Applying BJJ Armbars From Common Positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Armbars are one of the most common submission techniques in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game. The reason it is most common is that it is very effective, and chances for submission are very high once you have your opponent in your armbar technique. Another good thing about this technique is that you can apply it to your opponent from many positions. This makes the technique versatile and easy to apply if you have truly mastered the technique. This article is focused on the most common positions in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu games in which you can apply this to your opponent.

Armbar is the submission technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in which you grab your opponent’s arm and hyperextend it. Hyperextend here means that you are extending your opponent’s arm beyond the normal range of motion of your opponent. It causes severe pain for your opponent, which causes them to submit.

The method of applying the armbar depends on the position from which you are trying to apply the armbar on your opponent. But the general method is following;

• First of all, you have to grab your opponent’s arms.

• Next, trap their torso with your legs.

• Move your leg over your opponent’s head.

• Rotate your hips.

• Move your hips forward.

• Squeeze your knees with your opponent’s arm in between your legs.

• Hyperextend their arm.

• Your opponent submits.

Following are the four principles of the BJJ armbar:

• Restricting the movement of Your opponent’s shoulder.

• Restricting the movement of Your opponent’s wrist.

• Pressurizing in a direction opposite to your opponent’s elbow.

• Wrapping your legs around your opponent’s torso.

Following are different positions from which you can apply the armbar;

• The BJJ armbar you can apply from the BJJ guard is known as the cutting armbar. Cutting armbar is a little bit different from the traditional armbar. In cutting armbar, you do not extend your opponent’s arm beyond their normal range of motion. Instead, you keep their arm against your body and then squeeze their arm (mostly forearm) against your body. This creates a huge pressure on your opponent’s arm, which results in pain for your opponent. This ultimately leads to the submission.

• BJJ cutting armbar is a very good technique for you if your opponent is keeping their elbows tight inside your guard. You have a great opportunity to apply for the BJJ cutting armbar if you have your opponent in BJJ closed guard. The cutting armbar is also known as an arm crush.

• The second common position from which you can apply the BJJ armbar against your opponent is the BJJ mount . The mount is one of the most common positions in a BJJ game. So you can say this with the certainty that you can have your opponent in the mount position. So, that is a great opportunity for you to apply and execute the BJJ armbar on your opponent to get a submission.

• When you have your opponent in the mount position in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you have to make the opponent raise their arms against you. You have to bait your opponent. One way to do this is by applying chokes on your opponent. If you are in mixed martial arts, you can do this by striking your opponent in the face. This will make them defend themselves with their hands on their face.

• When they have their hands on their face, this will be the time when you can grab their hands. So, as soon as they raise their hands on their face against your chokes (in BJJ) or strikes (in MMA), grab one of their hands. Grab your opponent’s hand with both of your hands. As you grab their hand, rotate your body and place your legs on your opponent’s head. This will take you into the classic or traditional armbar position against your opponent.

• The third position from which you can apply the BJJ armbar is the back control. The back control is one of the most effective and easy positions for applying the BJJ armbar. The position can be achieved easily when you are applying some chokes on your opponent from their back. One of those chokes is the BJJ rear naked choke. The BJJ rear naked choke is the way to apply the BJJ armbar on your opponent.

• When you are applying the BJJ rear naked choke, then your opponent will try to defend their neck. Your opponent defending their neck involves placing their hand on their face and neck. They will do this to grab your hands, particularly your choking hand. So now you have two options: you can continue trying to choke your opponent and apply the BJJ rear naked choke on your opponent. The second option is instead of choking your opponent; you will make full use of the opportunity created by your opponent as their hand is now an easy target for you.

• So grab your opponent’s hand, which is closer to your choking arm, trying to defend against the choke. After grabbing your opponent’s defending arm, isolate the arm from their body and take it closer to your body. Next, move your legs over your head. This will take you into a traditional or classic armbar position.

