Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:46:33 +0100

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Two practitioners in the half guard position.
Also known as	Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, BJJ, and Jiu-Jitsu (when spelled differently from the original Japanese "jujutsu")
Focus	Grappling
Country of origin	Brazil
Creator	Gracie family
Parenthood	early 20th century Kodokan Judo^[1]
Famous practitioners	Gracie family, Fredson Paixao, Machado brothers, Robert Drysdale,Saulo Ribeiro, Royce Gracie, Fabio Gurgel, Alexandre Dantas, Demian Maia, Eddie Bravo, Pedro Sauer, Eduardo de Lima, Ricardo de la Riva Goded, Marcio Gomes, Marcelo Garcia, Gabriel Gonzaga, B.J. Penn, Yuki Nakai, Shinya Aoki
Olympic sport	No

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. It is a derivative of early 20th century Kodokan Judo,^[2]^[1] which was itself then a recently-developed system (founded in 1882), based on multiple schools (or Ryu) of Japanese jujutsu.

It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant using leverage and proper technique; most notably, by applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat them. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition.^[3] Sparring (commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.

History

Origin

The art began with Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma, or Count Coma in English), an expert Japanese judoka and member of the Kodokan. Maeda was one of five of the Kodokan's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro sent overseas to spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries^[2] giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914.^[4]

Since its inception, judo was separated from jujutsu in its goals, philosophy, and training regime. Although there was great rivalry among jujutsu teachers, this was more than just Kano's ambition to clearly individualize his art. To Kano, judo wasn't solely a martial art: it was also a sport, a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people, and, ultimately, a way (Do) of life.^[5]^[6] To a very large extent, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has also encompassed these philosophies.

It is often claimed that BJJ is a development of traditional Japanese jujutsu, and that Maeda was a jujutsuka. However, Maeda never trained in jujutsu (although he did train in Kodokan Judo, which itself originated in part from Japanese jujutsu). He first trained in sumo as a teenager, and after the interest generated by stories about the success of judo at contests between judo and jujutsu that were occurring at the time, he changed from sumo to judo, becoming a student of Kano's Kodokan judo.^[2] He was promoted to 7th dan in Kodokan judo the day before he died in 1941.

Many people believe that Gracie holds a Judo rank of 6th dan including Masahiko Kimura [2]. However the Kodokan has no record that Hélio Gracie has held any dan grade in Judo.[3]

Name

When Maeda left Japan, Judo was still often referred to as "Kano Jiu-Jitsu",^[7] or, even more generically, simply as "Jiu-Jitsu."^[8]^[9]

Kigashi, the co-author of "Kano Jiu-Jitsu"^[7] wrote in the foreword

"Some confusion has arisen over the employment of the term 'jiudo'. To make the matter clear I will state that jiudo is the term selected by Professor Kano as describing his system more accurately than jiu-jitsu does. Professor Kano is one of the leading educators of Japan, and it is natural that he should cast about for the technical word that would most accurately describe his system. But the Japanese people generally still cling to the more popular nomenclature and call it jiu-jitsu."^[7]

Outside Japan, however, this distinction was noted even less. The distinction between a jutsu and a do is subtle, and is still used somewhat arbitrarily to this day. Thus, when Maeda and Satake arrived in Brazil in 1914, every newspaper announced "jiu-jitsu" despite both men being Kodokan Judoka.^[5]

The Japanese government itself did not officially mandate until 1925 that the correct name for the martial art taught in the Japanese public schools should be "judo" rather than "jujutsu".^[10] In Brazil, the art is still called "Jiu-Jitsu". When the Gracies went to the United States to spread their art, the system became known as "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" and "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu." "Jiu-jitsu" is an older romanization that was the original spelling of the art in the West, and it is still in common use, whereas the modern Hepburn romanization is "jūjutsu." Other common spellings are jujitsu and ju-jitsu.

