The Best Omoplata Attack From Closed Guard With Bernardo Faria

Posted by Fanatics Authors on December 12, 2018

Bernardo Faria Omoplata From Closed Guard

Omoplata is a great submission for any BJJ player. Typically omoplata is thought around the blue belt level in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In the video below Bernardo will show up how to finish the omoplata after entering from closed guard. What is great about Faria’s demonstration is that he gives us so many details on what many would consider a basic position. By breaking it down into the fundamental movements, Bernardo does a great job showing us how mastering the fundamentals are truly what make a live level BJJ master.

No matter where you start the omoplata from, you end up in the same finishing position, so the details here are very important. Let’s take a look at all of Bernardo’s instructions below. If you are not familiar with Bernardo, he is a 5 time Black Belt World Champion with the IBJJF and has won the most prestigious title in BJJ, the black belt open weight division. Check out the video below and then we will break down the technique.

Faria starts this technique from bottom closed guard. You can see a standard omoplata from guard is actually pretty easy to get. With a cross sleeve grip you can open your guard, adjust your hips to fish your arm under to hook your opponent’s thigh, and bring your leg over his shoulder to finish in the omoplata position. Bernardo takes this simple concept and adds a bit more detail to the movements in order for it to have a higher percentage of effectivity. This additional bit of details allows you to hit the omoplata from anywhere.

In this case, Bernardo starts by breaking down the cross sleeve grip. He prefers a pistol grip on his opponent’s sleeve in order to control the arm better. Now he controls the same leg, again fishing his arm under to hook behind his opponent’s thigh. Notice here he anticipates his opponent posturing up. To help make the leg switch possible, Faria puts his right foot on his opponent’s shoulder. Now he lifts his hips up as much as he can;way, way up, breaking down his opponent’s posture allowing for him to get his leg over the shoulder. Bernardo pauses in the movement right here to really emphasize how high up his hips are. His leg is entirely straight across his opponent’s back. From here he closes up the omoplata.

The Omoplata is one of the best attacks for submissions and sweeps. Though the omoplata is a submission itself, the attack allows a variety of other sweeps and submissions.

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The important details in this position are to control your opponent’s gi pants, and twist his arm. Once Faria does this, he bends, and grips his opponent’s belt, or anywhere around his hip. This prevents the person from being able to roll out of the omoplata before you go for the finish. The second thing Faria focuses on is placing his left hand up on to his back, controlling him now with an over hook at his waist. Bernado’s goal is to get his left hand under his opponent’s arm pit for the tightest level of control. If you can your hand under the arm pit, there’s a 90 percent change you will be able to finish the omoplata. If you do not get your hand up under the arm pit it is likely your opponent will be able to roll out before you finish. You have to block his hips in order to prevent him from successfully rolling.

From here the finish is simple. Stretch your legs out and keep hip escaping to rotate his arm, forcing him to eventually tap. Someone who has really flexible shoulders might take a bit more work, but if you control the hips you take away the ability for your opponent to pass, giving you time to safely work on the submission.

There are a lot of details that go into making any submission successful. Keep these simple tips in mind the next time you are working your omoplata, they are guaranteed to help improve your chance of getting a successful submission.