Arm in an armbar
Position · Closed Guard
His legs are across your chest and face, his hips tight to your shoulder, and he pulls your arm, thumb up, toward his chest. Clasp your hands together — grip your own wrist or sleeve — so the elbow stays bent, and turn your thumb and elbow toward his hips, not away. If your elbow is still bent, stack your weight onto his shoulders, posture into him and pull the elbow out for the Armbar Defense. His goals are to break your grip, swing his hips and extend the arm. The detail beginners miss is sitting back: leaning away straightens the arm. Once the elbow is straight and he lifts his hips, tap.
How to do it
- Lock your hands together at once, holding the attacked arm against your chest. Two arms together are much stronger than their pull on one.
- Keep your elbow bent. The armbar breaks a straight arm over their hips; a bent elbow is not on that line.
- Turn your thumb down towards the mat. This turns the elbow sideways out of the line over their hips, so the arm cannot be hyperextended.
- Come up on your knees and stack them: drive your weight forward and down onto their shoulders so their hips lift off the mat.
- When their hips drop or lose the angle, slide the elbow out down towards the mat and pull the arm free.
Key details
- Bent elbow is safe: as long as the arm is bent, there is no hyperextension.
- Stay on your side, not flat: flat on your back they control your arm and hips with their legs.
- Tap when the arm straightens: from a straight arm the break is a matter of centimetres.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the arm straight back. — The arm straightens and the elbow breaks over their hips. — Thumb down, elbow to the mat.
- Letting go of the grip. — One pull straightens the arm. — Keep the hands locked until the elbow is out.
- Jumping out of a tight armbar. — The elbow breaks in the jump. — Tap, then restart the position.
If they defend
- They break your grip. → Turn the thumb down and tap if it straightens.
- They switch to a triangle. → Posture and use the triangle defense.
How to drill it
Partner sets the armbar slowly, you escape, 8 each side.
Safety
Tap when the arm is straight: never wait for pain.
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