Submission · Shoulder lock · Fundamental
FundamentalShoulder lockGi & no-gi

Kimura (Gyaku Ude Garami)

A submission (shoulder lock) you hit from Closed guard, Side control (Yoko Shiho Gatame), North-south (Kami Shiho Gatame), Half guard, Butterfly guard, Knee shield / Z-guard, Dogfight, Half guard (top), Half butterfly guard and Lockdown. Fundamental level.

Kimura (Gyaku Ude Garami) · 1 of 14

Kimura from Closed Guard for White Belts

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Starts from

Get to one of these positions first, then look for the kimura.

Closed guardSide control (Yoko Shiho Gatame)North-south (Kami Shiho Gatame)Half guardButterfly guardKnee shield / Z-guardDogfightHalf guard (top)Half butterfly guardLockdown

Key steps

Shoulder lock. Tap early in training, and let go as soon as your partner taps.

  1. Grab their wrist
  2. Reach your other arm over their shoulder, under their arm, and grab your own wrist (figure-four)
  3. Keep their elbow bent at 90°
  4. Rotate their hand toward their back
If they defend it

They grab their own belt or leg: use the kimura grip to sweep or take the back.

Common mistakes

Common mistake

Letting their elbow straighten.

Key details
  • Control the wrist first
  • Keep the elbow close to your body

How to defend it

Caught in it?
Learn the early defense, the escape and when to tap.
How to escape it

Where you’ll face it

You’re most likely to get caught in it from these positions. Each one has its escapes.

Side control (bottom)North-south (bottom)

Related positions & techniques

Starts from
Closed guardSide control (Yoko Shiho Gatame)North-south (Kami Shiho Gatame)Half guardButterfly guardKnee shield / Z-guardDogfightHalf guard (top)
Defend it
How to escape the kimura
Similar submissions
Americana (Ude Garami)OmoplataTarikoplataMir lockMonoplataBaratoplata
Also from Closed guard
Scissor sweepHip bump sweepFlower (pendulum) sweepOmoplata sweepKimura trap back takeArm drag to the back (guard)
In courses
Foundations II: Closed guardFoundations III: Half guardFoundations V: Pins & mountOpen guard setHalf guard set
Seminars

Safety and research

What the research says

Rotates both the shoulder and the elbow. It was the second most common submission behind injuries in a survey of 1,140 athletes. Finish slowly.

Source: Hinz et al., Injury Patterns, Risk Factors, and Return to Sport in BJJ: 1140 athletes, Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (2021); Scoggin et al., Assessment of Injuries During Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competition, Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (2014)

Read about itGrapplearts articlesBJJ Heroes

Practice

Quick checkKimura (Gyaku Ude Garami) quick check4 questions
My notes

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More from these positionsOther techniques that start where this one does
Scissor sweepSweep → Mount (Tate Shiho Gatame)Hip bump sweepSweep → Mount (Tate Shiho Gatame)Flower (pendulum) sweepSweep → Mount (Tate Shiho Gatame)Butterfly hook sweepSweep → Side control (Yoko Shiho Gatame)Old school sweepSweep → Half guard (top)Knee shield sweepSweep → Half guard (top)Electric chair sweepSweep → Half guard (top)Omoplata sweepSweep → Side control (Yoko Shiho Gatame)
← Armbar (Juji Gatame)18 of 44 submissionsAmericana (Ude Garami) →