BJJ Back Mount to Arm Bar, Part Two:

Following up on his last instructional, The MMA Performance Professor, Stephen Whittier, reviews how to take an opponent's back from the side control (or cross-sides) position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, then demonstrates the transition to the arm bar from the back and the details on how to finish the arm lock when your opponent defends while maintaining total control.

As with the previous series, this technique works equally well in BJJ, submission wrestling, and Mixed Martial Arts.

After taking your opponent's back, you should have your bottom leg, or "hook," inside your opponent's bottom leg while tilted onto your side. Ideally your arms will be in the harness or "seatbelt" position, with the arm over your opponent's shoulder on the bottom side as well.

If you can catch the rear choke in transition to taking the back, this is best. However, if your opponent is effectively defending you have the option of switching to the arm bar.

To do this, Professor Whittier shows how to "swim" your bottom hand inside your opponent's wrist, then lock in strong "figure-4" position with his own arms and use that frame to extend his arms and keep his opponent away while he moves to a perpendicular angle and switches his bottom leg around his opponent's head. This is one of the keys that are often missed in this technique... without the proper frame as you switch to the arm bar, your opponent will always have an opportunity to scramble on top of you and wind up inside your guard.

Next, he shows how to lock your legs in order to keep your opponent controlled, and to break your opponent's grip if he defends without sacrificing your own position. By locking in your opponent's trapped arm with one of your arms, then reaching with your free hand to pull on his far shoulder, you will be able to weaken his defensive structure and trap his wrist so that you can finish extending his arm and get the lock.

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