rolls, you follow and bring the other leg over his head, then reset. Ten reps each side slowly, then partner tries to pull the elbow out and you keep the knees pinched.
Safety
The shoulder gives little warning and the leg over his head stops him rolling out of it: move the hips slowly and release at the tap.