Fighters Only

Issue 065

August 2010

Peter Irving is a professional welterweight fighter and Fighters Only’s resident fight expert. Irving has fought in Europe and the USA, and currently holds the Strike & Submit European title.

The omoplata (the Portuguese word for the joint that this lock attacks) is a simple bent armlock and functions just like a kimura, but is executed with the legs instead of the arms. A relatively simple move, the omoplata is a common submission in no-gi grappling but rarely seen in MMA. Though many fighters have used the attack as a sweep or reversal, there has never been a recorded victory in the UFC by omoplata.

The Base

By bringing the opponent’s hips down to the mat all the counters for the omoplata are impossible.

The Wrist

The wrist should be held securely all the way through the attack, right until the tap.

The Shoulder

The shoulder must be pinned on the mat to stop the opponent sitting back up and escaping the lock.

The Legs

Whether or not to triangle the legs is a matter of personal preference, but the triangle is not necessary for the finish and should not be done before the shoulder is on the mat.

The Finish

Once all elements of the submission have been executed, you can finish by leaning over as if to whisper in the opponent’s ear.

OMOPLATA FROM CLOSED GUARD

1 Pete (black shirt) has Tommy in his closed guard.

2 Pete shifts his hips and clears Tommy’s hand to the mat.

3 Pete shifts his hips back the other way and kicks his leg up high over Tommy’s shoulders, leaving the far arm vulnerable for the straight armbar.

4 When Tommy pulls his arm free of the armbar Pete continues to shift his hips and switches the hand that is holding the wrist, reaching out with the hand he frees up, ready to stop Tommy’s legs from rolling.

5 Pete kicks his legs forward, pinning Tommy’s shoulder to the mat – he uses the momentum to bring himself up to a sitting position.

6 Now Pete can shift both legs to the side, allowing him to lean his weight onto Tommy’s shoulder.

OMOPLATA FROM LOW SINGLE

1 Tommy is attacking for the low single off the mat.

2 Pete lets go of the whizzer and passes his arm under his chest to initiate a Granby roll.

3 Pete rolls through, trapping Tommy’s arm in the position for the omoplata. It is critical that Pete rolls shoulder to shoulder and does not perform a forward roll.