Kimura from Closed Guard

Summary: The kimura is a shoulder lock that works like a crowbar on the rotator cuff. Named after judoka Masahiko Kimura, this closed‑guard version is clean, reliable, and its mechanics transfer across positions.

Prerequisites: Closed‑guard posture breaking · Sit‑up mechanics · Wrist control (monkey grip) · Basic shrimping.

Steps

1) Break posture and isolate an arm

From closed guard, pull their hips in with your legs to break posture. Target their right arm. Control the right wrist with your left hand using a monkey grip (thumb with the fingers). Keep the wrist glued to the mat by their hip; if it floats, your kimura does too.

2) Sit up and frame behind the shoulder

Open your guard just enough to sit up. Post your right hand or grab behind the head. Thread your right arm over their triceps and under the forearm, wrapping behind the shoulder like a seat belt. Chest tight—no daylight.

3) Lock the figure‑four

Right hand grabs your own left wrist to form the figure‑four while your left hand still pins theirs. Swap your left‑hand grip to palm‑up so the forearms stack. Elbows tight—this is your steering wheel.

4) Angle your hips

Open your guard and shrimp left towards the trapped arm so you face their shoulder. Right leg climbs high across the back to keep them hunched; left knee tucks near the ribs. Angles make locks bite; square hips make them shrug.

5) Pin the wrist; lift the elbow

Hand stays low; elbow goes high. Paint their knuckles on the mat towards their bum while you lift the elbow up and towards the back of the head—draw a big “J”. Keep the wrist below the shoulder line to stop pressure leaking.

6) Use your whole body

Squeeze elbows, pull with your back, rotate your torso. Your core does the work; hands just maintain the connection. Keep your head close to the shoulder to prevent arm straightening.

7) Head off common escapes

• Belt/gi/own leg grab: Walk the wrist up in tiny paintbrush strokes, hip out more, lift the elbow centimetre by centimetre.
• Posture up: Clamp your right knee over the back and keep head control. If they rise, sit up with them and re‑angle.
• Arm straightening: Follow the wrist, re‑bend the elbow, re‑pin the hand to the mat, then finish.

8) Finish with control and kindness

Tension should build in the shoulder, not the elbow. Go slow—your partner needs their arm for, you know, life.

Key Details

• Monkey grip on the wrist; glue it to the mat by the hip.
• Seat‑belt frame behind the shoulder; chest tight.
• Figure‑four grip with palm‑up/palm‑down swap; elbows tight.
• Hip angle towards the shoulder; right leg high across the back.
• Hand low, elbow high—draw the big “J”.
• Use core rotation and back muscles, not just arms.

Common Mistakes

• Letting the wrist rise above the shoulder line.
• Staying square with the hips (no angle = no torque).
• Trying to muscle it with arms instead of turning the torso.
• Loose elbows or losing the figure‑four too early.

Reactions & Counters

• Belt/leg grab defence: Walk the wrist north a few millimetres at a time, hip‑shift out, elevate the elbow.
• Posture up: Knee over back + head control; follow to sit‑up angle and re‑break posture.
• Arm straightening: Track the wrist, re‑bend to 90°, re‑pin, resume finish.

Variations & Entries

Kimura sit‑up to hip‑bump/guillotine chain · Far‑side kimura from top side control · Standing kimura trap to back take · Omoplata switch when they bury the elbow.

Related Techniques

• Hip Bump Sweep
• Guillotine
• Omoplata
• Back Take from Kimura Trap