{"slug":"armbar","name":"Armbar","aliases":["juji gatame","straight armlock","arm lock"],"category":"submission","format":"both","level":"fundamental","summary":"A straight armlock that controls the shoulder and wrist while using the hips as the fulcrum against the elbow.","overview":["The armbar is a core submission across jiu-jitsu and judo. The attacker controls the opponent's shoulder line, traps the arm between the legs, and aligns the wrist and elbow with the hips.","Armbars appear from guard, mount, side control, back control, and scrambles. The position can be used to sweep or transition even when the finish is unavailable, making elbow-line control more important than immediately extending the arm."],"keyPrinciples":["Control the shoulder so the opponent cannot freely rotate the elbow.","Keep the knees connected around the trapped arm and upper body.","Maintain wrist orientation and elbow alignment.","Apply pressure gradually and release immediately on a tap."],"entries":[{"label":"Closed guard","description":"Break posture, isolate an arm, and rotate the hips across the shoulder."},{"label":"Mount","description":"Climb above the elbows and move through high or S-mount."},{"label":"Back control","description":"Move over a defensive arm while preserving control of the shoulder line."}],"continuations":[{"label":"Triangle","description":"Reconfigure the legs when the opponent drives the trapped arm across."},{"label":"Omoplata","description":"Rotate around the shoulder if the opponent turns and retracts the elbow."},{"label":"Top position","description":"Follow a stack or roll and settle the sweep before re-attacking."}],"defenses":[{"label":"Elbow-line recovery","description":"Pull the elbow beyond the attacker's hip line before trying to stand or turn."},{"label":"Hand connection","description":"Use a temporary grip to prevent extension while changing the shoulder angle."},{"label":"Stack with alignment","description":"Drive only while protecting the trapped elbow and avoiding uncontrolled neck pressure."}],"relatedTechniqueSlugs":["closed-guard","mount","triangle-choke","omoplata"],"athleteSlugs":["roger-gracie","mica-galvao","ffion-davies","mikey-musumeci"],"rulesetNote":"The submission is widely recognized, but age, belt, finishing direction, and ruleset can change what is legal. Train the finish under qualified supervision and check the current event rules.","historyNote":"Judo classifies the cross-body armbar as ude-hishigi-juji-gatame; related straight armlocks are foundational across submission grappling traditions.","sources":[{"label":"IBJJF rule book and rules resources","url":"https://ibjjf.com/books-videos","type":"rules"},{"label":"ADCC official rules and legal-technique guides","url":"https://adcc-official.com/pages/adcc-rules","type":"rules"},{"label":"International Judo Federation technique catalogue","url":"https://judo.ijf.org/","type":"reference"}],"lastUpdated":"2026-07-25","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/armbar","markdownUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/armbar.md","jsonUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/armbar","relatedTechniques":[{"slug":"closed-guard","name":"Closed Guard","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/closed-guard"},{"slug":"mount","name":"Mount","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/mount"},{"slug":"triangle-choke","name":"Triangle Choke","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/triangle-choke"},{"slug":"omoplata","name":"Omoplata","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/omoplata"}],"associatedAthletes":[{"slug":"roger-gracie","name":"Roger Gracie","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/roger-gracie"},{"slug":"mica-galvao","name":"Mica Galvão","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/mica-galvao"},{"slug":"ffion-davies","name":"Ffion Davies","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/ffion-davies"},{"slug":"mikey-musumeci","name":"Mikey Musumeci","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/mikey-musumeci"}],"sourceSite":{"name":"Ossmeta","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com"}}