Effective Wrist Control To Arm Bar With Gordon Ryan

 

When it comes to technique, the smallest error can eliminate effectiveness. Particularly when it comes to things such as wrist control, mistakes in technique can completely ruin your attack. In terms of arm bars, they look fairly simple when you watch high level competitors pull them off, but if you train you know all the technique that is involved in establishing proper angles and leverage.

Oftentimes, technical mistakes in arm bars occur in the legs. Depending on you and your partner's positioning, there are times when your legs should be crossed, shouldn't be crossed, should be closed]r to your partner, and so on. The armbar from Juji Gatame offers its own set of potential technique issues due to many factors.

In this video, Gordon Ryan demonstrates the proper technique for wrist control into an arm bar from Juji Gatame. Check it out!

 

Starting in the closed guard, the first step for this technique is to establish wrist control. Diving into the details, Gordon explains that there are three grips that can be used when going for wrist control;with the thumb, without the thumb, or wrist to wrist. Gordon shares that he typically chooses to use his thumb because when his partner goes to try and break the grip, it takes a longer time which allows him the time to switch to a 2 on 1 on the opposite side.

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Once you establish your wrist control, you take your other arm and scoop under your partner's leg. From here you are going to give a slight knee pull to get your partner's weight going up and to the side. Even when in a good closed guard, people whose weight is still balanced are generally going to be able to keep a fairly strong base. By knee pulling them up and to the side, you throw off their balance making it harder for them to posture up. Also, if you go to throw your legs up for the Juji Gatame while your partner is still balanced, chances are they are going to have no problem just simply pulling their arm out or posturing all the way up.

Directly after the knee pull is the time to fire your leg over your partner's head, with the intent of getting your knee higher than your partner’s ear. From here you can finish the arm bar, and have many other options if your partner were to pull out, stand up, or try to stack you.

The key to landing this is to initially get your partner off balanced. Without that, your partner is going to be able to pull their arm out and free their elbow every time. Gordon explains that if you knee pull too hard from here, there is a slight chance your partner may reach across and post with their other hand which would diminish your chance of getting to Juji Gatame, but does open up other attacking opportunities. However, what we are looking for here is just a slight off balance so your partner can’t completely posture up.

Gordon clarifies that this is more of a speed based Juji, as opposed to a Juji that requires wedges around your partner's shoulders, where you would move from a top lock to a Juji. This technique is just using a slight initial off balance so you can throw the leg over the head and get yourself into winning positions.

Gordon Ryan really does not need an introduction as he has proved himself to all in the sport at the highest level. Gordon began his training at age 15 under Miguel Benitez, and has since trained under Tom Deblass, John Danaher, and Garry Tonon. Gordon is a 3-time ADCC World Champion, IBJJF No-GI World Champion, and four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational Champion. The list of high level competitors that Gordon has beaten is lengthy.

In his most recent match of 2020, Gordon defeated 2019 World Champion Matheus Diniz via heel hook halfway through their 30 minute submission only match. The only match as of now moving forward for Gordon is a potential superfight with Andre Galvao at ADCC 2021, and though it is highly anticipated it is not yet set in stone.

Gordon’s instructionals are some of the most valuable on the market today. In this particular instructional, Gordon covers systematic attacking from closed guard. Included you will find side scissors to a multitude of attacks, pendulum sweep into wrong way triangle, figure four top lock to armbar, pinch headlock attacks, and so much more. You might be also interested in Arm Lock Attacks by Dinu Bucalet.

There is really no better way to invest in yourself and your Jiu Jitsu than investing in a Gordon Ryan instructional. Give your technique the tune up it needs from The King, Check out his instructional collection here!

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