Wrist Locks, the Sneaky Submission

Submitting your opponent is one of the most important and difficult parts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Learning submissions is also one of the fun parts of bjj.  One of the most underrated submissions is the wrist lock.  The wrist lock is not very popular in the Jiu Jitsu community.

The wrist lock, if properly applied, is one of the best submissions you can learn for gi, nogi, or self-defense.  It allows you to use a massive amount of leverage against a small part of someone’s body.  Therefore, the wrist lock is a good technique for smaller guys to learn for bigger opponents.  You can apply wrist locks from standing, guard, or top position.

Wrist Locks from Standing

Wrist locks are one of the sneakiest submissions.  You can learn a multitude of wrist locks, although they are not extremely popular, they have been executed at the highest levels of competition. One place to get a good wrist lock is from standing.

The standing wrist lock is good for self-defense, and has been utilized in black belt tournaments.  It is one of those attacks that is not telegraphed, therefore, it can be a lethal and surprising weapon. The wrist lock from standing is difficult to practice in training because it typically comes on very fast.  Your opponent may yell and give a verbal tap as opposed to a regular tap because they may not have time to tap.  Check out this video below of a standing wrist lock entry.

Wrist Locks from Guard

Wrist locks are also a great weapon from the guard.  You can apply several wrist locks from closed guard and half guard.  Once again, the wrist lock is not very common so you can use it as a surprise attack.  Check out our article “Closed Guard for Self-Defense” to learn some good wrist locks from closed guard that work for self-defense predicaments.

The wrist lock from closed guard works well when you chain it together with other moves.  You can use it to set up other moves, or you can use other moves to set up the wrist lock.  Check out this video below of Claudio Calassans demonstrating a lethal wrist lock from closed guard.

Wrist Locks from Top Position

The wrist lock may be the most effective when applied from the top position.  This is because you can use good weight distribution and leverage to attack a small part of your opponent’s body.  There are a variety of wrist locks from side control, full mount, north south, and back control.

Check out our article, “A Brutal and Easy Wrist Lock” to see a cool wrist lock.  When applying the wrist lock from top position, you can easily trick your opponent into giving up his wrists.  One of the benefits of the wrist lock is that it is readily available.  For instance, with arm bars, they may have to extend, the wrist lock can be applied while your opponent has their elbows bent and tight.  Check out this video below from Keenan Cornelius showing seven deadly wrist locks.

If you would like to add wrist locks, leg attacks, and a deadly closed guard to your bjj arsenal, check out Claudio Calassans 4 DVD set “Giant Killer Techniques.”  This is a great tool for a Jiu Jitsu practitioner who wants to become more aggressive and develop their game as a whole.