3 Tips To Finish The Crucifix Submission

3 Simple Tips For A Better Crucifix

If there is one position that does not get enough attention from the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community it has to be the crucifix. Although most would consider the crucifix a “new school” technique, it really fell out of popularity after the 1990s. Originally, many high level BJJ practitioners favored the crucifix for the fact that it would allow choking techniques to be done with one hand. When we think about crucifix masters we often think about Marcelo Garcia and Baret Yoshida. Let’s watch one of Marcelo Garcia’s top black belt students Joel Burgess demonstrate how he approaches the crucifix. Then we will break it down into 3 simple tips.

Check out the video below

#1. Knee Inside

As you see, Joel Brugess likes to break through his opponent’s defense and get his knee inside his opponent, jamming him at the ribs. Your knee is going to better more powerful than their defense, so if his defense is tight, adjust the angle and work your way in. Notice that Joel brings his heel up and around his opponent’s elbow and captures it by placing it next to his knee (even grinding it on his opponent’s arm, brutal!). Knee inside, heel to knee. This lets you sit down towards the direction of your knee, ending you in the crucifix position.

#2. Control the other arm

A superior way to perform the crucifix is to control the opponent’s far arm with your legs not with a triangle (like most people do) but instead by crossing both legs over the arm. This locks that arm down a lot better than the triangle would, taking it out of the equation if your opponent tries to defend. This is a small but important detail to improving your crucifix.

The Crucifix and the loop choke go hand in hand. Alexandre Vieira thinks that they are the secret weapon to BJJ competition victory.

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#3. Immediately Attack

Once you have got the crucifix you should not hesitate with your attack. As long as both of his arms are secured you can go for a choke. There are two chokes available, either a one armed collar choke or a one armed rear naked choke. It is a powerful submission but you have got to move quick.

There will be times when you are faced against an opponent who has turtled. Even if the crucifix is not as popular as it used to be, give it a try. It sure looks cool as hell and everyone will think you are a pro if you are able to get it.

Alexandre Vieira has a nasty habit of ending up on highlight reels, from choking people unconscious with savage gi chokes from unexpected places. He’s one of the most versatile fighters on the scene today, able to transition his game between gi and no-gi, placing in nearly every tournament on the planet (including a 2014 World Championship gold medal in no gi, at brown belt). 

His keys to excellence? The crucifix and the loop choke.

The crucifix remains one of the most dominant positions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, using your body to isolate and dominate your way to the submission. Alexandre has taken this dominant control one step further, adding his own personal twist on the classic position adding even more control. Even a crucifix novice will be able to follow this easy-to-understand progression from simple everyday positions, to the traditional crucifix, to Vieira’s signature attacks. Chokes, arm locks and more are just a quick movement away as you attack with freedom.

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