Kimura from Closed Guard

Kimura from Closed Guard is a finishing attack built around a handful of repeatable controls. Closed guard with a figure-four Kimura grip on one of top player's arms. Another common starting shape: bottom player is in closed guard with the opponent posturing up; the opponent's hands are floating and the kimura is not yet available. The ideas that hold it together are hands-to-mat sequence, elbow trapping, and thumbless grip.

The kimura chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Load the shoulder by pulling the trapped wrist tight. Open the guard and hip away from the trapped side. Roll over the trapped-side shoulder and come up. Circle the hands inside the opponent's forearms to push their hands down to the mat. Sit up under the wrist and grip just past the wrist, not below the elbow. Pin the opponent's elbow tight to your own ribcage so it cannot retract. Connect the kimura grip thumbless for a stronger lock. Keep hands tight rather than wide on the mat to deny kimura grip setups. Bottom player has rolled to the trapped-arm side and ended on top, retaining the Kimura grip.

Later in the kimura, block the sit-up, hips forward late, and interchangeable order tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Rushing to connect the hands and gripping below the elbow line. Letting the opponent's elbow drift free as you sit up. Posting hands wide on the mat, gifting the kimura. Trying to muscle the kimura against the locked defense. The high-percentage version of kimura from closed guard is the one you can still chain when the first squeeze is defended.