14/03/07 10 Armbars from the Guard

Here are 10 armbars I practice on a regular basis as uchikomi from the guard.

1. Traditional
*Monkey grip (thumb down) behind the opposite elbow,
*Bring the same side foot to the hip and block the arm from retracting,
*Grab the opposite collar with your other hand,
*Spin your body round in the direction that the arm you want to armbar is pointing,
*At the same time bring your opposite leg up your opponent's back under his armpit and "bite down" with it so he can't escape,
*Push the head back with the arm that was grabbing the shoulder and bring your same side leg round and over your opponent's head,
*Grip O's hand with the hand you just used to push his head back and align his arm,
*Raise your hips to apply the armbar.

You can see the no-gi version of the technique here - it's basically the same except he doesn't grab the shoulder before spinning.


2. Knee-hook armbar
The knee hook can help you sweep your opponent over, allowing you to finish the armbar from the side.

See it here - there's some nice detail about pushing the head back to create space.
See also here - can't argue with this guy!


3. Lower lapel wrap and armbar
This is done like 1. only you secure the arm by wrapping his lower lapel around the outside of his elbow and gripping it instead of using a monkey grip. If you want his left arm, use his left side lapel.

Found a demo of this at MMAlibrary.

4. Sweeping style
*Grip your opponent's right sleeve with your left hand and his right collar with your right hand
*Put your left foot on his right hip to block the arm
*Push off from his right hip and spin your body to your right, pulling your opponent forward
*Bring your right leg up high on his back and "bite down"
*Bring your left leg over his head for the armbar
*You can monkey grip his behind his elbow with your collar hand to give you added control of the arm

This armbar relies on unbalancing your opponent almost as if you were going to sweep him and is a little faster than 1.

See it demonstrated by Pedro Sauer here.


5. Sweeping style with knee hook
Pedro also demonstrates the armbar with a knee hook in the above demonstration.

6. Armdrag to armbar
*Pass your opponent's right hand over to your right side with your left hand
*Armdrag with your right hand, gripping behind the elbow (thumb up)
*Catch his right hand hand under your right armpit
*Grip the collar with your left hand
*Spin your body to the side
*Raise your hips and bring your left leg around your opponent's face

Be careful with this one as the armbar comes on very quickly.

See it demonstrated here.


Here is an interesting crucifix technique from the guard that uses a similar set-up (note to self, stay on topic!).


7. Armdrag to armbar with knee hook
Same as above, only you hook the trapping arm's hand under your opponent's knee as you turn as shown in 2. Be even more careful with this one.

8. Overhook armbar (Wakigatame)
*Overhook your opponent's right arm with your left arm
*Grab hold of his left lapel with your left hand to secure the overhook
*Put your left foot on your opponent's right hip
*Hip out to your left, extending the arm
*Bring your left knee over the top of your opponent's right arm and pinch down with it
*Push up on your opponent's right shoulder with your right hand to effect the tap

There is an excellent instructional on this and related techniques here.


Here is a similar move done without the overhook.


9. Switching armbar
This is used in the event that your opponent pulls his arm out of the armbar before you finish it. You'll obviously have to arrange for your opponent to pull his arm out when drilling.

See it here.

10. Scissor sweep to armbar
This is a beautiful move that makes use of your opponent's energy as he blocks your scissor sweep.

See it here.


Enjoy!

Books I recommend
If you're interested in improving your armbars from the guard, I recommend Essential Guard by Kid Peligro and Rodrigo Medeiros. It contains a wealth of useful information on the guard including nuances of posture and drills to help make your submissions more effective.