One Grip to Rule Them All

One Grip to Rule Them All

Pareto’s Principle, or the 80/20 Rule. In 1896 the economist Vilfredo Pareto showed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He went on to expand this this principle to a wide variety of situations. That 80% of your results are a factor of 20% of your inputs! In a grappling context, 20% of your moves score 80% of your success!

When taking a look at the armbar, the Kimura Figure 4 Grip is our 20% of grip breaks that gives us 80% of our results within the system that I use. I love it because it simplifies, condenses, and funnels my game. You don’t need to learn the 10 other grip breaks I use to be good at the armbar system, just be really good at this one! Give it a lot of attention, focus on the details of what makes it such a powerful tool. When you’re rolling, you’ll see how by making it the centerpiece of your connection and grip breaking that you’ll be naturally channeling your opponent and yourself into the armbar position time and time again and they won’t be able to stop you!

Now what makes the Kimura Grip so great for the armbar? Firstly; Connection. The Kimura Grip is great for the Armbar because as your entering into the position, it gives you a handle to pull yourself into! You getting your chest to their elbow and your hips into their shoulder gives you connection, which allows for control! It's like a magnet that just clicks into place. Then once you’re in the position, as the Bad Guy tries to hitchhike, elbow slip, or stack you, that Kimura Grip is going to prevent them from running away, getting their elbow down, and coming up into you.

Secondly; Grip Breaking Power: The Figure 4 Kimura Grip gives us so much power to grip break. Its almost like the tighter the Bad Guy resists, the easier it is to break grips. The reason for this is because it is a COMPRESSION. My bottom arm acts as a wedge between the forearm and bicep, the top arm presses their wrist to their shoulder, and the everything revs down and in! With your hips and legs in the mix, it’s all pressed together and wrung until the elbow is going to explode! It’s either tap or extend the arm to relieve the pressure. Once the arm pops out, find the wrist and thumb AKA Joystick Grip, and you’re so close to breaking that arm.

Thirdly; Exit Routes. It is just as important to have exit routes mapped out of your favorite moves as it is to have your entrances down. Inevitably you’re going to lose some armbars here and there. When this happens though you shouldn’t be getting your guard passed! Instead the Kimura Grip allows us to funnel the Bad Guy into our next point of attack. Some of my favorite being the Triangle, Ultra Kimura and the Back. If the Kimura let’s you get there, it’s an option!

Whether you’re new the armbar or you’re competing for 5 or 50K, if you’re looking for somewhere to invest your training time. The Figure 4 Kimura Grip Break is an excellent choice. The dividends you’re going to receive from time spent are monumental.