Roger attacks with a kimura but goes straight for the choke.
It’s no exaggeration to say that, in BJJ, the options are endless. Basic positions are mixed with bold techniques all the time, and adaptation is the law of the land. To Roger Gracie, for example, a simple kimura attack can turn into a straight path to a choke.
In a lesson produced for our friends over at the Dojjo channel, Roger showed an attack option for when his opponent defends against the kimura. In order not to waste energy, Roger goes from the north–south to his opponent’s back without releasing the grips. From there, he seeks the cross collar, and the hand under his opponent’s arm serves as a lever to conclude the squeeze.
“If you’re up against a very strong opponent and you can’t break their grip in their kimura defense,” he says 23 seconds into the following video, “we switch and choke them.”
“In this situation, I have the kimura locked in place,” he says at 0:38, “he’s defending, I’m trying and failing to break. Instead of staying here wasting energy, I’m gonna switch, get both my knees behind his back. Now I’m gonna push him forward and get a bit lower to be able to reach his neck. Now I’m gonna open the collar, thumb on the inside, make a tight grip on the back. And, in this situation, I can come with the opposite hand and grab the collar as well and choke him. Or in this situation [1:12], perhaps, it’s even better to go behind his head and put my hand on my arm, sliding it down, until I’m able to grab under my elbow. And stretch the arm. And you finish.”
Watch it here:
