Best way to break the kimura grip?

mcgoatp4p#1

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...besides not getting it locked up in the first place? All I can think of is to try and peel off the hands
 
I like to get my knee in there. So if my right arm is in the kimura grip, my right knee would wedge in there to try and strip the grip.

It's one of the hardest grips to break definitely. Especially if they're keeping that torque/internal rotation on your shoulder. I mean the grip is fucking hard to break even without that. But with that rotation, a good kimura grip is damn near impossible to strip if they know what they're doing.

There's also a way to flip it and get a kimura grip on them by sort of getting your elbow down. It's really hard for me to type, but it's one of the reasons Vagner Rocha calls it the 50/50 of the arms, because the kimura actually is kind of a 50/50 arm position in theory. In practice the person with the grip is super ahead of the game, but you can flip the position to get them in the kimura grip if you're a kimura wizard.
 
I like to get my knee in there. So if my right arm is in the kimura grip, my right knee would wedge in there to try and strip the grip.

It's one of the hardest grips to break definitely. Especially if they're keeping that torque/internal rotation on your shoulder. I mean the grip is fucking hard to break even without that. But with that rotation, a good kimura grip is damn near impossible to strip if they know what they're doing.

There's also a way to flip it and get a kimura grip on them by sort of getting your elbow down. It's really hard for me to type, but it's one of the reasons Vagner Rocha calls it the 50/50 of the arms, because the kimura actually is kind of a 50/50 arm position in theory. In practice the person with the grip is super ahead of the game, but you can flip the position to get them in the kimura grip if you're a kimura wizard.

The 50/50 theory is an interesting one - I've never heard it described that way before.

In practice though, I agree. It's not like a 50/50 leg position where it is truly 50/50 - the person with the grip is ahead. Even still, similar to the 50/50 leg position, the person with a deeper knowledge or even just a better "feel"/greater familiarity can reverse the position (i.e. positional equality can be exploited with greater knowledge/familiarity).

For example, I go for rolling kimuras all the time so anytime someone tries one on me I have a good chance of reversing their kimura and taking their back. At the very least I can usually kill the technique and initiate a scramble.

Furthermore, anytime someone tries a kimura on me from bottom I can usually threaten them with their own kimura and use it to secure better position.

With that said I have a partner who is really good at getting out of mine. He will typically turn towards me and straighten out his arm to beast out of it.
 
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For blocking it, it seems some kind of hand sandwich is the first step. Like if I'm in his guard and he gets the Kimora on my left arm I will step up on my left foot and get my hand under my left knee and trap it in there. I will then press on left armpit with my right hand and try to wiggle my arm out.

If I'm underneath in side mount I'll walk my legs towards the trapped arm and also get hand under my knee.

If in half gaurd I'll try to hook and lift them with my leg to take the back or get full gaurd.
 
Don’t you straighten the arm (in doing so prying apart their grip) or is that just the amerikana?
 
There's a video with Keenan narrating a roll with Marcelo where he talks about Marcelo using his knee on the elbow to break the kimura grip. I use this a lot and it's extremely effective.
 
There's a video with Keenan narrating a roll with Marcelo where he talks about Marcelo using his knee on the elbow to break the kimura grip. I use this a lot and it's extremely effective.


Para exemple:

 
No joke, flex your index knuckle as sharply as you can, and drive it in between their individual ribs on the side of their body in a screwdrive-like motion.
I will also do this with my CHIN when my hand is not available.

Also, if they are attacking it from the bottom of guard or 1/2 guard, rotate your hand so that your PALM is facing them (they need the back of your hand/wrist to be facing them) and rotate your hand down and towards your ribs; you can sometimes REVERSE the Figure Four in this way and snag your own Kimura grip.

And yeah, turning your palm towards them will change the angle of your elbow and shoulder, just like turning your pinkie up does in an armbar, thus at least buying you some time, or giving you the small window of space needed to escape.
 
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