Luke Griffith: Arm Trapping from Back Control

IBJJF no-gi world champion Luke Griffith (@luke_griffithjj) shows his favorite way to trap the arms from the back: threaten the strangle and the arm trap together, win the cross grip, and finish the strangle. From his video: https://youtu.be/TkN6tB_N0Sg

Flow outline

  1. Fall To Underhook Side

    • Take the back and fall to the underhook side for arm trapping purposes.
    • From IBJJF no-gi world champion Luke Griffith (@luke_griffithjj), in his first technique video on YouTube, "My Favorite way to isolate arms from the back!"
    • Position: fall to the underhook side, not the overhook side
    • Reason: weak side versus strong side, this is where you want to be for arm trapping
    • Hooks: body triangle not required, two hooks or foot-to-foot triangle also work

  2. Threaten Strangle And Arm Trap

    • Threaten the strangle and the arm trap at the same time so the training partner has more than one thing to think about.
    • Timing: keep the training partner thinking about more than one thing at a time
    • Reaction: if he only worries about the arm trap, he can hand fight easily
    • Reaction: if he only worries about the strangle, he can defend easily
    • Avoid Just throwing the hand to trap the arm. It can work on people who don't know what they're doing, but not against high-level people.

  3. Swim To Inside Wrist

    • When the training partner's hands come up to defend the strangle, hold on tight and then swim the hand to the inside of his wrist.
    • Timing: hold on as tight as you can for as long as you can
    • Entry: when he starts to win that battle, swim the hand to the inside of his wrist
    • Grip: make a pass off to the bottom hand

  4. One Versus One Grip

    • The pass off creates a one versus one situation on the wrist.
    • Checkpoint: previously two versus one because the other hand was underneath
    • Checkpoint: now it is a one versus one

  5. Take Hand Down For Cross Grip

    • As the training partner starts to win the grip battle, take his hand further down than he wanted and get the cross grip.
    • Timing: as you feel you are starting to lose that battle
    • Grip: take his hand further than he wanted to go down and get the grip you wanted all along

  6. Threaten Neck With Cross Grip

    • With the cross grip, threaten the neck again so the training partner has to choose between defending the strangle and stripping the grip.
    • Reaction: he knows he is in danger of an arm trap because of the cross grip
    • Reaction: he has to decide whether to defend the strangle or strip the grip
    • Finish: if he goes to strip the grip, start strangling straight away

  7. Slide Knee Above Elbow

    • Instead of coming up high with the leg, slide the knee up above the training partner's elbow and stand on your own foot.
    • Mistake: flailing the leg out lets him lift his elbow up high and everything is gone
    • Leg Path: slide the knee up above the training partner's elbow
    • Weight: stand on your own foot
    • Pressure: the knee wedges him in place so raising the elbow is much harder

  8. Flick Heel Over Forearm

    • Lead with the heel and flick it over the training partner's forearm to start trapping the arm.
    • Entry: lead with the heel first
    • Leg Path: flick the heel over the training partner's forearm

  9. Thread Toes Long Legs

    • With long legs, maintain the wrist grip, thread the toes through, and cross the feet before letting go.
    • Grip: maintain the grip on the wrist while threading the toes through
    • Checkpoint: cross the feet while still maintaining the grip so he cannot find a way out when you let go

  10. Quick Cross Short Legs

    • If you are not long enough or the training partner is thicker in the midsection, release the wrist and immediately cross the legs over.
    • Reaction: sometimes you are just not long enough or the guy is thicker in the midsection
    • Timing: release the wrist and immediately cross the legs over
    • Checkpoint: keep a strong back heel

  11. Lock Feet Bottom Over Top

    • Lock the feet bottom over top so the training partner cannot pummel the hand back inside.
    • Checkpoint: always lock your feet bottom over top
    • Mistake: locking top over bottom lets him pummel that hand back inside
    • Reaction: when he goes to pummel the hand back inside, it is not going to happen

  12. Trap Other Hand

    • Come back and trap the other hand, turning the one versus one into a one versus none situation.
    • Checkpoint: before it was one versus one, now it is one versus none
    • Reaction: it is really hard for the training partner to stop

  13. Strangle Behind Ear

    • Start behind the training partner's ear, wedge the arm or hand underneath, and get it nice and tight.
    • Entry: start behind the training partner's ear
    • Pressure: wedge the arm or hand underneath and get it nice and tight
    • Finish: because you are deep under the chin, a small retraction of the elbow gets a great finish

  14. Build Up To Elbow

    • If you cannot get under the chin and need both arms, go over the top and build up to your elbow to free the hand without losing head position.
    • Reaction: if you cannot get under the chin and need both arms to finish, go over the top
    • Mistake: pulling the arm away to free the hand lets his shoulders go to the mat and you lose the position
    • Entry: build up to your elbow and open the elbow up to pull yourself up into good position

  15. Punch In Second Hand

    • Pummel the hand out while keeping the head in good position, then punch in the second hand for a great strangle with the fully locked figure four.
    • Checkpoint: pummel the hand out but keep your head in good position
    • Reaction: when he goes to get his shoulders to the floor, it is not possible
    • Finish: punch in the second hand and get a great strangle with the fully locked figure four

Branch conditions