Kimura BJJ

What Is the Kimura?

The kimura is a shoulder lock submission that rotates the opponent's arm behind their back using a figure-four grip. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu it belongs to the family of joint locks (travamento de articulacao) and specifically targets the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint through forced internal rotation. The same technique is called ude-garami (entangled arm lock) in judo and the double wristlock in catch wrestling.

The submission takes its common name from Masahiko Kimura, the Japanese judoka who used this technique to defeat Helio Gracie in a 1951 challenge match in Rio de Janeiro. The Gracie family began calling it "the kimura" as a mark of respect for the finishing technique. Today it is one of the most widely taught submissions across all grappling arts and is distinct from the americana (ude-garami applied with external rotation), which pushes the arm in the opposite direction.

Beyond its value as a finishing submission, the kimura grip functions as a control system. Many practitioners use it to manage the opponent's posture, set up sweeps, and chain into back takes or armbars, making it as important positionally as it is as a submission threat.

Setup and Prerequisites

The kimura can be entered from several starting positions, but the closed guard is the standard entry point for beginners because it keeps the opponent close and limits their ability to posture. The key prerequisite before attempting any kimura entry is isolation of one of the opponent's arms.

Common situations that create the kimura entry include:

• The opponent posts a hand flat on the mat to base while you are in closed guard.
• The opponent reaches across to grip your hip or lapel with one arm, leaving it exposed.
• The opponent extends an arm while passing or during transitions through submission chains.
• You are in top side control and the opponent leaves their far arm exposed above their head.

Regardless of the position, the fundamental prerequisite is the same: you need to secure the opponent's wrist before building the rest of the grip. Wrist control is the foundation; the figure-four is simply the structure you build on top of it.

Step-by-Step Execution (From Closed Guard)

1. Secure the wrist. From closed guard, use your opposite hand (cross-side grip) to grab your opponent's wrist. A firm C-grip, with your thumb beneath and fingers on top, gives you the strongest hold. This is the single most critical step; everything that follows depends on maintaining this control.
2. Hip out and open your guard. Open your closed guard and shift your hips laterally toward the side of the trapped arm. This diagonal angle creates the space you need to sit up without your own legs blocking you, and it positions you to reach over the opponent's arm.
3. Sit up and build the figure-four grip. Sit up explosively at the angle you have created. Reach your free arm over the top of the opponent's trapped arm and grip your own wrist. Your forearm should sit behind and above the opponent's elbow. This joined position, where both your arms encircle theirs in a loop, is the kimura grip (or figura quatro, figure-four).
4. Fall back and pin the elbow. Fall back toward the mat, pulling the opponent's elbow firmly against your lower ribs. Keeping the elbow tightly pinned to your torso is what prevents the opponent from straightening their arm to escape the lock.
5. Rotate the arm and finish. With the elbow secured against your body, rotate the opponent's hand in a circular arc backward and upward, behind their back. The motion is sometimes described as "painting a wall" behind you. This applies progressive rotational load to the shoulder joint. Apply the pressure gradually and release the moment your training partner taps.

Common Mistakes

• Losing the wrist before sitting up. If you release or loosen your wrist grip while transitioning to the sit-up, the opponent will retract their arm before you can form the figure-four. Grip the wrist first and maintain it throughout.
• Sitting up too straight. Sitting up perpendicular to the opponent rather than at the diagonal angle created by hipping out makes it difficult to reach over their arm. Always hip out to create the angle before committing to the sit-up.
• Not pinning the elbow to the body. If the opponent's elbow drifts away from your ribs, they can straighten their arm and pull it free. The elbow pin is what creates the lever; without it the rotation has no mechanical effect on the shoulder.
• Applying the rotation too quickly. Cranking the submission at speed is both dangerous for your training partner and mechanically less effective. A controlled, progressive rotation is harder to escape than a fast one and significantly reduces injury risk.
• Letting the opponent grip their own body. If the opponent manages to grip their own belt, shorts, or thigh with the trapped hand before you complete the figure-four, the submission is largely neutralised. Close the figure-four quickly once the sit-up is done.
• Neglecting the guard or position. If you abandon your guard without establishing strong positional control first, the opponent can post and pass while you are mid-attack. Keep your legs active or secure a strong top position before committing to the finish.

Variations and Follow-Ups

The kimura grip is best understood as a versatile control system. If the direct submission is blocked, the grip provides several high-percentage follow-up options.

Kimura from Half Guard

When you have an underhook from bottom half guard, the kimura can be attacked on the opponent's far arm by switching your grip to a figure-four. The half guard kimura often leads directly to a sweep because your body weight is already angled to come on top as you rotate the arm.

Kimura to Back Take

This is one of the most reliable transitions in BJJ. When the opponent defends the kimura by gripping their own belt or shorts, use the kimura grip to pull them forward as you roll underneath them, arriving at their back. The defender's own defensive grip assists your back take by keeping their arm trapped.

Kimura to Armbar

If the opponent straightens their arm to escape the rotational pressure, the arm is now exposed for a standard armbar. Release your own wrist, keep the arm controlled, and adjust your leg position for the armbar finish. The transition is fast because the opponent's defence creates the opening.

Kimura from Side Control (Top)

From top side control, you can isolate the opponent's near arm by blocking their elbow and sliding your arms under and over to form the figure-four. Stepping over their head into north-south position increases body weight on the submission and makes the finish more powerful.

Kimura from North-South

North-south is often considered the strongest position for the kimura finish from top. Your chest is over the opponent's chest, your weight is distributed across them, and the shoulder rotation is driven by your full body turning rather than just your arms. The kimura from north-south is a common submission at all levels of competition.

Competition Context

Under IBJJF rules, the kimura is legal at all belt levels and in both gi and no-gi formats. A successful submission earns an immediate victory. If a kimura attack from guard includes a completed sweep, the sweep scores 2 points under IBJJF scoring even if the submission is not finished. The IBJJF classifies the kimura as a shoulder lock (chave de ombro), which distinguishes it from spine locks and neck cranks that carry belt-level restrictions.

Under ADCC submission wrestling rules, the kimura is fully legal. ADCC competition is no-gi, and the kimura is a staple of elite grappling at that level, appearing frequently in the matches of world-class competitors. A successful kimura results in immediate submission victory regardless of the point score.

In MMA, the kimura is one of the most common submission finishes at all levels, from amateur shows through to the UFC. The absence of a gi makes the grip easier to secure, and the need for the opponent to protect against strikes can expose the arm for a kimura entry.

Drilling Suggestions

Begin every kimura drilling session with slow technical repetitions, 10 per side, with a completely passive training partner. Your focus should be on the sequence: wrist grip, hip out, sit-up angle, figure-four formation, elbow pin, and only then the rotation. Rushing to the finish before each of the preceding steps is correct will embed sloppy habits.

Once the mechanics are clean, progress to light resistance drilling at 30 to 50 percent effort from the training partner. The partner's job is to make the attack somewhat realistic without actively escaping at full speed. This builds the muscle memory for adjusting grip position when the opponent is not perfectly still.

For positional sparring, start in closed guard with one partner assigned to attack the kimura for three minutes while the other defends and tries to escape or pass. Then swap roles. This format builds both the attack chain and the defensive awareness needed to recognise and neutralise the wrist grip before it becomes a full kimura.

Drill the transitions as well, not just the finish. Practise the kimura-to-back-take and the kimura-to-armbar as separate units so that your responses to a defended kimura become automatic in live rolling.

Frequently Asked Questions