Waki Gatame
Submission · Standing
A standing armlock that hyperextends the elbow by pressing it down with your armpit. The moment is when they hold your collar with a straight arm, and it works only while that arm stays straight. Clamp their wrist to your chest, wrap your other arm over theirs and trap the upper arm just above the elbow, the elbow right under your armpit. Turn your hip away, turn their arm over, palm toward the mat, so the elbow points up, and lift the wrist, and press the armpit down: wrist up, elbow down. Stay upright on your feet; leaning far forward gets you thrown. They escape by bending the arm or stepping around you, which can open their back. Apply slowly and never fall or throw with it: a fall onto the trapped arm breaks the elbow.
How to do it
- They hold your collar with a straight arm. Attack only while that arm stays straight.
- Clamp their wrist to your chest with your hand, so the arm cannot bend or pull away.
- Wrap your other arm over the straight arm and trap it just above the elbow, the elbow right under your armpit.
- Turn your hip away and lift the wrist, turning their arm so the point of the elbow faces up (their palm toward the mat). Stay upright on your feet, without leaning far forward.
- Press down on the elbow with the armpit, slowly, until the tap: wrist up, elbow down keeps the arm straight.
Key details
- Only against a straight arm: a bent arm has no elbow to press on.
- Wrist up, elbow down: the two forces in opposite directions keep the arm straight and load the elbow.
- Turn their arm so the point of the elbow faces up, palm toward the mat: only then does the armpit press against the joint.
- Clamp the upper arm just above the elbow, not at the shoulder: close to the joint the armpit is a short, strong lever.
- Keep your own balance: leaning far forward gets you thrown.
- Win a strong two-on-one on the wrist first: without it they bend the arm or pull it away before you can turn it over.
Common mistakes
- Letting the wrist go. — The arm is free to bend: they bend it and escape. — Keep the wrist pinned to your chest.
- Falling onto the arm. — Your whole body weight lands on the locked elbow at once: a fall with the arm locked breaks the elbow. — Stay standing and press slowly.
- Elbow not in the armpit. — Without the elbow in the armpit there is no leverage: you press on the forearm or the shoulder. — Trap the elbow right in the armpit, just above the joint.
If they defend
- They bend the arm. → Go to the kimura grip.
How to drill it
Partner holds the collar with a straight arm, 8 slow entries each side, no pressure on the elbow.
Safety
Standing waki gatame is dangerous: a fall onto the arm snaps the elbow. Apply slowly, never throw with it; many rule sets ban falling with it.