Two Reasons To Learn Wrist Locks

Wrist locks are one of the most underutilized submissions in bjj today.  Many people often overlook the effectiveness of the wrist lock.  More traditional submissions like the arm bar, The triangle choke, and other popular submissions are often taught far more than the wrist lock.  There may be a wrist lock revolution coming though, much like the leg lock revolution we see today.  Many people neglected leg locks until submission only became so popular and now everyone wants to learn leg locks.

Why would people start to learn wrist locks?  Well, because they are not popular among bjj practitioners.  Here are two reasons why you should start learning wrist locks today.  They are neglected by other practitioners, and they work.  It’s that simple.  Check out another article we wrote on wrist locks, “Level the playing field, and attack the wrist.”

Neglecting the Wrist Lock

One of the main reasons to learn wrist locks is because other people neglect the wrist locks.  This makes it very easy to be more skilled in this particular area of grappling.  If other people are neglecting the wrist why not learn how to attack it?  Many people don’t know the intricacies of wrist locks and taking the time to learn some set ups and finishes is well worth your time.

You may be able to catch higher belts and bigger guys with wrist locks.  Think about it, if you spend tons of time learning wrist locks and are only a blue belt, you may know more than upper belts do on wrist locks and you may be able to catch them by surprise. As far as attacking bigger guys, the wrist is a very small part of the body with a lot of bones and not much muscle.  It is very difficult to use muscle to defend a wrist lock.  This is why it is a great choice of submission for smaller guys.  Check out our article “Good submissions for smaller guys” to learn more submissions for the skinnier guy.  Also, check out this awesome wrist lock set up below.

Wrist Locks Work, it is Not a Myth

Yes they work, it is not a myth.  How do we prove this?  Well look at some of the recent competitions and see for yourself.  In the 2016 Black Belt World Championships, Rafael Mendes submitted one of his opponents via wrist lock.  He has also done wrist locks several times at the Rickson Cup in Japan. 

Garry Tonon is one of the most famous and resilient grapplers in the world today.  The last time he was submitted it was by a wrist lock at the New York Open IBJJF Tournament.  Marcelo Garcia Black Belt Matheus Diniz submitted Garry via wrist lock, that’s right, Garry Tonon tapped to a wrist lock.  So the proof is in the pudding, wrist locks work. Check out this slick wrist lock below.

If you want to learn some cool and slick wrist locks, check out Black Belt, Jamico Elders DVD “Scientific Wrist Destruction.”  This is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn some cool new wrist locks.