Weird Kimura From Top Half Guard With Tom DeBlass

With the evolution of Jiu Jitsu through digital content availability creating access to the highest level techniques out there today it makes sense that everyone is searching for the next “secret move”. 

Let’s face it, we live in a time where if you want to learn how to dominate from half guard from Tom DeBlass, you can do that, if you want to enter the system of leg locks with John Danaher, you guessed it, you can do that too.  You want to learn what Gordon Ryan eats and how he trains both on and off the mats so you can get swole as a grappler? You can do that too. All of this is available to us now thanks to technology, and BJJ Fanatics. For a relatively minimal fee you have access to whatever content you want.  It always makes me laugh when people complain about the cost of a video instructional. Let’s think about it for a minute.

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If you wanted to learn from John Danaher, but we didn’t have access to his video instructionals, you would have to travel to Renzo’s in New York City, convince Danaher to train you, pay for somewhere to stay while you are being trained (hotels in the city are not cheap) as well as your travel too and from and meals and all of the things that go along with travel expenses.  A week long trip to train with Danaher could easily cost you over a thousand dollars in travel expenses and meals alone, not including whatever he would charge you for the week. Would it be a great experience? I’m certain of it. But, 20 percent of that cost or less you can have a video instructional that covers typically 10 or more hours of technique breakdown, in such extreme detail.  

Oh, and one more thing, you can’t rewind and rewatch Professor Danaher showing you a detail from when you were there in person, but you most certainly can on your video instructional.  The bottom line is, not only are video instructionals an amazing training tool to add to your training regimen, they are also quite underpriced in my opinion when you truly run the numbers. 

All that being said, we live in a time where anyone can access techniques from the best of the best any time they choose and as a result, everyone is on the hunt for the next sneaky thing that hasn’t been wide spread yet.  Could Tom DeBlass have the answer with his “Weird Kimura from Top Half”?

“In Jiu Jitsu, inches are miles – everything must be drilled perfectly” – Tom DeBlass

Starting in top half guard, Professor DeBlass is allowing his training partner to shoot up for the under hook and then immediately collapsing their under hook leaving him in a cross body position on top of his training partner.  Next he is going to bring his other hand to the same side so now both arms are over his training partners left arm.  

From here he needs to turn into the training partner in order to create space and access to their arm.  To do this Professor DeBlass brings his outside knee under his training partners bottom thigh. His inside leg then posts on his foot, knee pointed up towards the ceiling. 

Now Professor DeBlass has created space and has access to his training partners arm to begin attacking the Kimura.  In an ideal world he would like to grab the opponent’s left wrist with his right hand, however this may not be possible due to the length of the opponent’s arm.  If the wrist is not accessible, Professor DeBlass feels that grabbing the opponent’s left forearm with his right hand is acceptable as well.  

Next, now that the first grip is secure and we have control over the opponent’s left arm, we can now start to finalize our grip and lock in the Kimura submission.  At this point our left hand swims under the opponent’s arm in the elbow area, and then grabs over top of our own wrist.

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Finally, it’s time to finish this “Weird Kimura” and get the tap.  In order to finish the Kimura we first need to push the opponent’s arm to the mat, as you do this, you will also be switching your body to be more of a chest to chest position (squaring up your hips) rather than sitting on your hip as you were.  Once securing the opponent’s arm to the mat you can now walk the elbow all the way towards the head as far as it can go. Lastly, you will want to press the wrist against the mat and lift with your other arm forcing the opponent’s elbow up and resulting in a tap, or snap I guess, but let’s hope for a tap. 

Remember when training joint locks, be careful of your training partner and make sure they know to tap early and often rather than sustain an injury.  No one is getting a trophy for being the toughest at drilling.  

There is more to Jiu Jitsu than just technique.  The mindset that goes into it is really the core of what is being developed over time and really the driving force in determining if we achieve our goals or not, on and off of that mats.  If you want to guarantee you will be successful, again, on and off the mats, then you have to constantly work on training your mindset. Professor DeBlass just launched his latest video / audio instructional titled “The Road to Black Belt and Beyond” which covers in great detail how to set yourself up for success in Jiu Jitsu and in life.  Developing a growth mindset that is sure to get you out of your comfort zone and on your way to achieving anything and everything you desire, plan for, and work relentlessly towards.  

If you are looking to advance your technique and like the video clips from Professor DeBlass’ instructionals you will want to check out his video instructional on “Submission Escapes” to learn how a world class competitor not only avoids submissions but stays safe doing it.

Improve your submission defense by watching Tom DeBlass' Submission Escapes DVD! You can get this great series here!