An avid competitor with several medals won on the IBJJF circuit, Esdras Junior is a standout athlete from Ares BJJ in Phoenix, Arizona. Known for his teaching style, today the black-belt reveals, straight out of his arsenal, three important concepts for applying the armbar.
The position is very traditional, one you learn right at the start of your jiu-jitsu education; but many times you can make little mistakes that can cost you the final adjustment.
“The armbar from the closed guard is simple, but if you don’t pay attention to the details, you lose the position,” says Esdras, who has been doing BJJ for 13 years. “The most common mistake is when you move your hip without turning your body, which ends up opening up space for the passer to escape the position by pulling their own arm or stretching their knee. There are two other mistakes that are made very often, and I explain them in this video.”
