If you are looking to find out everything there is about an amazing grappling submission hold called Kimura that is often used in MMA/UFC, then you have come to the right place.
Kimura is a double joint arm lock and a highly successful and effective submission method.
Keep reading more to find out how does a Kimura work, how do you make a Kimura guard, can A Kimura lock crake arm, how do you get out of it, as well as how to do it standing and while in side control.
What is Kimura?
Helio Gracie, an iconic founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, had his outstanding track record tainted on 23rd October 1951. The famous 13 minutes match ended abruptly when his opponent, Masahiko Kimura, pulled his winning move: an arm lock.
Named after its champion, the Kimura lock has ever since been used in mixed martial arts. Its effectiveness has been recorded at various Ultimate Fighting Championships.
A Kimura is a double joint arm lock. It is a technique used in mixed martial arts. Kimura wristlock is a highly successful and effective submission method.
How Does a Kimura Work?
The Kimura works through isolation of the elbow and shoulder joints. It is done by grabbing your attacker under a double wristlock.
This position enables you to crank behind your opponent’s back. Such a hold puts a tremendous amount of stress on your opponent. It exerts painful pressure on your opponent’s shoulder making it difficult to escape.
How Do You Make A Kimura Guard?
Kimura can be performed in various positions. The most common performance is done by fighters trapped in a full guard. To make a Kimura Guard, you first need to take your opponent in the closed guard. You will need to break your contender’s posture. Use your legs to pull them towards you as your hands push their arms outside.
Take a hold of their right wrist using your left hand. Now you need to unlock your feet and sit up. Your sitting posture should lean towards the arm. Wrap your arm around your opponent’s arm using your right arm and grab your wrist.
To crown the submission, lie back on the floor. Turn your contender as you scoot off their hips.
Can A Kimura Lock Brake Arm?
A Kimura lock can brake an arm. If an opponent is submitted under the Kimura lock for long, they can suffer a broken arm or a dislocated shoulder. A tapping motion indicates that too much pressure is being experienced on the shoulders by either party.
The Kimura lock achieves its effectiveness from the high level of intensity. It is a heavy hitter that poses a risk to any fighter. From the position of the lock, the shoulders, arms, and neck are under extreme pressure. Your shoulders are rendered immobile and you experience a large amount of tension on your ligaments.
If a fighter is submitted to the arm lock control for a long time, they are exposed to a high risk of a broken arm.
How Do You Get Out of A Kimura Lock?
Defending oneself and getting out of a Kimura lock can be a painstaking process. It is especially difficult when you are on the bottom side, beneath your opponent. The four grips employed in the Kimura lock exert tremendous control. To get out of this submission safely guarded by your opponent requires some muscles and technique.
You can check it out below in a video.
If you want to avoid injuries, you need to tap out of the Kimura lock fast enough. Delay makes you susceptible to experiencing injuries on your muscles. When faced with the Kimura lock, tapping out early grants you an opportunity to escape.
How Do You Do Standing Kimura Lock?
The standing Kimura, also known as the chicken wing or the figure 4 lock is highly effective. To achieve it, you need to figure-form your arms and put your opponent’s arm behind his back. Then lift your contender’s elbow towards his head.
Should your opponent take you from your back, you need to stabilize by basing out to keep your balance. You will acquire some stability ensuring you don’t get down easily. While doing this, check out his arms to identify the best target. Put both thumbs inside his grip and exert pressure on his arms to break it downward.
Grab the wrist with your thumb. Wrap the arm and grab your wrist, taking your thumb out. Without your thumb on the grip, turn-in and lift his elbow. Lifting your opponent’s elbow high up as you turn him continuously several times does the trick. You can finish the lock standing or take your opponent to the ground. You have submitted your opponent under a Standing Kimura Armlock.
How Do You Do Kimura Side Control?
To get you a perfect Kimura from side control, let one arm be used for pushing while the other for pulling. Have the pushing hand on your opponent’s wrist. This is meant to ensure his wrist is not moving. Use your other hand to lock and exert a pulling force.
Exerting extreme pressure to immobilize the arm and finishing with a pull is the most effective lock. It ensures there’s not much room for the mobility of the shoulders. Having your opponent lay on their back allows his body to rest and reduces the desired tension. Working from the shoulder line, instead of the chest line, offers you an upper hand in achieving submission.
Place your hip on your opponent’s shoulder and let your head lean toward his other side. Wrap your pulling arm around his other arm. Your hip puts extreme pressure on your opponent’s shoulder. The alternate elbow experience even greater amounts of tension.
Use your free leg to move around towards your opponent’s head. As you move, his head starts to get trapped. With your other hip still exerting pressure on your contender’s shoulder, sweep your elbow to grab your wrist. Now you can pull a Perfect Kimura lock from side control.
After immobilizing your opponent’s hand, move your head away, push both of your legs, and pull with your elbow. The significant pressure exerted on your opponent submits them to your Kimura from side control.
Conclusion
For all the participants and followers of Mixed Martial Arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Kimura double joint arm lock is an art and science. Its use has fostered record-breaking victories. The different positions at which the Kimura lock can be achieved have various techniques and each renders tremendous results. Like a tool in the hands of an expert, the right practice of the Kimura lock does more than getting the job done. It works wonders.