The art is sometimes referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ), but this name is trademarked by Rorion Gracie and specifically refers to the style taught by him and his selected teachers. Other members of the Gracie family often call their style by personalized names, such as Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and similarly, the Machado brothers call their style Machado Jiu-Jitsu (MJJ). While each style and its instructors have their own unique aspects, they are all basic variations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Today there are three major branches of BJJ from Brazil: Gracie Humaita, Gracie Barra, and Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Each branch can trace its roots back to Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie family.

Development

Maeda met an influential businessman named Gastão Gracie who helped him get established. In 1916, his 14 year-old son Carlos Gracie watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Teatro da Paz (Theatre of Peace) and decided to learn the art. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student,^[2] and Carlos went on to become a great exponent of the art and ultimately, with his younger brother Hélio Gracie became the founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.^[11]

In 1921, Gastão Gracie and his family moved to Rio de Janeiro. Carlos, then 17 years old, passed Maeda's teachings on to his brothers Osvaldo, Gastão and Jorge. Hélio was too young and sick at that time to learn the art, and due to medical imposition was prohibited to take part in the training sessions. Despite that, Hélio learned from watching his brothers. He eventually overcame his health problems and is now considered by many as the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (though others, such as Carlson Gracie, have pointed to Carlos as the founder of the art).^[11]

Hélio competed in several submission judo competitions which mostly ended in a draw. One defeat (in Brazil in 1951) was by visiting Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura, whose surname the Gracies gave to the arm lock used to defeat Hélio.^[12] The Gracie family continued to develop the system throughout the 20th century, often fighting vale tudo matches (precursors to modern MMA), during which it increased its focus on ground fighting and refined its techniques.^[13]

Today, the main differences between the BJJ styles is between traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis on self-defense, and Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's orientation towards point competition. There is a large commonality of techniques between the two. Also, there is a wide variety of ideals in training in different schools in terms of the utilization of technique versus how much to attempt to overpower an opponent.

Prominence

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the time were single elimination martial arts tournaments.^[3] Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo, tae kwon do and wrestling. It has since become a staple art for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing widespread attention to the importance of ground fighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

Style of fighting

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes taking an opponent to the ground and utilising ground fighting techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and chokeholds also found in numerous other arts with or without ground fighting emphasis. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are somewhat negated when grappling on the ground.

BJJ permits a wide variety of techniques to take the fight to the ground after taking a grip. Once the opponent is on the ground, a number of maneuvers (and counter-maneuvers) are available to manipulate the opponent into a suitable position for the application of a submission technique. Achieving a dominant position on the ground is one of the hallmarks of the BJJ style, and includes effective use of the guard position to defend oneself from bottom, and passing the guard to dominate from top position with side control, mount, and back mount positions. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess when utilized by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate in the sport. However, it is possible for a combat situation to continue even after a proper submission is performed.

Renzo Gracie wrote in his book Mastering Jujitsu:

"The classical jujutsu of old Japan appeared to have no common strategy to guide a combatant over the course of a fight. Indeed, this was one of Kano's most fundamental and perceptive criticisms of the classical program." Maeda not only taught the art of judo to Carlos Gracie, but also taught a particular philosophy about the nature of combat developed by Kano, and further refined by Maeda based on his worldwide travels competing against fighters skilled in a wide variety of martial arts.^[14]

The book details Maeda's theory as arguing that physical combat could be broken down into distinct phases, such as the striking phase, the grappling phase, the ground phase, etc. Thus, it was a smart fighter's task to keep the fight located in the phase of combat that best suited to his own strengths. Renzo Gracie stated that this was a fundamental influence on the Gracie approach to combat, these strategies were further perfected over time by the Gracies and others, and became prominent in contemporary MMA.

Submission

The majority of submission holds can be grouped into two broad categories: joint locks and chokes. Joint locks typically involve isolating an opponent's limb and creating a lever with the body position which will force the joint to move past its normal range of motion.^[3] Pressure is increased in a controlled manner and released if the opponent cannot escape the hold and signals defeat by submitting. Opponents can indicate submission verbally or they can tap out (i.e. tap the opponent, the mat several times. Tapping one's own body is dangerous because the opponent may not be able to tell if his or her opponent is tapping.) A choke hold, disrupting the blood supply to the brain, can cause unconsciousness if the opponent does not submit soon enough.

A less common type of submission hold is a compression lock, where the muscle of an opponent is compressed against a hard, large bone (commonly the shin or wrist), causing significant pain to the opponent. These types of locks are not usually allowed in competition due to the high risk of tearing muscle tissue. This type of lock often also hyper-extends the joint in the opposite direction, pulling it apart.

Joint locks

While many joint locks are permitted, most competitions ban or restrict some or all joint locks involving the knees, ankles, and spine. The reason for this is that the angles of manipulation required to cause pain are nearly the same as those that would cause serious injury. Joint locks that require a twisting motion of the knee (called twisting knee locks or twisting knee bars, or techniques such as heel hooks, and toe holds) are usually banned in competitions because successfully completing the move nearly always results in permanent damage that requires surgery. Similarly, joint manipulations of the spine are typically barred due to the inherent danger of crushing or mis-aligning cervical vertebrae. Leglocks are allowed in varying degrees depending on skill level, with straight ankle locks being the only leglocks allowed in the beginner division, or white belt level, straight kneebars being allowed in the intermediate division, or blue belt level and toeholds with the pressure applied inwards are allowed in the advanced division (purple, brown, black).

However, most joint locks involving the wrist, elbow, shoulder or ankle are permitted as there is a great deal more flexibility in those joints and those locks are safe to use under tournament conditions. Also, some fighters practice moves whose sole purpose is to inflict pain upon their opponent, in the hope that they will tap out. This includes driving knuckles into pressure points, holding their opponent's head in order to tire out the neck (called the "can opener" or kubi-hishigi) and putting body weight on top of the sternum, floating ribs, or similarly sensitive bones. These moves are not true submission moves - they are generally only used as distractions mostly in lower levels of competition. They are avoided or aggressively countered in middle to upper levels of competition.

Chokes and strangles

Chokes and strangles (commonly but somewhat incorrectly referred to as "air chokes" and "blood chokes" respectively) are a common form of submission. Chokes involve constriction of the windpipe (causing asphyxia.) Strangles involve constriction of the carotid artery (causing ischemia.)^[15]

Air chokes are less efficient than strangles and may result in damage to the opponent's trachea, sometimes even resulting in death. By contrast, blood chokes (strangulations) cut the flow of blood to the opponent's brain, causing a rapid loss of consciousness without damaging any internal structures. Being "choked-out" in this way is relatively safe as long as the choke is released soon enough after unconsciousness, letting blood back into the brain before oxygen deprivation damage begins.^[16] However, it should not be practiced unsupervised.

The prevalence of the more dangerous "air" chokes has led to the banning of choke holds by some United States police departments.^{[citation needed]}

Training methods

Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's focus on submissions without the use of strikes while training allows practitioners to practice at full speed and with full power, resembling the effort used in a real competition. Training methods include technique drills in which techniques are practised against a non-resisting partner; isolation sparring, commonly referred to as positional drilling, where only a certain technique or sets of techniques are used against and full sparring in which each opponent tries to submit their opponent using any legal technique. Physical conditioning is also an important part of training at many clubs.

Grading

The standards for grading and belt promotions vary between schools, but the widely accepted measures of a person's skill and rank in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are:

The amount of technical knowledge they can demonstrate, and
Their performance in sparring and competition.

Technical knowledge is judged by the number of techniques a person can perform, and the level of skill with which he performs them in sparring and competition. This allows for smaller and older practitioners to be recognized for their knowledge though they may not be the strongest fighters in the school. It is a distinctly individual sport, and practitioners are encouraged to adapt the techniques to make them work for their body type, strategic preferences, and level of athleticism. The ultimate criterion is the ability to execute the techniques successfully, rather than strict stylistic compliance.

