Kimura

The named submission

The kimura is a shoulder lock that attacks the opponent's rotator cuff by rotating their arm behind their back at an extreme angle. The name comes from Masahiko Kimura, the Japanese judo champion who used the technique to break Helio Gracie's arm in their famous October 1951 match in Rio de Janeiro. The Gracies have called it the "kimura" ever since, and the name stuck.

In MMA the kimura is a versatile submission that can be attacked from guard (top or bottom), side control, mount, north-south, or even standing. It is also commonly used as a control grip — the "kimura trap" — that sets up sweeps, back-takes, and other submissions even when the finish itself doesn't materialize.

Mechanics

The basic kimura grip is the same from any position:

• Grip the opponent's wrist with one hand.
• Loop the other arm over the opponent's shoulder, under their upper arm, and grab your own wrist (figure-four grip).
• Rotate the arm: lift the opponent's elbow and rotate the arm behind their back, forcing the shoulder into extreme internal rotation.
• Finish: the rotational force damages the rotator cuff and ligaments around the shoulder. The opponent taps to avoid serious injury.

Attack positions

• From bottom closed guard: the attacker breaks the opponent's posture, traps an arm, and rotates into the kimura finish. The classic Fedor Emelianenko vs Mark Hunt finish at PRIDE Shockwave 2006 was this attack.
• From side control: the top player attacks the far arm with the kimura grip, sweeping it backward to finish.
• From north-south: the attacker controls the opponent's head with one arm and attacks the kimura on the far arm. Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 was a kimura attempt from north-south that converted to a kneebar finish.
• From mount: rare but possible — the attacker pins one arm with the legs and rotates the kimura.
• From standing/clinch: the rare standing kimura, executed when an opponent's arm is overextended in a clinch. Hit at UFC level by Khabib Nurmagomedov (multiple amateur matches) and Travis Lutter.

The kimura trap system

The kimura grip is also a control system independent of the finish. Once the figure-four is locked, the attacker can:

• Sweep from guard: use the grip to roll the opponent over for a top position.
• Back-take: rotate behind the opponent using the grip as a steering wheel.
• Transition to armbar: when the kimura is defended by the opponent straightening their arm, the attacker can transition to an armbar.
• Transition to omoplata: from guard, the same grip sets up the omoplata shoulder lock with the legs.

The Brazilian Top Team produced the most refined version of this system, which spread through the BJJ world in the 2000s and 2010s.

Common errors

• Lifting the elbow too low: the rotation only damages the shoulder if the elbow is lifted above the shoulder line. A low rotation produces no submission.
• Letting the opponent connect their hands: the defender locks their hands together (sometimes around their own belt or pants), preventing the kimura from being applied. The attacker has to break this defensive grip first.
• Attacking without position control: applying the kimura from a position where the opponent can roll out gives them an escape. Anchor the position first.
• Allowing the opponent to roll into the attacker: as the rotation begins, the opponent may roll toward the attacker to relieve pressure on the shoulder. The attacker must follow the rotation and finish on the other side.

Defending the kimura

• Connect the hands: lock the hands together (or grab a belt, pants, or your own arm) to prevent the attacker from rotating the arm.
• Posture and base: from the top of guard, posture up to prevent the attacker from trapping the arm in the first place.
• Roll out: rolling toward the attacking arm side can relieve pressure and create an escape.
• Hand fight early: prevent the figure-four grip from being established by fighting the attacker's wrist control.

Variations

• Reverse kimura / Americana: the same shoulder lock applied with the arm rotating forward instead of backward. Common from side control.
• Standing kimura: rare in MMA, devastating when it lands.
• Kimura from turtle: against an opponent in turtle position, the attacker traps the near arm and applies the kimura over the back.
• Mounted kimura: from mount, the attacker isolates one arm and finishes with the kimura without giving up position.

Exemplified by

• Fedor Emelianenko vs Mark Hunt (PRIDE Shockwave 2006) — kimura finish from bottom closed guard, considered one of the great PRIDE submission finishes.
• Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar (UFC 81) — kimura attempt from north-south that converted to a kneebar finish.
• Aljamain Sterling vs Sandhagen — kimura threat used as a control system in bantamweight grappling exchanges.
• Demian Maia — multiple kimura finishes across his welterweight career, often from side control after a successful pass.
• Brian Ortega — kimura trap variations integrated with his BJJ game at featherweight.

Drills

• Grip-and-rotate drill: from a cooperative side control, drill the kimura grip and rotation finish.
• Defense drill: partner attacks the kimura; you defend by connecting hands and posturing.
• Kimura trap system: drill the kimura → sweep, kimura → back-take, and kimura → armbar transitions from guard.
• Live ground sparring with kimura focus: rounds where both partners actively hunt kimura grips and finishes.
• Defensive kimura from top guard: drill the posture-up defense from inside a closed guard where the bottom player attacks the kimura.