Kimura
Submission · Closed Guard
A shoulder lock with a figure-four grip: the bent arm is rotated behind their back, turning the shoulder inward. It comes from closed guard when they sit upright and post a hand on the mat, often against the hip bump sweep. Pin that wrist with your same-side hand, sit up, reach your other arm over their shoulder and around the trapped arm and grip your own wrist. Fall back to the side of the trapped arm, pivot about 90 degrees and swing a leg over their back so they cannot roll out. Keep their elbow glued to your chest as the pivot and rotate the hand toward their head with your hips, lifting the elbow rather than cranking the wrist. If they roll forward, follow to the mount. The shoulder gives no warning: rotate slowly.
How to do it
- When they post a hand on the mat beside your hip, grab that wrist with your hand on the same side and pin it to the mat.
- Open the guard and sit up, reach your other arm over their shoulder, around the trapped arm, and grip your own wrist: the figure-four.
- Fall back to the side of the trapped arm and pivot about 90 degrees, then swing the leg over their back so they cannot roll out.
- Keep their elbow glued to your chest: it is the pivot of the lock.
- Rotate the hand behind their back toward their head slowly, lifting the elbow and turning with your hips instead of cranking the wrist, until the tap.
Key details
- The elbow is the pivot: pinned to your chest it cannot escape or straighten.
- The leg over the back stops them from rolling out of it.
- Rotate, do not pull: the shoulder turns like a door handle. Lift the elbow and turn with the hips; do not crank the wrist.
- Pivot about 90 degrees: square to them they stack you or pull the arm free.
- If they grab their belt, use the grip to sweep or take the back.
- Bring your own elbows tight together: the wider they drift apart, the weaker the figure-four grip.
Common mistakes
- The trapped elbow is far from your body. — With space they straighten the arm and slip out. — Glue their elbow to your chest before you rotate.
- Staying square. — The arm cannot go behind the back; they posture out. — Shrimp out to the side of the arm before you finish.
- Cranking fast. — Shoulders tear before the partner feels it coming. — Slow, steady rotation, and wait for the tap.
- Pushing the hand back with the arms against a strong, straight arm. — Arm against arm, he simply holds it. — Scoot the hips out until his elbow moves from your shoulder to your chest, swing the leg over and turn the whole body.
If they defend
- They grab their own belt or pants. → Pull toward you to break it, or switch to the hip bump: the grip leaves no post.
- They roll forward to escape. → Follow the roll into mount (the Sweep to Mount chain).
How to drill it
Hip bump into kimura: the partner posts, you trap the wrist and figure-four, 10 each side.
Safety
The shoulder gives no warning. Rotate slowly and let go at the first tap.
What comes next
Where it comes from