Competitions play an important role in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gradings, as they allow an instructor to compare the level of his students against those of the same rank from other schools. A belt promotion may be given after success in a competition, particularly at the lower belt levels. A promotion might also be awarded when a person can submit most people in his school of the same rank, e.g. a white belt who consistently submits most other white belts in sparring and is starting to catch blue belts.

The high level of competition between schools - and its importance for belt promotion - is also considered to be one of the key factors preventing instructors from lowering standards or allowing people to buy their way up the belts. Instructors may also take the personality of the person and their behavior outside of class into account, and may refuse to promote someone if they exhibit antisocial or destructive tendencies. It is by these and other criteria that most instructors promote their students. Some schools may also have formal testing which might include oral or written exams.

Some schools use a stripe system for each belt level, indicating progress through that belt.

Adult belt colors (16 and over)
White
Blue
Purple
Brown
Black
Red

Junior belt colors (15 and under)
White
Yellow
Orange
Green

Age categories^[17]
4-6	pré-mirim
7-9	mirim
10-12	infantil
13-15	infanto-juvenil
16-17	juvenil
18-29	adulto
30-35	master
36-40	sênior I
41-45	sênior II
46-50	sênior III
51-55	sênior IV
56+	sênior V

Some schools use slightly different belt systems, such as having more colored belts before blue belt, but the above are the only widely accepted ranks as they are the standards for tournaments. There are minimum age requirements for belt promotions. Blue belts are never awarded to anyone under the age of 16. For promotion to black belt the minimum age is 19 years old according to the main regulating body of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

Stripes may be awarded to any rank below black belt, but like the belts themselves, they tend to be given at the instructor's discretion, and may be in recognition of accomplishments like noticeable improvement or tournament victories. However, not all schools award stripes, or award them consistently, so the number of stripes a person has is not necessarily a good measure of their accomplishments or time in training. When they are used, it is standard for a student to receive four stripes before being promoted to the next rank.

Black belts can receive degrees, up to 9th degree, for as long as they train or teach the art. At 7^th degree, the black belt is replaced by an alternately red and black belt. At 9^th degree, the belt becomes solid red. Only the founding Gracie Brothers Helio, Carlos, and their brothers will ever have the 10^th degree belt, which is also solid red.^[18] The Gracie family members who are 9^th degrees belt holders are Carlson Gracie, Reylson Gracie, Relson Gracie, Reyson Gracie, and Rorion Gracie.

BJJ differs in some aspects from other martial arts in the criteria for grade promotion, which is almost exclusively based on practical expertise in randori (free sparring, or rolling) and championship results. It is expected, although not always the case, that any BJJ black belt is extremely proficient in every applied aspect of BJJ and also perform well in competition. Less emphasis is given to theoretical and background knowledge. Rarely is any formal test undertaken for the grading, which is based mainly in observation at every-day practice sessions. By contrast, in Judo, practical knowledge and expertise in shiai (competition) and/or randori alone would not normally give an athlete the black-belt grade, as knowledge of technique names and Kata demonstration are necessary (the exception is promotion by Batsugun.)

There is a vast difference in how often belt progression takes place, and the requirements for the progression.^{[citation needed]} More traditional schools and especially Gracie-affiliated schools believe that black belt cannot be achieved in under 8 to 10 years, while some schools allow students to achieve black belt more quickly.^{[citation needed]}

A blue belt will typically take 1-3 years to earn, depending on the amount of time the student puts in, and how quickly they learn. A purple belt can take 3-6 years to earn. Again, this depends largely on the individual student, and the frequency of training. A purple belt is generally accepted as being the lowest teaching grade.

