Suggest

Armbar

Brazilian jiu-jitsu / Popular

Attack the armbar from guard and mount.

What coaches agree on

  • Treat exposing the arm as its own skill — break their existing grip or bait a reaction like a push or a posted hand — to create the opening before you attack it.
  • Once the arm is isolated, pin it tight across your centerline with your knees squeezed together and your hips pressed into their shoulder, so there's no room for them to slide the elbow free.
Show more
  • Keep adjusting your grip and hips as they move so their elbow stays pointed up and their body angled away from you, since a static hold lets them square back up.

Common mistakes

  • Trying to power through a locked defensive grip — clasped hands, a bicep clamp — instead of breaking it first just burns the position without a tap.
  • Letting the swinging leg's foot rest on the mat or on their body instead of driving the heel into the armpit leaves a gap they can posture up through.