Kimura
The kimura is a shoulder lock finished with a figure-four grip on the opponent's wrist, rotating the arm behind their back. It is both a submission and a control: the same grip that finishes also sweeps, takes the back, and pins.
A grip that does three jobs
Once you own the figure-four, you can finish the shoulder, use it to off-balance for a sweep, or ride it to the back when the opponent defends. Because the grip itself is the control, the kimura rarely fails outright; it just turns into the next position.
Entries and the kimura trap
Closed guard, half guard, and side control are the main entries, and the modern kimura-trap systems weave them together. Defending the finish feeds the sweep, defending the sweep feeds the back take, which is exactly the kind of branch a flowchart captures well.
Community flows for Kimura
- 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.
- Modern Back Attack System, Vol 2: Back Takes from Turtle — Two roads off the third position: ride the roll if they spin, or penetrate the knee and fish the leg if they tuck. Both funnel into the c-step lift, 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, Vol 2: Side Control to Mount — Six side-control mount paths sharing one rule: clear the near elbow first, then pick a leg path off whichever defense he commits. Includes the belt-hold step…
- Half Guard Kimura Attack System — using kimura attacks from bottom half guard when opponents defend leg locks
- Street Survival Half Guard Playbook — Covers PRACTICAL half guard escapes & attacks for real-world self-defense. You'll handle common street-fighting scenarios like cross-faces, kimura attempts, &…
- Closed Guard Offense — Elbow position manipulation from closed guard. Forcing reactions through misdirection & capitalizing on defensive movements w/ armbars, triangles, kimuras, &…
- hip bump and kimura flow — hip bump sweep and kimura as paired threats from closed guard. reading reactions and transitioning between sweeps, submissions, and positional advances as they…
- Baratoplata Flow — Baratoplata execution mapped from multiple dominant positions.
- Closed Guard Domination — Closed guard retention and attack chains against posture-breaking scenarios. Kimura and armbar entries built from strategic grip fighting and leg positioning.
- Side Control Attack Chain — Attack from side control... It shows you what submissions to go for based on how your opponent reacts w/ their arms. Think of it like a roadmap for finishing…
- Kimura from Half Guard — Chaining the kimura grip from bottom half guard into a complete offensive web
Frequently asked questions
What is a kimura?
A shoulder lock using a figure-four grip on the opponent's wrist to rotate their arm behind their back. It attacks the shoulder and also works as a powerful control.
Why is the kimura grip so useful?
Because it is control as much as a submission. From the same grip you can finish the shoulder, sweep, or take the back, so the opponent's defense to one option simply opens the next.
Where can you set up a kimura?
Most often from closed guard, half guard, and side control. These entries connect through the kimura-trap system, which links the finish to sweeps and back takes.
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