Jiu-Jitsu’s arsenal of submissions is deep, diverse, and ever-growing. Still, a few moves are so recognizable that they’ve become a trademark for the style, and one of those is the almighty armbar. You’ve certainly seen it, but do you know what it is?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The armbar is a straight armlock that attacks the elbow joint, eliciting a tap or dislocation. The armbar is widely used in BJJ, judo, and MMA and is a very versatile move with many possible entries, setups, and finishes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a tremendous amount of information about the armbar, offensively and defensively, so we will only touch on the main attack positions, which are mount and bottom half guard, and some common defenses for both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The armbar is a straight armlock attacking the elbow, which leads to a submission or a gruesome joint dislocation. The armbar has been one of the fundamental BJJ submissions since day one, and Carlos Gracie Sr. has had much success. Like most other moves, it came from judo, where it’s called juji-gatame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to being a very effective submission<\/a> hold, the armbar is a powerful controlling tool, just like in judo, where it’s often used to pin the opponent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>What Is An Armbar?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n