Issue 086
March 2012
One of grappling and MMA’s most ubiquitous moves, few have truly mastered the armbar. FO teaches you how upgrade to its inescapable cousin
Pete Irving
Professional fighter
Pete Irving is a professional welterweight fighter and Fighters Only’s resident fight expert.
The straight armbar has been a staple technique of every submission fighter’s arsenal since the inception of jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. As such it’s has gone through a series of evolutions as defenses were developed to counter the standard attacks, in turn forcing the development of more sophisticated armbar attacks to counter them. With the stakes so high in MMA competition, many fighters will risk their arms to, and beyond, breaking point. Take a look at Dan Hardy’s refusal to tap to Georges St Pierre’s armbar in their UFC 111 title fight. Part flexibility, part strength and part sheer grit, Hardy wrenched himself free of an attack that appeared to most onlookers impossible to resist. In this technique clinic we will reveal the truly inescapable armlock, from sixth-degree BJJ master, Crezio de Souza.
BASIC ARMBAR AND THE ROLL-OUT ESCAPE
1 Pete (black shirt) is mounted on Rick
2 Pete isolates Rick’s far arm by posting his hands on Rick’s chest, in the fashion of cardiac compressions.
3 Taking care to keep his weight on Rick’s chest, Pete brings his heel up to Rick’s near side shoulder.
4 Pete steps his leg over Rick’s head, trapping Rick’s arm in the crook of his elbow.
5 Pete lies back to extend the arm, sliding his own arms up to Rick’s wrist and securing with both arms, squeezing his knees together.
THE ESCAPE
1 Rick allows the arm to straighten, and turns to his nearside shoulder, stepping his far leg over the near leg.
2 Rick continues to turn until he has built his base on his knees.
3 Rick proceeds to pass, taking care to keep his head tight against Pete’s hip to prevent the triangle, and establishes a cradle side control.
THE CREZIO ARMBAR
The Crezio armbar eliminates the figure-four defense and the roll-out defense by first controlling the other arm, furthermore deceiving the opponent about the intended target.
1 Pete is again mounted on Rick.
2 Pete softens Rick up with some strikes, drawing Rick’s hands high up to his head.
3 Pete punches straight down through Rick’s defense, and proceed to overhook Rick’s arm.
4 Securing the overhook, Pete pins Rick’s elbow to his hip and slides his knee tight to the top of Rick’s head.
5 Pete reaches under Rick’s isolated arm. Note that he has not yet grabbed the target arm.
6 Pete secures his shin, making sure his heel prevents Rick from putting his shoulder on the mat – the critical factor in the roll-out escape.
7 Pete rocks his weight onto Rick’s ribs, allowing him to pass his leg over Rick’s head without falling off the mount.
8 As Pete rolls back he crosses his feet, pulling them in to prevent Rick’s shoulder getting back to the mat. It is difficult at first to cross the feet without being tempted to push away with the legs, which would create escape space. In addition, it is difficult at first to squeeze the knees together whilst crossing the feet, but is possible with a little practice.
9 Pete crosses his arms and secures Rick’s wrist. Rick must tap, or his arm will break.
