The Kimura

One of the first basic attacks that is taught in BJJ is the Kimura or entangled arm/shoulder lock (downward bent). It has also been referred to as a "Chicken Wing" or Figure Four/ Hammer Lock.

Without going into too much detail myself, I'd like to hear how most of you were first taught the technique and what kind of success you have had with it. It is currently a major focus in my no-gi game and applies it self to nearly every upper body attack from the straight armbar to the RNC.

This version of the Kimura was one of the first successful submissions I was ever able to use in a grappling match -

http://bjj.org/techniques/bjjfighter/gi/guard/kimura/

Great technique to use from the guard, where I often end up.

Yes, that's a GREAT technique
I tend to rely on the very same one because i only weigh about 140 and everyone else in the class is like 100 lb. heavier. The only submissions I've ever pulled off (all 3) have been from the guard (1 reverse guillotine, 1 kimura and 1 armbar).
I've also found the kimura useful for when you're in the mount and you can't pass your opponents arms to get at their neck/head. Although, I tend to get upa'd off when I go for these...

I first learned the Kimura from the bottom position of gaurd. Very similar to MattJ's link with a few differences (unless it is not shown in the pictures). Obviously twisting thw wrist like a motocycle for added pressure, and we swing our body out almost to a 90degree angle to the top guy, and open gaurd. For some reason, I guess just lack of training it, I never even think about going for one in the top position of mount.

I really can't add much for how it was taught. How successful have I been with it ... honestly ... not so well. For the times it did work it was because I was fresh and could over power them. Later I find when I go for it and I'm all sweaty and it is hard to hold on to somebody's wrist or gi to do so. Or they will fight to get out of it and I have to abandon it as they are now trying other techniques on me. Plus if I put too much into it and can't get it I tire myself out.

What I'm working on is abandoning techniques sooner and trying something else. Due to stubbornness this doesn't always happen but something that is important for me to keep at. If I can't get them with this I try something else. Can't get that then move on to something else. And so on. Then if I want to come back to something I can or I can set them up with them thinking I'm going to do something and I don't. Plus if they are busy they will also get tired.

I guess this is really off topic but I just thought I'd throw it in there. I think that everybody needs to add this to their game which I thinks is as important if not the most important part of the game.

I would also like to add that this looks extremely similar to a technique learned when in the top position. Putting your full weight on their arm, let's say left arm, your left arm grabs their wrist and your right arm comes underneath and grabs your left wrist. Then you pull and "paint" the floor with their hand. I hope I explained that right, trying to do it in my head. We call it a "Tree-Up" and if reversed a "Tree-Down". The Tree-Up is probably one of my favorite techniques especially when your opponent is tired. I have tapped numerous of people with this who are equal or less then my skill level. A bit harder on more skilled opponents who are familiar with it. Surprisingly I have found some people of higher levels forget this.

I thought I'd throw this in as well.

Thanks for the replies guys.

For a more focused look at this particular attack, I'll specify that the "Kimura" is the BJJ name for the downward bent figure four arm lock as opposed to the uppward bent shoulderlock that is referred to in BJJ as the "Americana" or the "Paint Brush".

Since it is mostl commonly taught first from the Guard, we'll start there.

There are certain details that are very important, over and above the the hand positioning, to the successful application of a Kimura.

#1. Move your hips.

#2. Move your hips some more.

#3. When in doubt, the answer is probably in moving your hips even more.



If this confuses you, good. That's where all of your big game improvements start.

Look at the picture posted in the above link....

Everything looks correct, right? Guard position. Grabbing the wrist, sitting up and putting your other arm over the opponent's shoulder, figure four grip on your own wrist, sit back and crank the shoulder up behind his back, right?......What's missing? Hip movement.

Although the pictures detail how the Kimura is commonly practiced, they also indicate why the Kimure so commonly fails against someone with any knowledge of the move. Plainly stated, the move seems to go out the window against anyone with more than 2-3 months on the mat.

You have no leverage advantage when you are paralel and flat on your back. It is all muscle. How do you get leverage? Move your hips out on the side of the lock, way out, and get turned on your side (all the way, just like when you are practicing the shrimp drill). When your hips are no longer underneath his, but under the actual lock itself, you will have tons of leverage. Get closer to perpendicular and things will be a lot easier.

As far as finishing? Don't forget to keep your leg on his back or at the very least, on the back of his leg, to keep him from forward rolling and escaping. Just like the Omo Plata discussed in the other thread, the roll is the most common counter.

