BJJ Beginners

Lesson 31 – Standing Armlock

Position:

Standing Armlock

Overview:

Although we normally recommend you take the fight to the ground, sometimes the bully will give you an opportunity to defeat them while standing. Many confrontations begin with a bully pushing your chest with one or both hands, and when this happens, they unknowingly create the perfect opportunity for you to apply the Standing Armlock.

Technical Slices:

Basic Application

• Indicator: Bully pushes or grabs you with an extended arm.
• Essential Detail: Effective pull and cutoff step.
• Most Common Mistake: Turning to the wrong side during the pull.
• Safety Tip: Apply pressure very slowly to avoid injury.
• Transfer Teaching Tip: Make the initial arm pull more and more challenging each time.

Bully Battle

• Practice the Standing Armlock in combination with all of the previously learned techniques at various intensity levels. Give special emphasis to Taking the Back from the guard (Lesson 28).

Final Thoughts

• Don’t grab the wrists until you are ready to commit to the full technique. By doing everything at once, the bully has no time to react. Be sure to tug on their arm firmly so that they are thrown off balance and you can use their momentum against them. Also, don’t forget to negotiate.