Belt promotion

A custom amongst some clubs on promotion is running the gauntlet ("passar no corredor" in portuguese) which is said to have originated in Brazil. The student will endure one of the following gauntlets:

Is thrown by his instructors, and sometimes also by each of the students with equal or higher grade in the academy;

Is hit on their back with belts—once by each of their fellow practitioners—as they walk or run past.^[19]

Comparison with Judo

Originally having been developed from Judo, and while still recognizable as closely related and even as a style of Judo, there are some differences from modern Olympic Judo. For example BJJ encourages free sparring without striking (also known as "rolling"), against a live, resisting opponent very similar to Randori in judo, however the rules related to this sparring have key differences.

Divergence from Kodokan rules

Since judo was introduced to Brazil there have been changes in the rules of sport judo—some to enhance it as a spectator sport, and some for improved safety. Several of these rule changes have greatly de-emphasised the groundwork aspects of judo, and others have reduced the range of joint locks allowed and when they can be applied. Many of the banned techniques are preserved in the judo kata, and are practised to varying extents in different clubs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu did not follow many of these changes to judo rules, and this divergence^[20] has given it a distinct identity as a martial art, while still being recognizable as a sub-style of judo. Other factors that have contributed towards the stylistic divergence of BJJ from sport judo include the Gracies' desire to create a national martial art, the influence of Brazilian culture, and the Gracies' emphasis on full-contact fighting and self-defense.

BJJ permits all the techniques that judo allows to take the fight to the ground, these include judo's scoring throws as well as judo's non-scoring techniques that it refers to as 'skillful takedowns' (such as the flying armbar). BJJ also allows any and all takedowns from wrestling, sambo, or any other grappeling art. BJJ also differs from judo in that it also allows a competitor to drag his opponent to the ground, and also even to drop to the ground himself provided he has first taken a grip.^[21] Early Kodokan judo not only allowed all that BJJ now allows, it even allowed a fighter to drop straight to the ground without first taking a grip.

BJJ's different rules set and point scoring mechanisms are designed to give BJJ an arguably more practical emphasis, by rewarding positions of control from which the grappler could strike their opponent (if it weren't for the sport's restrictions against striking).

Ground fighting

BJJ is most strongly differentiated by its greater emphasis on groundwork, in contrast with judo's greater emphasis on throws, due to both its radically different point-scoring system, and the absence of most of the judo rules that cause the competitors to have to recommence in a standing position. This has led to greater time dedicated to training on the ground, resulting in enhancement of judo's groundwork techniques by BJJ practitioners.

There are also many techniques that are allegedly created by BJJ, though they already existed in Kodokan judo. This misconception is often the result of incorrect assumptions by BJJ practitioners who simply assume that the techniques they learned in BJJ classes originated there. It is also due in some instances to BJJ practitioners genuinely rediscovering techniques that they did not know existed in judo, such as the Gogoplata. However some techniques are unique to BJJ such as the inverted omoplata.

Along with BJJ's great strengths on the ground comes its relative weakness with standing techniques such as striking. Many Judo practitioners also regard the art as having greatly lost the ability to execute effective throws and takedowns, a cornerstone of the original Judo. A similar, but contrary opinion is held by BJJ practictioners of the ground technique in Judo, which is regarded as having become extremely limited and of decreased effectivenes. There is an increasing amount of cross-training between the sports of BJJ and Judo, and striking based arts such as Muay Thai.

The Gi

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner's uniform is similar to a judogi, but often with tighter cuffs on the pants and jacket. This allows the practitioner to benefit from a closer fit, providing less material for an opponent to manipulate, although there is a significant overlap in the standards that allows for a carefully selected gi to be legal for competition in both styles. As is the case with judo, the term kimono is sometimes used to describe the outfit, especially in Brazil.

