I am working on the farside armbar primarily from a knee shield/93 guard setup when the opponent is on both knees (and sitting on your leg.) So far i have had mixed succes with using the kimura grip (unless its in a transition or something like that), and then throwing the leg over - since they usually know whats coming.. its it more safe to frame the head and then "underhook" their far arm instead of using the kimura grip? What do you guys do/prefer? I just really like the control the kimura grip gives when applied properly..
I always use the kimura grip...I know the underhook is a viable option, but it would seem like if you fucked up and you had the underhook grip, you're gonna get crossfaced pretty hard.
I love this armbar, and the answer is ... it depends. The kimura grip is the best grip, but the biggest problem with it is that you are locked closer to your opponent, so it is often difficult to successfully invert and bring your leg over. If you are very flexible and/or lightweight, however, this is not so difficult. The other problem is that your opponent is immediately hyper-defensive. For the far-side armbar I actually favor a very simple single wrist control, with my other hand used to make space by posting on the head or shoulder so I can invert successfully and cross the leg over. At that point, I latch onto the arm with a double grip. Underhooking the arm and posting the head, again if you are very flexible it works, but the difficulty is in getting that leg over when your opponent is so tight on you. Finally I really like using this hilarity off the far-side kimura grip, so don't think you always need to invert to attack the arm, you can also do the jolly spinning running to the other side. It's really funny when the guy thinks he has blocked the inversion and is passing. [YT]KQo03y2prxY[/YT]
This is one of my main techniques from guard, and IMO Cyborg has the best entry for it, simply underhooking the arm, but utilizing sneaky leg work: Skip to the end. Unfortunately, he doesn't show the full "leg over" finish here, but he shows how he enters with his knee underneath the chin, allowing him to pivot and push the head down with his shin, bringing the foot through and over.
Yeah, you can go 'under' or 'over.' To me, it is very hard to go under. Guys who are good at that inverted armbar from underhook can kill with it (Marcelo slays people with it), but it takes a very high level of technique and timing. If I want to try the cutting armbar, I actually find it easier to inverted armbar the closer arm that your knee is blocking from that knee shield ... that or kimura it. A really cool attack series from there.
Yeah, I never go for the inverted armbar finish, I just use the knee to clear the head and pummel my leg over for the belly-down/facing the legs position. Like Cyborg often does, I also use it as an entry into the tornado sweep. You can also pummel the leg through by pushing the far shoulder and bringing your foot through first, almost by way of a gogoplata position. (Similar to how Braulio lures people into his inverted triangle from open guard.) I like this when guys are trying to pass over/under style and driving into the inside of my top knee to keep my hips square.
I am lightweight and a Big part of my game is based on inverting. But as you say when i get that kimura grip people become ultra defensive making it hard.. So just grabbing the wrist and framing the head still keeping distance and then throwing your leg over seems like a nice setup.. Will try that.. By double grip do you mean kimura grip?
Since z guard has become more popular I have an increasingly more difficult time just establishing a kimura grip. Occasionally I used to get what Rafa does in the video posted here, but one training partner catches me in a d'arce now when I try it.
BTW do you know of any matches or instructionals where it is shown? I am pretty visual learner so would like to see it aswell
