Kimura From Closed Guard

In this blog post, I am going to show you how to do a kimura from closed guard.

The kimura from closed guard is a powerful submission technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and self-defense situations.

It is a shoulder lock that you can apply from many positions, but the closed guard is one of the most effective setups.

Watch the video below for a step-by-step breakdown of how to execute the kimura from closed guard.

Next, I will explain more about the Kimura lock, including its history, technique, and strategic applications.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced martial artist, understanding the Kimura lock is an important part of your training and development.

So, let's dive in and explore this powerful technique in greater detail.

The Kimura lock is a grappling technique that fighters often use in grappling competitions and MMA matches.

It is named after Masahiko Kimura, a Japanese judoka who famously defeated Helio Gracie, one of the founders of BJJ, in match.

The match between Masahiko Kimura and Helio Gracie, which took place in 1951, is considered one of the most significant in the history of BJJ and grappling.

At the time, Helio Gracie was a highly respected martial artist and one of the founders of BJJ, while Kimura was a popular judoka from Japan.

The match was a challenge match between the Gracie family, who represents BJJ, and the Japanese judo community.

Many fight fans highly anticipated the clash between two martial arts styles that attracted a great deal of attention.

During the match, Gracie attempted to use his BJJ skills to submit Kimura, but the judoka managed to get the victory.

Kimura was able to take control of the match and secure a submission using a shoulder lock that has since become known as the Kimura lock.

The match is significant because it introduced the Kimura lock as a highly effective submission technique to the masses.

Despite the outcome of the match, Helio continued to train and develop BJJ, and the Gracie family went on to become one of the most influential and respected families in the martial arts world.

Today, the Gracie family is still closely associated with BJJ, and the Kimura lock remains an important part of the martial arts lexicon.

The Kimura lock is a very effective technique is you know how to do it correctly.

You can execute the technique from a variety of positions, including the guard, mount, side control, and north-south position.

In addition, the Kimura lock is more than just a submission.

The famous Kimura grip is great for both offense and defense.

It can be used to submit an opponent or to control their movements and prevent them from attacking.

The Kimura is also effective against opponents of different sizes and body types, as the technique relies on leverage and technique rather than brute strength.

However, like any grappling technique, the Kimura lock requires proper technique, timing, and control to be effective.

It should be used strategically and not as a "go-to" move in every situation.

Additionally, it is important to understand the limitations and potential risks of the technique to avoid injury to both yourself and your training partners.

Below is a detailed visual explanation on how to do the Kimura from closed guard.

To perform the Kimura from closed guard, the first step is to break your opponent's posture by pulling them down towards you using your legs.

This will force them to base their hands on the ground otherwise they will hit their head on the ground.

Once your opponent's posture is broken, you need to catch one of their wrists.

In this example, as you can see, I grab my opponent's left wrist using my right arm.

Once I secure my opponent's wrist, I open my closed guard, while still squeezing my knees to prevent my opponent from escaping, and then I sit up.

Once you're sitting up, reach over your opponent's shoulder using your other arm and grab your own wrist, forming a grip known as the "Kimura grip".

This grip is also known as the "figure four" and will allow you to apply leverage to your opponent's shoulder and elbow joint.

In this example, I reach over using my left arm and then my left hand grab my right wrist to secure the Kimura grip.

With the Kimura grip in place, you need to shrimp your hips to the side to create space to clamp your leg on your opponent's back.

Your leg will prevent them from rolling away and escaping the submission.

Once you have your leg clamped on your opponent's back, push their wrist towards the back of their head while lifting their elbow up and away from their body.

This will apply pressure to their shoulder joint and force them to tap out.

If, for some reasons, you cannot shrimp out to finish the Kimura lock, you can always use the Kimura grip and a butterfly hook to sweep your opponent and end up on top to finish the submission.

In conclusion, the Kimura lock is a highly effective submission technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and self-defense situations.

Its history and significance can be traced back to the legendary match between Masahiko Kimura and Helio Gracie in 1951, where Kimura was able to secure a submission using this technique.

Today, the Kimura lock remains an important part of the martial arts lexicon and can be executed from various positions, including the closed guard.

However, it requires proper technique, timing, and control to be effective, and should be used strategically rather than as a "go-to" move.

Remember to also understand the limitations and potential risks of the technique to avoid injury to yourself and your training partners.

With the step-by-step guide provided, you can now add the Kimura from closed guard to your arsenal of grappling techniques.

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