World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Main article: World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

One of the most prestigious and recognized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the world is the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship (known as the Mundials), hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.^{[citation needed]}

It must be noted that when speaking of the world championship it most often specifies championships held by International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. There have been other organizations like the CBJJE which also hosts World Class Championships in Brazil. great sport

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b Virgílio, Stanlei (2002) (in Portuguese). Conde Koma - O invencível yondan da história. Editora Átomo. pp. 93. ISBN 85-87585-24-X.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Virgílio, Stanlei (2002) (in Portuguese). Conde Koma invencível yondan da história. Editora Átomo. pp. 22–25. ISBN 858758524X.
^ ^a ^b ^c Untangling a sport that transcends style Chad Edward The Cincinnati Enquirer Oct. 30, 2007 12:05 PM
^ Eros, Rildo. "História do Judô". http://www.judodaunicamp.hpg.ig.com.br/historia.htm.
^ ^a ^b Virgílio, Stanlei (2002) (in Portuguese). Conde Koma - O invencível yondan da história. Editora Átomo. pp. 72–73. ISBN 85-87585-24-X.
^ For more on this, see Judo and Kano Jigoro.
^ ^a ^b ^c As evidenced by the title of the book Hancock, H. Irving; Higashi, Katsukuma (1905). The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo). New York: G. P. Putnam & Sons. pp. 544. See details, including the original book cover here.
^ As evidenced by the title of the book Kano, Jigoro (1937). Jiu-Jitsu (Judo). Tokyo, Japan: Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways. pp. 59. See details, including the original book cover here.
^ As also evidenced by the title of the book Gregory, O.H.; Tomita, Tsunejiro (circa 1907). Judo: The Modern School of Jiu-Jitsu. Chicago, USA.
Armlock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The juji-gatame armbar is one of the most effective and versatile joint locks.

In grappling, an armlock is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint and/or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock, and an armlock that hyperextends the elbow joint is called an armbar. Depending on the joint flexibility and integrity of a person, armlocks that hyperrotate the shoulder joint can also hyperrotate the elbow joint, and vice versa.

Obtaining an armlock requires effective use of full-body leverage in order to initiate and secure a lock on the targeted arm, while preventing the opponent from escaping the lock. Therefore, armlocks are usually more easily performed on the ground, from positions such as the mount, side mount, or guard. Armlocks are more difficult to perform when both combatants are standing up, though the stand-up variants are a focus in certain systems such as Chin Na. A failed armlock can sometimes result in the opponent escaping and obtaining a dominant position.

Armlocks are considered less dangerous techniques in combat sports allowing joint locks, and are the most common joint locks used as submission holds. In sparring or training, armlocks are generally done in a slow and controlled manner, so that the opponent can submit before any damage is inflicted. In self-defense application, or when applied improperly or with excessive force, armlocks can cause muscle, tendon and ligament damage, even dislocation, or bone fractures.

Armbar

Execution of juji gatame in a judo match

Marine demonstrates an armbar technique used in MCMAP.

An armbar (sometimes called a straight armbar) is a joint lock that hyperextends the elbow joint. It is typically applied by placing the opponent's extended arm at the elbow over a fulcrum such as an arm, leg or hip, and controlling the opponent's body while leveraging the arm over the fulcrum. It is used in various grappling martial arts, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Catch wrestling, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and is one of the most common ways to win a match in mixed martial arts competition^[1]. The technique has several variations, with the best known and most effective in competition being the juji-gatame. The juji-gatame is so common, that "armbar" is often used synonymously with juji-gatame.

The English word "bar" is used here to signify the opponent's extended arm, while the Japanese word "juji" (十字) refers to the armbar's visual resemblance to the number 10 as written in Kanji, 十. The word juji is also found in "juujika" (十字架), meaning a cross.

Juji-gatame

The juji-gatame is derived from judo.(十字固, "cross armlock" or technically referred to as ude-hishigi-juji-gatame. In general, the attacker grabs the wrist of the targeted arm of the opponent, holding and securing it by squeezing it between the thighs of the attacker. The attacker's legs end up across the opponent's chest, with the arm held between the thighs, with the elbow pointing against the thigh or hips. By holding the opponent's wrist to the attacker's chest, the attacker can extend the opponent's arm and hyperextend the opponent's elbow. The attacker can further increase the pressure on the elbow joint by arching his or their hips against the elbow. This is extremely effective, especially against unknowledgeable opponents.

