Mir Lock
Submission · Side Control
A shoulder lock from the kimura family: the bent arm is turned toward his back, but with his elbow pinned to your body so only the shoulder can rotate. It comes when you attack the kimura from side control and he hides his hand at his own hip to block the turn. Keep the figure-four with your hand on the wrist itself, just above the hand, not higher up the forearm, clamp his elbow tight to your chest or hip and sprawl your hips low so he cannot bridge. Then turn his wrist toward his back with your body and hips, slowly; the arms only hold the grip. If the elbow drifts with the wrist, nothing locks. If he straightens the arm, take the armbar; if he grabs his belt, return to the kimura. A dangerous shoulder lock: practise it slowly and under an instructor.
How to do it
- From side control or kesa gatame, catch the wrist of the arm they post or reach with. Grip the wrist itself, just above the hand, not higher up the forearm.
- Thread your other arm under their triceps and grip your own wrist: the figure-four.
- Clamp their elbow tight to your chest or hip. With the elbow pinned to you, the shoulder is isolated and the arm cannot straighten out of the grip.
- Sprawl your hips low and heavy, so they cannot bridge or roll you off the lock.
- Turn their wrist towards their back with your body and hips, slowly, until the tap. The arm strength only holds the figure-four; the turn comes from your weight.
Key details
- A shoulder lock from the kimura family, named after Frank Mir. It catches the arm when they hide the hand at their own hip to stop the kimura.
- The elbow stays pinned to you: that isolates the shoulder. If the elbow moves with the wrist, the shoulder just turns along and nothing locks.
- Finish with body weight and the hips, not arm strength. The hips turn steadily and do not tire.
- Grip the wrist, not the forearm. A grip higher up the arm leaves the hand free to slip out as you turn.
- The tip of his elbow loads onto your ribs, in a pocket you make by hollowing your chest, and his hand stays trapped under your armpit. The finish is a rotation of the shoulder, an upward scoop of the elbow like a heel hook of the shoulder, not a cut across the arm like an armbar.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbow leave your body. — They straighten the arm and pull it out of the grip. — Pin the elbow to your chest or hip first.
- Staying high on your knees. — They bridge and roll you off the lock. — Sprawl the hips low and heavy.
- Cranking quickly. — The shoulder is injured before the tap. — Turn slowly and wait for the tap.
How to drill it
From side control, partner posts a hand; 6 slow entries each side, stop before pressure.
Safety
A dangerous shoulder lock: practise it slowly and only under an instructor.
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