Smoothly Transition From An Americana To A Straight Arm Lock With Andre Galvao

By Fanatics Authors, December 24, 2020

The ability to flow from one submission attempt to another is a goal everyone wishes to get to. It can be a devastating feeling when you think you have gotten your partner into the perfect position for you to finish a submission and you just can’t quite get it, and you are unsure where to go next.

The ability to smoothly transition into a different position obviously comes easier the more you train. However, it is important to drill submissions in a manner where you know what your other options are if you are unable to finish it.

The realm of Kimuras and Americanas open up a whole arsenal of different kinds of arm lock submissions. You may have a Kimura grip and can not quite lock it up, but the control that the position offers allows you to manipulate your partner's body to a place where you can try something else.

In the world of submission only competition and really competition in general, being able to see and flow into multiple submission attempts from one particular position is a game changer. This is one of the factors that begins to separate skill levels within Jiu Jitsu competitors.

In this video, Andre Galvao shows a variation of a transition from an Americana to a straight arm lock from the mount, check it out below!

The mount is one of the most controlling positions, but some that are newer to Jiu Jitsu find it hard to finish from there at times. Beginning from the mount, Andre goes for an Americana by isolating one arm and locking it up. He states that the most popular defense from your partner will be to straighten their arm. Your partner has the ability to be very strong from this position, and it can be difficult to bring that arm back in to finish the Americana.

When some people get to this position in the mount, they get tunnel vision and since they still have their grips they burn themselves out by trying to draw that arm back in and finish the Americana. It is a solid position and with enough strength your partner may burn out before you do, but there is a simple and effective transition into a straight arm lock from this position.

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The first step in finishing this straight arm lock is going to be to turn your partner's arm so their thumb is sticking up. Just like a traditional arm bar, you are not going to be able to get the tap if the thumb isn’t up. You should have good wrist control with the grips you have at this point, so turning the arm should not be too difficult.

The next part of the submission is going to be to create the proper leverage. Using your arm that is under your partner's arm, you first need to find your partner's elbow and place your forearm under it. Once you are here, all you need to do is keep his arm straight with his thumb up, and begin to lift the elbow of your arm which is under his off the mat to create more leverage and you will get the tap.

Just like most submissions in this beautiful art, there is a potential escape for your partner which Andre addresses. What your partner may try to do is begin to turn toward the arm that is being attacked and try to get towards the turtle position, which will allow him to pull his arm free. The key to preventing this is to somehow trap his other arm so he doesn't have the ability to turn or try to get an underhook.

Andre gives a couple solutions to eliminate his partner from turning. The first one is to use his leg to pin that arm down, but you may get to a point where your partner has already begun to turn and you missed that opportunity. In the event that your partner turns quickly and you miss the opportunity to pin his arm, you are going to want to pin his neck.

To do this you are going to use the same leg you would have used to pin his arm. You will pass that knee under his armpit and bring it to the other side of his body. When your knee gets to the ground, you will use your shin to pin his neck and prevent him from turning and finish the submission. Andre also briefly explains some other variations of this submission from knee on belly and side control, showing the versatility of this technique.

Andre Galvao, a Brazilian native, is a fourth degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and has trained under Fernando Augusta and Luis Dagmar. He is a 6-time IBJJF and 6-time ADCC Champion, along with a long list of other titles. He currently heads the Atos Jiu Jitsu team in San Diego, California, and is one of the most sought after coaches in the world.

Andre Galvao has one of the biggest names in the sport, and has many instructionals that cover all that one could desire. In this instructional Andre focuses on winning from full mount, and covers technique including triangle choke from armbar, multiple “S” mount submissions, Kata Gatame submissions combos, back take attacks and variations, and so much more.

This is an instructional you do not want to miss. Make sure your mount is solid and improve your submission efficiency, check out his instructional here!

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