Kimura Trap in BJJ: Brazilian jiu-jitsu may be improved in a variety of ways. Every grappler has various skills and varied strengths and limitations. Although there is no set technique to get better, the typical approach is first mastering how to play the guard and get out of awkward situations. Due to the knowledge that they may escape being pinned if their offence ever falls flat, grapplers are able to gain confidence.
Building your assaults is next. A grappler should thus learn their preferred guard pass and submissions. The next step for a grappler is to set traps after determining their preferred places. Setting traps and chaining strikes are abilities that are normally seen in experienced blue belts and higher. This implies that it is a necessary talent that all grapplers who are progressing should possess. The kimura trap is a tactic that will improve your offence, and it will be covered in this article.
The Kimura
The kimura is a flexible submission that may be used from a standing or prone position. It is also referred to in Judo as the double wristlock, chicken wing, and gyaku ude-garami. It is a figure-four joint lock that separates the shoulder and elbow joints using a wrist-to-wrist grasp, allowing the attacker to apply tremendous pressure on the shoulder joint.
In the sport of grappling, it is renowned for being the tactic Masahiko Kimura employed to defeat Helio Gracie in their illustrious bout on October 23, 1951. The contest was among the most significant in grappling history, and it still is. Since then, the move has been referred to as the kimura in honour of the legendary Japanese martial artist.
The Kimura Trap in BJJ: What Is It?
You may restrict your opponent’s replies by holding them in a specific posture by using the kimura trap. Maintaining the figure-four grip makes it simpler for the attacker to apply submissions or transition to a more dominating position since it compels the adversary to react reliably.
One of the strongest traps in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the kimura trap. It’s a move that transforms a submission into an incredibly adaptable controlling posture. You may utilise it to apply and transition to other submissions as well as to change to other dominating positions, including the back. By enabling you to use takedowns, reversals, sweeps, and guard passes in essentially every position—from standing, the ground, the bottom, the top, or when defending and attacking—it provides the attacker considerable influence over the opponent.
Anytime the opponent opens their elbow, you may take a kimura hold. As a result, their elbow is not permanently attached to their body. The greatest first strategy for controlling the opponent’s wrist is to grab it with your thumb. Use a monkey grip (a grip without your thumb) to grasp your wrist. When the kimura is secured in, the monkey grip is stable and offers additional strength.
If the opponent doesn’t fight back against the kimura hold, you can submit them with the kimura move alone. The majority of the time, the adversary will attempt to stop you by blocking the motion of their arm behind their back. The kimura trap is used in this situation. To ensure that you have complete control, you must position the opponent’s wrist over their elbow and break their posture by keeping their shoulder down. Since you are in possession of their arm, it is doubtful that they will manage to escape unless they drop their elbow between your arms.
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Entry From The Position At The Bottom
From the bottom half guard, you may execute the kimura by bringing the adversary onto you while driving your hips underneath them. This shifts their weight to your hips, which makes it simpler for you to quickly acquire a sweep if necessary. With your inside leg, press the opponent forward while using the other to push off the mat. If the opponent turns away, you can seize their back by sliding your knee between their elbow and knee.
To properly push them over, consider squeezing their wrist into their tummy. If your opponent is larger or heavier than you, you can shoot your hips below them and utilise your outer leg’s butterfly hook to lift and sweep them up.
You can let go of your guard and whirl through their back if they are seated far back making it tough for you to sweep them. A common defence against the kimura trap is to push the opponent’s wrist to their abdomen to knock them down and prevent their shoulder from hunching up.
Entry From The Top
From the top half guard, the kimura may be entered frequently. Switch to reverse kesa gatame and lock the kimura grip if the opponent possesses a shallow underhook. Roll directly to the kimura trap by rolling over your shoulder. Maintain the kimura hold and move your legs out if the opponent catches your leg as you roll over since they are unable to successfully resist from this posture.
By employing the kimura grip while your opponent grabs your leg, you may also use the single leg counterattack known as the kimura trap. To get your hips closer and below the adversary, hop your other leg close to their torso. As you fall back, hoist them up by using your trapped leg as a butterfly hook.
Kimura Trap Submissions
If the opponent moves either in your direction or away from you, you can try a variety of submissions from the kimura trap. Any size may benefit greatly from the kimura trap since a strong kimura grasp is hard to break. If your opponent retreats, you can profit by using the submissions listed below.
Keep the kimura hold and wrap your leg over their opposite shoulder to perform a triangle. To alter your angle, bend your knee to the other side. To keep your opponent from fleeing, lock your legs and tuck them behind them. You may tighten the triangle by shrimping your glute out and using your calf to press against the opponent’s carotid artery.
The dependable armbar is another move you may make from this position. By using your second leg to hook on top of your opponent’s opposite shoulder to their inner elbow, you may maintain the kimura hold. This facilitates your angle. Move your leg from trapping its shoulder up over their face after establishing the angle to complete the armbar. Another way to get into an armbar is to sweep your knee over your face while using your forearm to shove your head.
The kimura is a great way to submit when the opponent turns to face you. Put your knees on the mat and extend both of your legs above their heads. It can be difficult to break the opponent’s defensive grips when using the kimura, which is a common issue. To make it harder for the opponent to re-grip, put your emphasis on getting your elbow on the ground and your hand behind your back. To acquire a wider range of motion, tilt your hips in the direction of your head while lifting up your arm.
Conclusion
The kimura trap in BJJ is a powerful tactic that will enable you to strike with great flexibility. Incorporating the move into your repertoire will undoubtedly work well in your favour if you are struggling against wrestlers or top-heavy opponents. If you are unfamiliar with the kimura trap, remember to train the technique gently.
So this is the way to use The Kimura trap in BJJ. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
