Americana
Submission · Side Control
A shoulder lock (keylock): the bent arm is rotated outward until the shoulder passes its range. It comes from side control with the crossface when he bends his far arm up beside his head to frame on you. Pin that wrist to the mat palm up with your head-side hand, thread your other arm under his upper arm near the elbow and grab your own wrist: the figure-four. Keep his elbow at 90°, slide the back of his hand along the mat toward his hip and lift the elbow slightly, the paintbrush motion. The wrist never leaves the mat, and your chest stays on his to kill the bridge. If he straightens the arm, take the armbar; if he turns in to you, the kimura.
How to do it
- When they bend the arm up beside their head, pin their far wrist to the mat, palm up, near their head. Use your head-side hand on the wrist and lean your weight through it, your chest staying on theirs.
- Thread your other arm under their upper arm, close to the elbow, and grab your own wrist: the figure-four. Your forearm is now under their triceps and acts as the lever.
- Keep their elbow bent at about 90°, so the elbow and wrist make an L shape. Their elbow stays close to their body; if it drifts away the arm straightens and the bent-arm lock disappears.
- Slide their hand along the mat toward their hip, the back of the hand never leaving the mat. Your knees block their hips and your chest stays on theirs, so they cannot bridge into the movement.
- To finish, lift their elbow slightly with your threaded forearm while the wrist keeps sliding down: a paintbrush motion. The shoulder rotates outward and they tap.
Key details
- The back of their hand slides along the mat and never lifts. As soon as the wrist comes up, the lock turns into a pull and the shoulder is free.
- Elbow and wrist make an L shape. The 90° bend is what lets the forearm act as a lever on the shoulder.
- Keep your weight on the wrist and your chest on theirs. Weight on the wrist pins the hand; weight on the chest stops the bridge.
- Paintbrush motion: the wrist slides down along the mat while the elbow lifts. Both move at once, which turns the shoulder outward.
- Your knees block their hips and your chest stays on theirs while you set the grip. This takes away the bridge they use to turn in and save the arm.
- For the finish, bring your thumb over to the same side as your fingers (a thumbless 'monkey' grip on top of his wrist). The grip rolls further over the wrist and he cannot straighten the arm through your thumb.
Common mistakes
- The wrist lifts off the mat during the finish. — The lock becomes a pull on the arm, the shoulder follows and they escape. — Keep the back of their hand on the mat and slide it toward the hip as you lift the elbow.
- Their elbow drifts away from the body. — When the elbow drifts, the arm straightens and the bent-arm lock disappears. — Keep the elbow bent at about 90° and close to their side before you slide the hand.
- No chest pressure while setting the figure-four. — With no weight on them they bridge and roll you off. — Stay heavy on their chest throughout, the knees tight against their hips.
- Cranking with his elbow level with his chest or face. — Up there you must lift the elbow a long way; it takes huge effort and he turns in and rolls you. — Slide his elbow and hand down toward his hip first; the lower the arm, the smaller the lift that finishes it.
How to drill it
Americana from side control and mount, 10 each; then with the partner resisting by straightening the arm.
Safety
Shoulder and elbow give quickly: go slow.
What comes next
Where it comes from