Arm Flexibility for Sub Defense?

[gladdybag]

Are there drills/exercises to build flexibility in the arms? I find myself tapping to kimuras/americanas that don't even seem that tight. My arms are very inflexible in that position: imagine laying on your back with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. If I pull my hands back towards my head/shoulders (like an americana from mount) I can't touch my knuckles to the mat. Would it be a good idea to let training partners put me in "soft" americanas to stretch the muscles or get the arms used to being in that position? I am wondering if that would stretch a muscle and make it more flexible, or if that would cause joint damage.

Are there any other ideas to build flexibility in this area?

 

[newerest]

bitch I kimura'ed ur shit from a triangle

 

[lechien]

I think you need to learn the basics defense for such submissions instead of trying to get more flexibilty in your joints instead.

 

[Lead]

Kimura's and keylocks are nice for me. I never have been tapped to one and my instructors demonstrated the move on me and were getting frustrated at how it wasnt working. They did knee on belly and some other stuff until completely stepping over which got the tap.

Stretch more. I have no idea what makes you more flexible there though.

 

[newerest]

I think you need to learn the basics defense for such submissions instead of trying to get more flexibilty in your joints instead.

When I kimura'ed him it was at a proper angle and stuff, nothing he could do

but I saw first hand how inflexible his shoulders were, it SEEMS like he could improve it.
like he said, lay down flat and put ur wrists on the ground. he wasn't able to do this

 

[ostapbjj]

I suggest you look up some shoulder mobility exercises or shoulder rehabilitation exercises. I'd be more worried about having healthy mobile shoulders to avoid injury when doing any kind of athletic activity, rather than trying to specifically have flexible shoulders to resist submissions.

Good grapplers aren't submitted a lot because they learned how to preemptively avoid submission, not because they are flexible or very good at escaping submissions.

 

[Drift Wood]

I'd google some rotator cuff stretches. I use one of those big rubber band things to do various exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles around my shoulders. And of course, as previously mentioned... learn the proper defenses.

This vid has very little to do with stretching... but I thought it might offer you some inspiration: YouTube - Garota Skol - Billabong Pro SC 2010 - S

 

[D4rthKitty]

I think you need to learn the basics defense for such submissions instead of trying to get more flexibilty in your joints instead.

I believe it would help somewhat, I am only a white belt, but I have rolled with some higher belts and I have been caught in several kimuras and never came close to tapping. I even had a blue belt release the hold because he was scared if it went any longer it would break. And i was scarcely feeling anything

Still got my ass kicked though

 

[PeterPain]

You can get serious injuries from trainning elbow flexibility, I wouldn't recomend that.

 

[redaxe]

using flexibility to defend submissions doesn't work because they only have to crank it more to make you tap. if you couldn't defend and escape anyway, an extra two seconds isn't going to help.

 

[Higher Learning]

I believe it would help somewhat, I am only a white belt, but I have rolled with some higher belts and I have been caught in several kimuras and never came close to tapping. I even had a blue belt release the hold because he was scared if it went any longer it would break. And i was scarcely feeling anything

Still got my ass kicked though

i foresee you and lead salad having serious shoulder injuries pretty soon

 

[gladdybag]

I'd google some rotator cuff stretches. I use one of those big rubber band things to do various exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles around my shoulders. And of course, as previously mentioned... learn the proper defenses.

This vid has very little to do with stretching... but I thought it might offer you some inspiration: YouTube - Garota Skol - Billabong Pro SC 2010 - S

 

[D4rthKitty]

i foresee you and lead salad having serious shoulder injuries pretty soon

I'm not an idiot, I don't hold out to submissions extra long to prove I am a tough guy. Some guys just have extra tolerance to submissions, like apparently Jon Fitch is impossible to choke out.

Bendo is also insanely hard to tap, not saying I can go far as either of these men. Just saying arm flexibility does help with sub defense

 

[randomg1t]

When I kimura'ed him it was at a proper angle and stuff, nothing he could do

but I saw first hand how inflexible his shoulders were, it SEEMS like he could improve it.
like he said, lay down flat and put ur wrists on the ground. he wasn't able to do this

yes i'm sure your kimuras are completely unstoppable. he shouldn't learn the defense to a kimura because there's really no defending yours.

 

[HomerPlata]

Aren't keylocks known as "big guy" submissions? The more muscular, the less flexible, and the easier it is to tap them. If this problem is due to you being muscular, don't worry too much, because you will have obvious advantages in other situations. Working on sub-defense won't do any harm either.

 

[Nickynoneck]

Bjjis a game of elbows your not suppose to have you arm straighten out lol keep your elbows tucked dude .

 

[newerest]

yes i'm sure your kimuras are completely unstoppable. he shouldn't learn the defense to a kimura because there's really no defending yours.

Lol I love how some people can definitely take a post out of context

 

[cenix]

yeah i'm with the majority of others here. you shouldn't be using your extra flexibility to defend against those subs...although it helps if you're trying to squirm to an escape for that split second if you catch the timing, after being put into the situation, the best defense is tapping (to prevent possible injury) and obviously, not to get into that situation in the first place.

 

[newerest]

TS shoulder's are inflexible to the point where a keylock with the arm still around the head can finish him...I myself would never tap to that because the angle isn't nearly enough to tap, ts would have to.

 

[DiscipleOfPog]

Your defense will get really good because your flexibility is so bad. Not being flexible isn't always a bad thing, sometimes it helps you improve your technique.