Sneaky “NINJA ARM-LOCK” from within an opponents guard!

 

I call this a “Ninja” arm-lock because like most things “ninja” you don’t see it coming!  I love BJJ moves that are unorthodox and break the rules.  In BJJ we are taught from white belt that you can’t tap someone out within their guard.  Most instructors are adamant about this “rule”.  Mostly because as an instructor you don’t want beginners to create “bad” habits.  In most cases, when you attempt to submit someone from a non-dominant position (inside the guard) you tend to expose yourself to being submitted.  For example: yes, you can ezekiel choke someone in their guard BUT you are at risk to be submitted yourself. The great thing about attacking from non-dominant positions is that you have the element of surprise in your corner.  Why?  It’s simple, most players are not expecting a submission attempt from a non-dominant position.  When you have someone in your guard you are thinking about three things:  sweeps, submission and maintaining position.  You are not thinking about being submitted.  Why?  Because most instructors preach that you cannot get a submission from that position.  We’ve all heard the saying, “position before submission”…  Or, you can’t submit someone until you have secured a dominant position (guard, side, mount, back).  There is a lot of truth in this approach…but like most “rules” in BJJ they can be broken or at least slightly modified.

Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own. -Bruce Lee