Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about the armbar from closed guard.
I want to find better ways to set it up against highly resistant opponents. A simple yet difficult goal, I know.
One of the ideas I’m using as the foundation for brainstorming, though, is what I like to call keys to success. These are specific objectives that must be achieved in order to facilitate the use of a technique.
And in the case of the armbar, the first key to success lies in getting the elbow of the armbar being attacked to the hip line. That’s a largely a posture battle, and there’s a sweet spot between upright posture and low posture (when an opponent’s elbows are hugging tight your body with their head down and their chest against yours).
The next key is achieved when the elbow is brought across to the center line (atleast to the belly button).
Again, it’s a battle, but one thing that I’ve realized is that winning that battle is easier with a two on one grip (cross sleeve and elbow).
Once those two objectives are achieved, the next key to success lies in controlling the shoulder of the arm being attacked. In fact, a high guard transition at that moment gives immediate dominance over an opponent’s whole upper body, and from there, it’s easy to transition to the finish.
Here’s the challenge though.
At each of those three points, there are battles to be fought, and all of them have to be won.
That’s such an interesting topic for exploration.
And for that reason, I’ve decided to make the next micro adjustment lesson all about it.
So look forward to finding it here next week:
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