Armbar
The armbar is a joint lock that straightens and hyperextends the opponent's elbow by trapping the arm between your legs and lifting your hips. It is the most universal submission in BJJ, available from almost every position.
Control before the finish
A clean armbar is about controlling the arm and the head before you ever extend. Pinching your knees, keeping the thumb pointed up, and stopping the opponent from stacking or hitchhiking the elbow out is what separates a finish from a scramble.
Armbars everywhere
From closed guard, mount, and the back the armbar shares its setups with the triangle and the omoplata, so defending one usually opens another. That makes it a natural node in a submission chain rather than a single attack.
Community flows for Armbar
- Armbars: Deep Dive Study Guide — Armbars are the second most common submission in high-level competition. The main idea: closed guard and mount are the same position flipped. The chart covers…
- Half Guard Kimura And Leglock Dilemma System — A half guard system that chains leg attacks, kimura, and armbar while addressing kimura prevention and top half guard passing options.
- Complete Butterfly Guard, Vol 2: When They Deny the Under-Hook — Marcelo's jab-mentality answers when the under-hook isn't available: collar-tie and triceps cups as one-beat sweeps, the straight armbar when they post to…
- Complete Butterfly Guard, Vol 1: Fundamentals & the Classic Sweep — Marcelo's three cover rules (hands before feet, shoulder pointed, elbows tucked) and the sweep every other attack in the series branches from: under-hook to…
- Modern Back Attack System, Vol 4: Finishes & Single Leg X — Once the back is held, finishes branch by which arm got trapped: standard rear-naked off the over-arm, reverse triangle / arm bar / front triangle off the…
- Modern Triangle, Vol 5: Intra-Triangle Submissions — The seven-submission menu available from a locked triangle: triangle armlock, trapped-arm wrist lock / key lock / kimura, free-arm kimura and inverted armlock…
- Mastering the Mount: Full System Map — How Roger's four chapters connect. High mount is the doorway between transitions, control, and submissions. Vol 4's seminar reinforces the same climb live and…
- Mastering the Mount, Vol 4: Bonus New York Seminar — Roger's seminar version of the system: low-mount lockdown via crossed feet and head hug, the half-choke that's already set, the cross-arm defense gap that…
- Mastering the Mount, Vol 1: Concepts and Control — How Roger holds and climbs the mount before he ever attacks. Two escapes that matter, the soles-glued rule, the cross-feet hold for resting, and the foot-push…
- K-Guard from Closed Guard: Entries and Upper Body Submissions — A system for entering K-Guard from closed guard, establishing control, and transitioning to triangles, armbars, and leg entries based on opponent reactions.
- S-Mount Control and Submission Finishing — A system for establishing S-mount control and applying submission pressure through vibration and positional adjustments.
- Single Leg X Escape to Arm Bar — A systematic escape from single leg X guard that transitions into an arm bar attack.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my opponent keep escaping the armbar?
Most escapes come from a loose grip on the arm or a gap that lets them stack you or rip the elbow free. Keep your knees pinched, control the wrist with the thumb up, and clear their defensive grip before you bridge into the finish.
What positions can you armbar from?
Almost all of them: closed and open guard, mount, side control, and the back. Its setups overlap with the triangle and omoplata, so they chain together.
Is the armbar safe to drill?
Yes, when finished slowly. Extend gradually and give your partner time to tap, since the elbow has little margin once the arm is straight.
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