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When joint locks are done correctly, the opponent will have to submit or risk injury to the joint which is being attacked.
The term joint lock refers to bringing the joint to its maximum range of motion at which point it would be "locked". Any movement beyond that point will hyperextend or hyper rotate the joint and cause extreme pain and/or injury. That extreme pain will usually cause the person to submit. If a person does not tap when one of these locks is applied, they may suffer torn ligaments, tendons or muscles. In some cases these submissions could cause dislocations or even broken bones.
In the submission wrestling used in MMA there are literally thousands of ways to apply a lock to a joint. There are locks for just about every joint in the body. Most of those locks can be used in Mixed Martial Arts competition. The exception being small joint manipulation, which means you cannot grab individual fingers or toes and apply a lock to them.
The submission grappling techniques used to lock a joint are very specific. It takes a lot of practice to be able to apply them properly. You will need a good coach and good training partners to be able to learn how to get them just right. Luckily there are plenty of good teams with great coaches to be found.
Much care needs to be taken when practicing joint locks. It does not take much force to damage the joints of the body and once they are damaged they take a long time to heal. So make sure that both you and your partner exercise these submission wrestling techniques with caution.
THE ARM BAR. The arm bar is one of the joint locks used in Mixed Martial Arts competition and submission wrestling tournaments. This joint lock is performed by placing your legs across the opponent's chest, with one of his arms between your thighs and with the elbow joint against your hips. From that position the opponent's arm is grabbed with your arms and his forearm is placed on your chest. To lock the arm, you will simply lean back and arch your hips at the same time. This creates intense pressure in the elbow joint and forces the tap. If the man does not tap out, he risks torn ligaments and tendons in the elbow joint. In some cases the arm bar may result in a broken bone if the opponent does not submit.
Although it is typically applied in the way described above, it should be noted that there are many, many variations of this technique. Just as there are numerous ways to perform this technique, there are many ways to set it up. The most common of which is from the guard or from the mount.
THE KIMURA. The Kimura is a submission hold commonly seen in Mixed Martial Arts fights. This submission effects mainly the shoulder joint, but also to a lesser extent the elbow joint. When applied, this joint lock hyper rotates the shoulder causing intense pain and the tap out.
The name for this grappling technique comes from the great judo master Masahiko Kimura. Practitioners of Brazilian Jujitsu gave the grappling technique that name after Masahiko Kimura used it to break Helio Gracie's arm during a 1955 challenge match in Brazil.
There are two primary positions from which this submission hold is applied, the guard and side control (although almost any position can be used). Both of these positions give the practitioner the leverage needed to apply the technique with power and get the tap. It is also very common for someone applying this submission technique from the side control position to step over the opponents head with the leg closest to the head. This gives even more leverage and power to the technique.
THE OMOPLATA. The omoplata is a joint lock used in Mixed Martial Arts and submission wrestling. The joint lock hyper rotates the shoulder joint causing pain and the submission. If the opponent chooses not to submit then they risk torn ligaments and tendons in the shoulder joint.
This lock is not seen very often in Mixed Martial Arts competition. This is perhaps due to the fact that if not done properly, you will be giving the opponent a good opportunity to pass your guard. But that is not to say that it can not be used effectively.
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MMA Joint Locks |