Flying armbar

The flying armbar is a version of the juji-gatame that is performed from a stand-up position. Without a gi, it is typically applied when the opponent has a collar tie. By tightly holding the opponent's neck and arm, the attacker puts one of his or their shins against the opponents midsection, and leans up on the opponent; at the same time, the attacker swings the leg on the same side as the opponent's collar tie over the opponents head, into the typical juji-gatame position. (With a gi, it can be performed without needing to hold the neck.) If improperly performed, this technique will cause the opponent to escape the hold and gain an advantageous position, even the option of slamming the attacker to the ground. The flying armbar is considered to be one of the most spectacular joint locks, but it is uncommon because of the risk of losing position.

Sankaku-gatame

The sankaku-gatame or "triangular armlock" is a juji-gatame performed from the sankaku position . Originating from judo it is normally used when the shime (strangle) is not working. It's an effective competition technique due to the fact that the opponent's arm became exposed while defending the sankaku-jime and their attention is focused in stopping the strangle.

A fighter attempts to escape from an armbar by slamming the opponent to the ground.

Elbow lock

An elbow lock is a type of joint lock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint. An elbow lock is applied by forcing the arm beyond its normal range of elbow-wise movement, which can be done through a variety of ways. Typically, the body is controlled from moving by using a pinning hold, and the arm is then pulled, pushed or twisted.

Keylock

A keylock (also known as a bent armlock, figure-four armlock or ude-garami) involves holding the forearm and using it to twist the upper arm laterally or medially, similarly to turning a key in a keyhole. It is usually considered to be a shoulder lock since the primary pressure is often on the shoulder, but depending on how it is performed, significant pressure can also be applied to the elbow. It passes for a lock on the elbow in judo competitions, where only elbow locks are allowed. It can be applied from a multitude of positions, and it is the most common shoulder lock used as a submission hold in mixed martial arts competition. The keylock has several variations with their own names, for instance depending on in which direction the arm is rotated. The word "reverse" is sometimes added to signify medial rotation as in reverse keylock or reverse ude-garami, in which case the usage of just "keylock" indicates lateral rotation.

Figure Four Arm-lock/Americana (Ude-garami)

The figure four arm-lock (also known in the USA as the americana) is a term used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to specify the lateral keylock known in judo as ude-garami (arm entanglement). This lock is generally applied only from the mount or side control. The opponent's arm is pinned to the ground so that it is bent at the elbow, with the opponent's palm upwards. The wrist is grabbed with the opposite hand, and the arm on the same side is put under the opponents arm, gripping the attacker's wrist. This results in the necessary figure-four hold. While keeping the opponent's hand pinned to the ground, the attacker begins sliding his or her pinned arm down and parallel to his or her thigh while cranking the elbow upwards. This is referred to as *painting*. The opponent will feel pressure on their elbow and/or shoulder. From some positions, such as kesa-gatame, it is possible to apply this technique with a leg instead of using two arms.

The technique is one of the official 29 grappling techniques of Kodokan Judo. It is one of the nine joint techniques of the Kansetsu-waza list, one of the three grappling lists in Judo's Katame-waza^[2] enumerating 29 grappling techniques.^[3] All of Judo's competition legal joint techniques are arm locks.

Kimura (Gyaku ude-garami)

The kimura lock (Ude Garami), applied on Hélio Gracie by Masahiko Kimura. Note that the arm is twisted unusually far because Hélio refused to submit.

Kimura (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), chicken wing/double wristlock (wrestling), or reverse keylock are terms used to specify a medial keylock known in judo as gyaku ude-garami (reverse arm entanglement) or simply as ude-garami. The application is similar to the americana, except that it is reversed. It needs some space behind the opponent to be effective, and can be applied from the side control or guard. Contrary to the americana, the opponent's wrist is grabbed with the hand on the same side, and the opposite arm is put on the back side the opponent's arm, and again grabbing the attacker's wrist and forming a figure-four. By controlling the opponent's body and cranking the arm away from the attacker, pressure is put on the shoulder joint, and depending on the angle, also the elbow joint (in some variations the opponent's arm is brought behind their back, resulting in a finishing position resembling that of the hammerlock outlined below). The kimura was named after the judoka Masahiko Kimura, who used it to defeat one of the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Hélio Gracie.

