Americana
Submission · Mount
A shoulder lock (keylock): the bent arm is rotated outward until the shoulder passes its range. From low mount, when he leaves an arm bent up near his head, pin that wrist to the mat beside his head palm up, weight pressing through your straight arm. Drop your head to the mat on that side as a third post against the bridge, thread your other arm under his upper arm near the elbow and grab your own wrist. Keep the elbow at 90°, drag the back of his hand along the mat toward his hip and lift the elbow slightly. A wrist lifted off the mat rotates and escapes. If he straightens the arm, take the armbar from mount. Slide slowly: the shoulder gives suddenly.
How to do it
- From mount, pin the wrist to the mat beside the head, palm up, with your weight pressing down through your straight arm.
- Keep their elbow bent at 90° and drop your head low on the side of that arm, onto the mat, as a third post against the bridge.
- Thread your other arm under their upper arm, near the elbow, and grab your own wrist, making a figure-four lock.
- Slide their hand along the mat toward their hip, the back of the hand dragging on the mat, so the forearm turns down while the upper arm stays pinned.
- Lift the elbow slightly with your threaded arm to finish: the lift turns the shoulder further than the joint allows.
Key details
- Keep your head low on the side of the arm as a third post: with head, hands and knees down, a bridge cannot roll you.
- Weight on the wrist, elbow bent at 90°: at that angle the shoulder can be turned; straightened, it cannot.
- Slide the hand along the mat toward their hip; a wrist lifted off the mat can rotate and escape.
- Keep the elbow of your pinning arm tight beside his ear: his defence is to turn in and suck his elbow down to his hip, and your elbow by his head blocks that turn.
Common mistakes
- Sitting up tall while locking. — Your weight comes off their chest, and they bridge and roll you. — Stay low with your head on the mat as a third post.
- Lifting their wrist off the mat. — Lifted off the mat, the wrist rotates freely and the arm pulls out. — Slide the back of their hand along the mat toward the hip.
- The elbow is straight. — With a straight elbow the shoulder cannot be turned, so nothing locks. — Keep their elbow bent at 90° so the shoulder turns.
- Letting his elbow slide down to his ribs before the lock is set. — With the elbow tucked to his hip the shoulder cannot be turned: this is exactly how he defends. — Pin the wrist first and keep the elbow away from his body, out at 90° in line with the shoulder.
If they defend
- They bridge toward the arm. → Post your head and free hand, then finish.
How to drill it
Americana from mount against a bridging partner, 8 reps; then the partner straightens the arm and you switch.
Safety
Slide the hand slowly; the shoulder gives suddenly.
What comes next
Where it comes from