The kimura is one of the most versatile submissions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It works from guard, from side control, from half guard, from north-south — and it's not just a submission. The kimura grip is a control system. Once you lock the figure-four on their wrist, you have a lever that controls their entire upper body. Sweeps, back takes, reversals, and submissions all flow from one grip.
Named after legendary judoka Masahiko Kimura — who broke Helio Gracie's arm with the technique in 1951 — the kimura (known in judo as ude-garami, or "arm entanglement") is a shoulder lock that hyperextends the rotator cuff by rotating the arm behind the opponent's back. The tap comes fast when it's applied correctly. When it's not, it's still one of the best control grips in grappling.
The Figure-Four Grip: The Foundation
Every kimura starts with the same grip. Your hand wraps around their wrist. Your other hand reaches over their arm and grabs your own wrist, creating a figure-four lock. This four-point connection — both your hands plus both your forearms — gives you mechanical advantage over their one arm.
The grip placement matters. Grab the wrist, not the hand. Wrist grips are more secure and give you more leverage for the rotation. Your overhand grip (the one grabbing your own wrist) should be tight — any slack in the figure-four is space your opponent will use to escape.
Once the figure-four is locked, their arm becomes a lever. Push the wrist toward their back while keeping their elbow pinned to your body. The shoulder joint has limited rotation range. When you exceed it, the pain is immediate and the tap follows.
Kimura from Closed Guard (Bottom Position)
The closed guard kimura is the most fundamental version and where most people learn the technique first. You're on your back with your legs wrapped around their waist. Their hands are on the mat or on your body. One of those hands is about to become your property.
The setup from closed guard:
- Control their same-side wrist with your opposite hand (cross-grip).
- Sit up toward the trapped arm side — this is critical. You cannot finish the kimura lying flat on your back. You need to sit up to create the angle.
- Your free hand reaches over their trapped arm and grabs your own wrist, completing the figure-four.
- Fall back slightly while keeping the figure-four tight. Pull their wrist toward your hip and push it behind their back.
- Keep their elbow pinned close to your body throughout. If the elbow separates, they can rotate and escape.
The sit-up is where most beginners fail. They try to finish the kimura while lying flat, which gives them no leverage. The angle change from sitting up is what generates the rotational force that attacks the shoulder.
Kimura from Side Control (Top Position)
The top-side kimura is one of the most dominant submissions you can apply. From side control, you already have weight and position. Adding the kimura grip makes your control nearly inescapable.
From side control, their near arm is the target. You step around to north-south position or angle your body perpendicular to theirs. Scoop the near arm, lock the figure-four, and rotate the wrist toward the mat behind their back. From top position, gravity works with you — you can use your body weight to drive the rotation rather than relying purely on arm strength.
The top kimura is also an excellent transition tool. If they defend by rolling, you follow them and take mount or back control — with the grip still locked. The kimura grip from top side control is a command position.
Kimura from Half Guard
Half guard is arguably the most practical position for the kimura. When you're in bottom half guard and your opponent has crossface pressure, the kimura is your best offensive weapon because it attacks the arm that's controlling you.
The setup: from bottom half guard, establish an underhook. The underhook is your foundation — it prevents them from flattening you out and gives you the frame to sit up. From the underhook, locate their far arm. Lock the figure-four. The kimura from half guard naturally creates a sweeping motion — as you rotate their arm, their weight shifts, and the sweep follows.
The Kimura as a Sweep Tool
The kimura isn't just a submission — it's one of the most reliable sweep setups in BJJ. The figure-four grip creates a lever that forces your opponent to react. When they move to relieve the shoulder pressure, that movement becomes your sweep. You end up on top with the grip still locked. Many high-level grapplers use the kimura grip primarily as a sweep and positional tool, with the actual submission as a secondary benefit.
The Kimura Trap System
The kimura trap is a modern BJJ system where the figure-four grip becomes your constant through every transition. Instead of forcing a single finish, you follow the opponent through every escape attempt — and each escape creates a new attack.
The concept: lock the kimura grip and don't let go. If they roll to escape, you follow and end up on top. If they stand up, you use the grip for a throw or takedown. If they try to posture, the submission tightens. If they tuck to defend, the sweep becomes available. The grip is the constant. Everything else adapts.
This system is why the kimura is considered one of the most "complete" submissions in BJJ. It's not a single-outcome technique — it's a control position that opens multiple paths to victory.
Kimura vs Americana: What's the Difference?
The kimura and the americana use the same figure-four grip but rotate the shoulder in opposite directions. The kimura rotates the arm behind the back (external rotation stress on the shoulder). The americana pushes the hand toward the mat (internal rotation stress). Think of it this way: kimura paints the arm behind the back like reaching for a wallet in your back pocket. The americana pushes the arm like arm-wrestling them into the mat.
When to use which: the kimura works best when you have access to their arm from the outside — from guard, from north-south, from half guard. The americana works best from mount or side control when their arm is flat on the mat. Both attack the same joint. The direction differs.
The History: Masahiko Kimura vs Helio Gracie
The kimura gets its name from the most famous submission in martial arts history. In 1951, Masahiko Kimura — widely considered the greatest judoka ever — fought Helio Gracie in a special rules match in Brazil. Kimura outweighed Helio by about 60 pounds and was considered the best grappler alive.
In the match, Kimura caught Helio with ude-garami (the double wrist lock). Helio refused to tap. His corner threw in the towel as Kimura broke his arm. The Gracie family, in a gesture of respect, renamed the technique "kimura" — forever linking the submission to the man who proved its devastating effectiveness at the highest level.
Common Kimura Mistakes
- Lying flat on your back: The kimura from guard requires you to sit up. Flat on your back, you have zero leverage. The sit-up is the technique.
- Elbow separation: If their elbow gets away from your body, they can straighten the arm and escape. Keep the elbow pinned tight throughout the rotation.
- Grabbing the hand instead of the wrist: Hand grips slip. Wrist grips lock. Always grab the wrist.
- Slack in the figure-four: Any space between your grip and their arm is space they'll use to escape. The figure-four must be tight — no daylight.
- Forcing the finish instead of following the reaction: The kimura trap system exists because forcing one finish against a good opponent doesn't work. Follow their escape. Let the grip guide you to the next attack.
How the Kimura Connects to Your Complete Game
The kimura is a hub technique — it connects to almost everything else in BJJ. From the kimura grip, you can access the guillotine (head control), the armbar (elbow extension), the triangle (head and arm isolation), and sweeps to every dominant position. It also defends against guard passes — when someone tries to pass your guard, the kimura grip on their arm stops their movement and creates reversal opportunities.
Kimura: Core Principles
The figure-four grip is the foundation — grab the wrist, not the hand, and keep it tight. Sit up from guard — no leverage lying flat. Keep the elbow pinned to your body throughout. The kimura works from guard (bottom), side control (top), half guard, and north-south. The kimura trap system turns one grip into a complete game: submission, sweep, back take, or transition. Named after Masahiko Kimura, who broke Helio Gracie's arm with it in 1951. The most versatile submission-and-control grip in all of BJJ.