Kimura Trap System: Complete BJJ Guide

Intermediate · Gi & No-Gi · Submission Attack System

The kimura trap transforms a single shoulder lock into a complete positional and submission system. Once you control the kimura grip, you have access to the kimura finish, back takes, armbar entries, and guard passes — all from one grip.

Contents

The Kimura Grip

The kimura grip is a figure-4 arm control: your hand grabs their wrist, your other arm passes under their elbow and grabs your own wrist. This creates a powerful lever against the shoulder joint.

Wrist control: thumb underneath, fingers on top
Pass under their elbow before clasping
Keep elbows tight to your body
Maintain grip even when the finish isn't available

Kimura Finish Mechanics

Rotate their arm toward their back, moving their hand toward their shoulder blade. The shoulder joint has a limited external rotation range — when exceeded, the tap comes quickly.

Drive their elbow up and out first
Rotate the wrist toward their back
Keep their arm close to your body throughout
Don't let them pull their elbow to their hip

💡 Pro Tip: The most common kimura failure is losing the grip position. Keep both hands connected even while transitioning between attacks.

Kimura to Back Take

When they defend the finish by rolling, follow the roll and take their back. The kimura grip controls their arm as you climb onto their back for seat belt control.

Apply kimura pressure
When they roll to their knees, follow
Maintain grip while climbing to back position
Transition to seat belt grip on their chest

Kimura to Armbar

If they straighten their arm to defend the kimura rotation, transition immediately to an armbar. Their defense becomes your setup for a different submission.

Guard Passing with Kimura

From top half guard or side control, use kimura grip to control their arm while you pass. The arm control prevents their guard recovery and framing.

Kimura from Guard

Attack kimura from closed guard by controlling their wrist and bumping their elbow up. Pull their arm across your chest before executing the rotation.

⚠️ Safety Note: The kimura is extremely powerful — tap early. The shoulder can be injured quickly once proper torque is applied.