I'm currently most successful with my Kimura armlock from the side mount when I start it from the reverse scarf hold and finish it from north/south. I think it's because the reverse scarf hold gives me a good leverage to push the wrist down to the mat and the north/south position gives me the greatest power to pull his elbow towards my chest (one has to apply minimal torque to the arm when your opponent's elbow is as close to his head as possible.
Is this your experience, too? In particular, I'm wondering if there is ever a reason NOT to finish the Kimura from the north/south position when you set it up from the side mount?
I don't usually use this technique from side mount; I usually prefer to progress to knee on belly or mount. But, when I use it I set it up from reverse scarf as you described, for that reason.
Once locked in, I transition to scarf hold, then step the far leg over his head, but keeping my hip on the mat and maintaining more or less scarf position. It allows a tremendous amount of force to be applied w/o much movement and you will not loose side/scarf positioning.
Where have you been guy? Haven't seen your trademark technique questions here lately.
"Once locked in, I transition to scarf hold, then step the far leg over his head, but keeping my hip on the mat and maintaining more or less scarf position. It allows a tremendous amount of force to be applied w/o much movement and you will not loose side/scarf positioning. "
I feel that by finishing the kimura from the side mount in which you step over the head, but are really still in regular side mount or scarf hold, you might get more leverage in rotating his arm, which is the final movement of the technique.
But by transitioning to north/south, I feel I have better leverage to raise his elbow up towards his shoulder/head. And once I have it high like that, I need almost no rotation at all. Try it out - I'm not saying it's better, it just feels better, at the moment, for me.
"Where have you been guy? Haven't seen your trademark technique questions here lately."
Yeah, I know :) I've been busy applying the answers to those questions lately, in my BJJ classes ;) And believe it or not, I've learned so much from this forum that I don't need to ask as much as I used to. I'll shoot some more questions, just for the fun of it.
You definately get more leverage from the side.
I don't use kimura much from N/S (I don' use it much from any position, for that matter, and most of the people I train with don't either). I usually prefer choke/straight armbar combos from N/S.
The only time I really use it is from bottom half guard to distract the opponent while I set up sweeps.
I think the reason I don't use it as much is because we train predominantly with the gi, and its easier to defend while wearing one. But I might just have to focus on it for a while.
I never finish from side. Always north/south. More control and better followups.
From side control, you have to step over the head, and that's a hassle because he knows it's coming. And he's constantly trying to shuck your leg off back to the other side. Then when you're there, you don't have particularly good leverage to break his grip if he's grabbing his belt or pants.
From north south, once you have his head pinched between your knees, it's hard for him to move at all. You can use your shin on his arm to break his grip. Doing the kimura from north south you get him on his side, so if he was already on his side from trying to shrimp away from you, then he already did that part for you.
From side, what have you got for followups? Basically the reverse triangle series or the spin around armbar on the arm that you're kimura-ing. I'm know there are more but these are the common ones. From north/south you have better options for followups. Here are two I like that people don't expect.
1) neck crank/choke: I'm kimura-ing the right arm from n/s. So my left hand grabs his wrist and my right arm back underhooks his right arm and grabs my left wrist. I move my legs over to his right side, as though I want the armbar. I put my chest over his arm keeping my weight on it so he can't move it. I move my right forearm high under his armpit as possible, and turn it palm up, with the outer edge of my forearm against his neck. I take my left forearm and put it under his head, palm down and grab my hands together. I keep my weight on him and my elbows pinched tight to my sides. My left forearm lifts his head up as my right forearm goes down into his neck. It's part neck crank, part arm triangle. Kukuk shows this in BJJ A-Z; although I knew it already, he had some good details.
2) omoplata/ kimura from guard: I saw this on one of Rodrigo Medeiros' dvds, side control I think. Starting with the same kimura from n/s, I post my left foot and step it over his body and turn to face him, falling back, which pulls him up onto his knees so I'm facing his right side. You end up basically in the same position as if you were doing an armbar from the guard on his left arm and he pulled his left arm out, so you can go to an omoplata on his right arm. But you already had the kimura grip so you might as well finish that. It seems like a mistake to give up top position, and it might be, but it catches people by surprise, and the bottom position you end up with is very controlling if you keep your knees pinched, and keep your legs bent strongly holding his head down.
You named the follow-ups. Either position has some good ones; I think its just personal preference.
Two other follow ups :
1.)Go to the side facing him and squeeze you knees together above and below his elbow while pulling his elbow into you.
2.)Go to his back side,loop one leg over his forearm and hook that foot under your other knee like a triangle.
Thanks, guys!
the best way ive found.. is to be in the north south position, but go all the way to the side of the arm kimura'ing. dont need to worry about his head popping out.. and i think its basically inescapable.
you donot have to step over the head from side mount you just have to chage your base.