Ude Gatame
Submission · Side Control
A straight armlock: the elbow is hyperextended by your hands pulling against it while your shoulder holds the wrist. From side control with the crossface, he pushes your face or chest away with a straight arm. Clamp his wrist high on your shoulder, trapping it against your neck with your head, cup both hands just above his elbow on the upper arm and turn his palm up so the crook of his elbow faces you. Pull the elbow toward you slowly while the shoulder keeps the wrist: your hands must be on the far side of the joint from the wrist, never on the forearm. It works only on a straight arm; if he bends it, go to the americana, if he turns the thumb down, to the kimura. A straight elbow breaks quickly: no jerks.
How to do it
- From the bottom they push your face or chest away with a straight arm. Use that straight arm; this lock only works on a straight elbow.
- Trap their wrist high on your shoulder, clamping it between your neck and shoulder with your head. The wrist cannot slip off, so the arm stays straight.
- Cup both hands just above their elbow, on the upper arm, not on the forearm. The hands above the joint make the lever.
- Turn their palm up, so the inside of the elbow faces you. A bent elbow cannot be locked, so keep the arm straight.
- Pull the elbow towards you slowly while your shoulder holds the wrist, until the tap. The straight elbow breaks quickly, so there is no room for a jerk.
Key details
- Only against a straight arm. If they bend the elbow, there is nothing to hyperextend.
- Wrist trapped high on your shoulder. High on the shoulder, the wrist is far from the elbow and the lever is long.
- Hands above the elbow, not on it. Your hands must be on the far side of the joint from the wrist to bend it backward.
- Kodokan: the wrist is held between your neck and shoulder, both hands lock the elbow. The head clamp frees both hands for the lever.
- A bent elbow cannot be locked: keep the arm straight and the palm up. The palm up keeps the elbow pointing the right way for the pull.
Common mistakes
- Hands on the forearm. — Without the hands above the elbow there is no lever. — Move the hands above the elbow.
- The wrist slips off the shoulder. — They bend the arm and escape. — Clamp it with your head against your shoulder.
- Pulling fast. — The straight elbow breaks at once. — Pull slowly and wait for the tap.
- Pulling while his elbow is turned sideways (thumb rotated out of line). — The pull only bends the arm the natural way; nothing hyperextends. — Re-turn the palm up so the crook faces you before you pull; if he keeps the thumb down, go to the kimura.
How to drill it
Partner pushes with a straight arm, 8 slow entries each side.
Safety
A straight arm lock breaks quickly: pull slowly and release at the tap.
What comes next
Where it comes from