Hips, it makes sense. Everything you've mentioned is bang on for me. Next time hips it is. Hip Hip Hooray.

Fletch has it all covered.

As a piece of useless trivia, the name Kimura is used because this is the move the famous Japanese fighter Kimura beat Helio Gracie with.

Again, good technical posts by Fletch, et al! I was originally shown this from the mount along with it's kissing cousing the Americana.

I, like Dereck, have had problems doing it by forcing from a strength point of view..instead of angling the body to accomodate the lock. And like Dereck, was stuck on the idea of accomplishing one technique and not seeing how it opened up possibilites for other attacks as the opponent scrambled to release my hold. Also, I got swept a lot before I learned to put my weight down and not be so obvious about it when in mount.

Oh well, you guys are the bigger bad asses!

Training Tips
There are a few more training tips on there but I saw this and thought that it would be useful for this post.

Damn great thread! Glad I stopped in to check it out.
Sorry that I've been absent here lately folks, but the Holidays and family were taking my time. Don't meant to hijack the thread but between the Holidays, my dad's health and the fact that I got engaged on Christmas day has made it kind of hard to be here at times.

Anyway where were we...KIMURA!!!!

Gotta love the Kimura. Just got home from the gym where I had made it a FOCUS tonight. When I show this to guys, we start from the closed guard just as in the photo above. How I really like to work the Kimura is from there (closed guard), from half guard, and particularly from butterfly guard.

There are so MANY ways that you can end up in a Kimura and it really pays to investigate them thoroughly. That Kimura grip is just so strong that you can flip your opponent over with a reverse elevator (floating sweep) and continue it from the top position.

One of the great moves for sure.



-John

Hahaha, that's pretty cool - we were just over this in class a couple of classes ago. Well at least I thought it was a pretty funny coincidence.

Fletch is dead on. Hips play a crucial part in this technique. Finally, the skills picked up by the hula hoop contests I have painstakingly won are put to use!


John,

Congratulations! I wish you the best of luck. And I hope everything is alright with your dad.

Today was grappling day and my body still won't let me go to class so I stopped in after work and talked from about 5:00 to 6:30 with my Instructor. We discussed the Kimura and what we refer to as a "Tree-Up" or "Tree-Down" is the Kimura. His terminology he learned from his Korean Master and stands for the tree in the ground with the fingers being the branches. His Master (7th Dan) was of TKD/Hapkido so this maybe his own way of explaining it so that his students could understand it.

We discussed terminology and that this was a slight learning curve for my Instructor as he went to other grappling schools. Once the technique was shown a light would go on and he realized he knew it as another name. The same thing when he originally started training with Machado BB David Meyer but both soon realized they were speaking the same language. And as I'm finding in this forum is that I too lack the terminology but so much of this I do know but with good explanations and going it through my head I will to come to the same conclusions.

Hey John. Best wishes for your father and congrats on the engagement!

I just tried something different these last two weeks that seemed to sharpen the learning curve for the new people learning the Kimura. I introduced it from (believe it or not) stand up clinch. From standup, to apply the Kimura you must get your hand position and then quickly "turn the corner", circling out and away from your opponent. Otherwise you get bodylocked and suplexed. Nothing illustrates this more dramatically than Sakuraba throwing it on Renzo Gracie and breaking his arm in Pride FC.

Turning the corner standing up accomplishes the same thing as moving your hips and getting on your side on the ground, only it's harder because you can't control your opponent's hips with your Guard. Once I showed this to my new guys, even the those with little hip movement understood the importance of getting their hips out side.

Give it a try.

Kimura from stand up? Wow...and yeah I saw that Sakuraba fight...ooh! That elbow.

Now, like I said, I was shown Kimura and Americana while moving in mount and then sliding, or if put there by a bump, to go into side control while maintainig pressure on my opponent and still conrolling his arm.

Now for you instructors, do you teach this automatically from side control or moving to escape half-guard? I am talking about how you show someone for the first time. Just curious. Thanks.

-B

Personally, I do not show the Kimura (downward bent) from the Mount position. I feel that it compromises your balance. I think that the cross side/ side mount/ yoko shiho gatame is a much more practical & effective position to attack from. In certain instances, the top of Half Guard but then only if I have adequate leverage and am far enough out to the side.

The Americana (upward bent) likewise but to a lesser degree. I do show the Americana from the Mount but at the intermediate level, it is usually a bait move to get the other arm.

I got it out of a book on BJJ.