BJJ Kimura: Setup, Finish, and Kimura Trap System

Contents

The Kimura: A Submission and a Control System

The kimura (double wristlock/ude garami) is unique: it is both a submission and a positional control system. The "kimura trap" uses a kimura grip to maintain position, sweep, and transition even when the immediate submission is defended. Understanding the kimura as a system rather than a single technique unlocks enormous offensive potential.

Kimura Mechanics

The kimura attacks the shoulder's internal rotation limit. The trapped arm rotates internally (thumb toward opponent's back) until the shoulder cannot rotate further, then the elbow joint is compressed. The finish requires:

Your near hand grips their wrist (from below)
Far hand grips your near wrist to create a figure-4
Arm bent at 90° (important — this maximizes torque)
Drive the hand toward their back, away from your body

Kimura from Closed Guard

Isolate near arm — push it to the outside with hip escape
Establish wrist grip from below, figure-4 grip
Open guard, hip escape to far side
Sit up and rotate elbow over their wrist
Finish by driving hand behind their back

Kimura Trap from Side Control

Lock the kimura grip from side control. Instead of immediately going for the submission, use it to:

Control their movement (they cannot bridge, shrimp, or turn)
Walk around to north-south for armbar finish
Take the back when they try to turn away
Step over to mount while maintaining grip

💡 Kimura trap principle: Never let go of the kimura grip. If they straighten the arm (defending submission), walk to north-south and finish the armbar. If they turn away, follow to the back. The kimura grip controls everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I finish the kimura against someone who clasps their hands?

Clasping hands (defending kimura) is common. Solutions: take the back (they give up back trying to clasp), walk to north-south armbar (straightened arm becomes armbar), or break the grip by using your elbow to pry their top hand off while driving the trapped arm with your body weight.

What is the kimura trap?

The kimura trap is a positional system built around maintaining the kimura grip. Once you have a kimura grip, you do not go for the submission immediately — instead you use the grip as a control handle to transition between back takes, armbars, and sweeps. Developed most notably by Gordon Ryan and Danaher.

Kimura vs omoplata — which is better?

They target the same joint (shoulder) from different directions. Kimura gives you more positional control and can be used from top and bottom. Omoplata is a guard-specific technique but allows a sweep even when the submission fails. Learn both — they complement each other.