The Kimura can be a very powerful submission in conjunction with other attacks. Here senior Carlson Gracie black belt Marcus Soares shows you how to apply the Kimura and a powerful neck crank at the same time.
Photo 1 – Start in the north-south position with one arm over your opponent’s shoulder and one arm under his shoulder. Your bodyweight should initially be on the side of the underhooking arm.
Photo 2 – To set up the submission, start circling towards the overhooked side, and trap his arm by encircling it with your own and gripping your own lapel.
Photo 3 – This close-up shows you how exactly how to hold his arm and your own lapel. Your opponent is unlikely to suspect how close he is to a Kimura lock!
Photo 4 – Now switch your base, bringing your thigh up under his head like a pillow. The next move will be to step your other leg up over his head and triangle your feet, trapping his head between your legs.
Photo C5 – Now you lie back and pull on his arm, putting severe strain on his shoulder. If you don’t believe that this is a Kimura lock try it on your training partner. When he taps, take a look at his arm: it should be bent into the exact same position as if you were applying a regular Kimura. At the same time as you are locking his arm, however, you can be neckcranking and choking him by squeezing your legs together and pulling on his arm: a very bad position for your opponent.
For more information on the Kimura submission (and Marcus Soares) check out the Mastering the Kimura article on this site.