Most grapplers know how to apply the Kimura armlock on the far side of their opponent’s bodies.  It’s an attack taught at white belt that you see in every grappling competition.

But many intermediate grapplers don’t know that you can actually use the Kimura technique on BOTH sides of your opponent’s body.

However, the near side Kimura is an absolutely critical position for controlling your opponent.  This is especially true in no gi when you have far fewer handles.

In this article I’ll show you how to use that alternate gip Kimura to set up different submissions (armbar, side triangle choke, etc) and how to use it as a big giant handle to move your opponent all over the mat!

Near vs Far Side Kimura Video

First, here’s the video that the rest of the article is based on.

Check it out because it breaks down the difference between getting the Kimura grip on the two different sides of your opponent’s body and what you can do with those gips…

The Far Side Kimura

Most grapplers learn about the far side Kimura long before they’re introduced to the near side Kimura.

The classical far side Kimura starts by … Continue reading Near vs Far Side Kimura Armlocks