• The BJJ armbar execution from back control is very effective. It is very effective because of two reasons. First, you have already controlled your opponent’s body while applying the rear naked choke. They are already trapped in your seatbelt. They cannot escape from your trap, and if they do, somehow, it will be very difficult for them. The second reason that BJJ armbar execution from back control is very effective and you should definitely learn it is that it is very versatile. Once you fail in submitting your opponent through the BJJ armbar from the back control, or your opponent becomes successful in defending themselves, you have many other options available for you to keep yourself dominant over your opponent.

• The armbar you apply from being in a knee-on-belly position against your opponent is known as the shotgun armbar. It is also a bit of bait or trap you set your opponent for. The knee on the belly (KOB) is already a dominant position. So your opponent is already submissive against you even before you apply the armbar on them.

• So, you start the technique by applying the knee to the belly position of your opponent. Once you have your opponent in this position, you will not isolate your opponent’s arm like in previous setups. Keep your opponent in the same position and pin their wrists. Keep the same arm in your control. So, after pinning their wrist and taking control of their arm, you can extend their arm. Your opponent will not be able to do anything in that position because their arm is in your control, their wrist is pinned by you, and they are on the ground in a submissive position in a knee-on-belly position.

• The setup has a high chance that your opponent will submit themselves against you. The setup is initiated from the knee on the belly position. Your opponent will be trying to get themselves free from the knee on the belly position. While they are trying to get themselves free from the knee-on-belly position, you will surprise them with the BJJ armbar. This will make you even more dominant and your opponent even more submissive against you. The chances for you to take the submission are increased.

• The fifth position or technique from which you can apply the BJJ armbar on your opponent is the kimura lock or kimura trap. It is also known as the chicken wing or double wrist lock. In this most powerful and dominant lock, you are pressurizing your opponent’s shoulder while gripping your opponent’s wrist.

• The Kimura lock is a very good position for applying the BJJ armbar. You are already playing with your opponent’s arms, shoulders, and wrists. Taking the position from Kimura lock to BJJ armbar is not a big deal. Just transition your grip from kimura lock to BJJ armbar, hyperextend your opponent’s arm and you have taken your opponent into BJJ armbar successfully.

• Armbars are considered one of the most effective and easy submission techniques. You can apply the techniques from many other positions and techniques. You can transition many positions or techniques to the BJJ armbar. The article has listed the most common positions or techniques that you encounter while playing in a professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu match. There are many other techniques or positions in the game that you can use as a gateway for applying the BJJ armbar on your opponent.

• A BJJ technique with so many benefits is worth learning and practicing. Start with learning the basic armbar. Learn and practice how you can apply the armbar. Practice again and again until you become a master at it. Next, try to learn different variations of the BJJ armbar. After that, practice applying the armbar from different positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly those which are listed in this article, as they are the most common positions or techniques that you are going to encounter.

Armbar is the submission technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in which you grab your opponent’s arm and hyperextend it. There are many variations of the armbar. Some of those variations involved hyperextending your opponent’s arm, while others involve squeezing their arm against your body.

You can apply the techniques from many other positions and techniques. You can transition many positions or techniques to the BJJ armbar. Following are listed the most common positions or techniques that you encounter while playing in a professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu match:

• Guard

• Mount

• Back Control

• Knee On Belly

• Kimura Lock

Hyperextending your opponent’s arm means that you are extending your opponent’s arm beyond the normal range of motion of your opponent. It causes severe pain for your opponent, which causes them to submit. You can also squeeze your opponent’s arm against your body. In this variation of the BJJ armbar, there is no hyperextension involved, but you are squeezing and pressing your opponent’s arms. This also causes them pain, which forces them to submit themselves. 

In cutting armbar, you do not extend your opponent’s arm beyond their normal range of motion. Instead, you keep their arm against your body and then squeeze their arm (mostly forearm) against your body. This creates a huge pressure on your opponent’s arm, which results in pain for your opponent. This ultimately leads to the submission. BJJ cutting armbar is a very good technique for you if your opponent is keeping their elbows tight inside your guard. You have a great opportunity to apply for the BJJ cutting armbar if you have your opponent in BJJ closed guard. The cutting armbar is also known as an arm crush.