Omoplata (Ashi-garami/sankaku-garami/ude-garami)

The omoplata (sometimes referred to as ude-garami or sankaku-garami, 三角緘, "triangular entanglement"^[4]^[5] or ashi-garami, "leg entanglement"^[6] in Judo) is a commonly featured shoulder lock in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The locking mechanism is similar to the kimura lock, but instead of using a figure-four, it is applied using a leg. The omoplata can be applied from the guard, by placing one leg under the opponents armpit and turning 180 degrees in the direction of that leg, so that the leg moves over the back of the opponent and entangles the opponents arm. By controlling the opponent's body and pushing the arm perpendicularly away from the opponents back, pressure can be put on the opponent's shoulder. It is also possible to put pressure on the elbow joint by bending the leg entangling the arm, and twisting it in a specific manner. Though an effective lock, it is more difficult than other armlocks to successfully apply. The technique called a monoplata is a similar armlock that resembles juji gatame or spiderweb position yet has a mechanism like a omoplata.

Hammerlock

A hammerlock as demonstrated in Farmer Burns correspondence course, 1913

A hammerlock is a shoulder lock similar to the kimura lock where the opponent's arm is held bent against their back, and their hand forced upwards towards the neck, thereby applying pressure to the shoulder joint. The hammerlock is well-known as a pain compliance hold in law-enforcement where it is typically used from a stand-up position to control an aggressor, and is also utilized in the application of handcuffs. It is also sometimes seen used as a submission hold in submission wrestling arts.

See also

For armlocks involving a separating motion of the elbow joint, see Biceps slicer.
Leglock
Small joint manipulation
Spinal lock
Wristlock

Notes

^ Sherdog.com. Top 20 most common fight endings. www.sherdog.com. URL last accessed August 18, 2006.
^ "Classification of Techniques in Kodokan Judo". http://www.judoinfo.com/gokyo3.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
^ "The 29 Official Grappling Techniques of Kodokan Judo". http://www.judoinfo.com/gokyo2.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
^ Inokuma, Isao; Sato, Nobuyuki (1987). Best Judo. Kodansha America. ISBN 0-87011-786-6.
^ Judo-club Hadamar. Judo von A - Z. www.judoclubhadamar.de. URL last accessed August 18, 2006. (In German)
^ Kashiwazaki, Katsuhiko (1997). Osaekomi - Judo Masterclass Techniques. Ippon USA. ISBN 1874572364.

References

Gracie BBJ. Kimura Lock. mmasubmissionmoves.com.
Bothner, George; Gotch, Frank; Hackenschmidt, George; Liederman, Earle. Hammerlock. gnarlmaster.tripod.com.
Kesting, Stephan. Revolutionary Omo Plata. www.grapplearts.com.
Kesting, Stephan; Soares, Marcus. Mastering the Kimura, www.grapplearts.com.
Ohlenkamp, Neil. The Most Powerful Armlock in Judo. judoinfo.com.
Trnka, Tue. MMA-ordbogen. www.mmareporter.dk. URL last accessed August 18, 2006. (In Danish)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armlock#Armbar"

Categories: Joint locks

index

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History

Origin

Name

Development

Prominence

Style of fighting

Submission

Joint locks

Chokes and strangles

Training methods

Grading

Belt promotion

Comparison with Judo

Divergence from Kodokan rules

Ground fighting

The Gi

World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

See also

Footnotes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Armbar

Juji-gatame

Flying armbar

Sankaku-gatame

Elbow lock

Keylock

Figure Four Arm-lock/Americana (Ude-garami)

Kimura (Gyaku ude-garami)

Omoplata (Ashi-garami/sankaku-garami/ude-garami)

Hammerlock

See also

Notes

References