Diversify Your Attacks From Mount With A Rolling Arm Bar From Thomas Lisboa

By Fanatics Authors, January 04, 2021

The armbar is a great submission because it has so many different variations from so many different positions. When you understand the concept of leverage when it comes to armbars, you begin to see them everywhere. When your partner tries to push you away to create space and extends his arm, it may feel like he is just handing you the armbar submission!

If you have been stuck in the mount for a long period of time, then you know how frustrating it gets. If your partner is smothering your face and you can’t seem to get your legs involved to retain your guard, the feeling of desperation can begin to set in.

In practicing mount escapes, it is likely you have been taught that when someone has you in the mount, it is not wise to try to push them up and off of you as it makes your arms extremely vulnerable to being attacked. Knowing this is one thing, but it is easy to forget or disregard when you have a person's entire body weight smothering you and you can't seem to free yourself.

When attacking from the mount, chances are there are going to be times when your partner gets desperate and tries to push you off of them. It is important to have the proper techniques in your pocket to capitalize on arm attacks from this position depending on what your partner does. Find more about attacking techniques in The Crucifix Bible by Drew Weatherhead.

In this video, Thomas Lisboa demonstrates a rolling armbar variation from the mount, check it out below!

Thomas begins this technique from the mounted position. Thomas reiterates that it is not smart for the person on the bottom to escape by trying to push on the top person, but they can still escape by doing so if it is not addressed properly. The person on the bottom is likely going to roll to the side when pushing to try and get to the top and retain their guard. If you do not address your partner's arm or have a solid base, you will likely get reversed and lose your position.

The first thing to do when your partner starts pushing is to use both of your arms as a base and walk and follow him in the direction he is pushing you. This helps keep you solid on the top so you can begin your attack.

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At this point his arms are likely still extended trying to push you off of him. From here you are going to use your arm which is closest to your partners head to trap his arm. Now your leg which is closest to his head is going to pass over his head and you will drive your shin into his neck to keep him from rolling the opposite way.

Once you have passed your leg over his head and you have his arm trapped, you can begin to roll to the side and over your hip. You may be able to finish the armbar from this position, but you may not be able to or your partner may try to roll to escape. If this is the case, get a grip on your partner's pants or leg to help roll him with you and to keep him close throughout the role.

When you land, you will have one leg over his body and the other still behind his head. From here you just need to simply shift your hips and bring the leg behind his head over and into the traditional armbar position, and finish with proper technique.

This technique is so important to drill because no one likes being in the mount and many people will start to buck and get wild when they have been stuck there for a while. This technique allows you to take advantage of your partner's attempted escape, and use his momentum against him. Learn even more from this detailed guide Devastating Lower Body Submission Attacks by Joe Baize.

Thomas Lisboa is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Fabio Gurgel, and earned his reputation while competing for the Alliance Jiu Jitsu Team. He began training when he was young and progressed extremely quickly. Thomas has earned medals in IBJJF World No-Gi Championships as well as European International Open Championship.

This particular instructional is completely dedicated to attacks from the mount. Thomas covers technique including armbar fundamentals, controlling the mount variations, multiple choke variations, americana submission techniques, and so much more.

Improve your ability to control the mount and develop your attacks to ensure your opponent is not getting up without tapping first, check out his instructional here!

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