Last updated: April 16, 2026
Quick Definition
A kimura lock is a figure-four shoulder submission that bends an opponent’s arm behind their back, applying rotational pressure to the shoulder joint and, depending on the angle, the elbow.
What is a kimura lock?
The kimura is a joint lock built around a figure-four grip: the attacker grabs the opponent’s wrist with one hand, threads the other arm behind the opponent’s arm, and grips their own wrist to form a closed loop. With the arm trapped in that loop, the attacker rotates it medially so the opponent’s hand travels behind their back, forcing the shoulder past its normal range of motion.
It is classified as a shoulder lock, though pressure can also reach the elbow depending on the angle. In judo, the same technique is known as gyaku ude-garami, meaning “reverse arm entanglement,” and in catch wrestling, it has been called the double wristlock or chicken wing for roughly a century. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu name “kimura” came later, after the 1951 match between Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura and BJJ co-founder Hélio Gracie at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Kimura won with the technique; Gracie refused to tap and had his arm broken. Out of respect, Brazilian grapplers began calling the lock by the winner’s name, according to BJJ Heroes.
What makes the kimura one of the most widely used submissions in MMA is its availability. A fighter can attack it from side control, mount, half guard, closed guard, north-south, turtle, and even from standing. The same grip also works as a control position, so threatening a kimura often leads to a sweep, a pass, or a back take rather than a finish.
How the kimura works
The mechanical core of the kimura is leverage: two arms working against one. Once the figure-four grip is secured, the attacker uses full-body rotation, not arm strength, to drive the opponent’s hand toward the back of their own head or up between their shoulder blades. The shoulder joint, which has a wide but finite range of rotation, reaches its limit quickly. From there, the opponent can either tap or suffer a dislocation or humerus fracture.
Two visual cues separate the kimura from similar-looking shoulder locks: the attacker’s arms are locked in a figure-four around an isolated bent arm, and the opponent’s hand is being driven in an arc away from the body rather than pulled straight. Once the hand starts travelling behind the back, the submission is usually seconds from finishing or breaking.
The submission’s danger is well documented. At UFC 140 in December 2011, Frank Mir locked a kimura on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the first round. Nogueira, one of the most decorated jiu-jitsu fighters in heavyweight MMA history, refused to tap, and his arm snapped. The fight was stopped at 3:38 of round one, and the injury remains one of the sport’s most-cited illustrations of why grapplers tap early to joint locks.
Kimura vs. americana
The kimura is often confused with the americana, since both use a figure-four grip on a bent arm and both target the shoulder. The difference is the direction of rotation.
| Kimura | Americana | |
|---|---|---|
| Forearm direction | Points toward the opponent’s hips / feet | Points toward the opponent’s head |
| Rotation | Medial (inward) | Lateral (outward) |
| Most common positions | Guard, side control, half guard, north-south, standing | Side control, mount |
| Judo name | Gyaku ude-garami (reverse arm entanglement) | Ude-garami |
| Other names | Double wristlock, chicken wing | Keylock, figure-four armlock |
According to BJJ Heroes, the practical marker is which way the forearm is pointing once the grip is locked in: down toward the hips, it is a kimura; up past the head, it is an americana. The two techniques share the same family but apply pressure in opposite directions, which is why a well-positioned defender against one can be vulnerable to the other.
Other names for the kimura
The same technique carries different names across grappling styles, which is a common source of confusion for new MMA fans watching commentary:
- Gyaku ude-garami (judo). Translates as “reverse arm entanglement.”
- Double wristlock (catch wrestling). The style’s most associated submission, credited to Lorigo “Tony” Morelli in the 1920s according to BJJ Heroes.
- Chicken wing (catch wrestling and wrestling slang), describing the shape of the trapped arm.
- Reverse keylock (technical grappling terminology).
UFC announcer Bruce Buffer traditionally announces kimura finishes as “by tap-out due to kimura,” which has helped standardise the BJJ name across mainstream MMA broadcasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the kimura common in the UFC?
It appears regularly but is not among the most frequent finishes. In the 98 UFC submissions recorded during 2022, only one was a kimura, according to a Bloody Elbow year-end breakdown. The rear-naked choke accounted for 38 finishes that year. The kimura shows up more often as a control position or a setup for other attacks than as a finishing submission.
Who invented the kimura?
No single person invented it. Similar figure-four shoulder locks appear in catch wrestling in the early 1900s, in judo as gyaku ude-garami, and in historical wrestling manuals going back centuries. The BJJ name “kimura” honours Masahiko Kimura, the Japanese judoka who used it to defeat Hélio Gracie in 1951.
Is the kimura dangerous?
Yes. Applied with full pressure, it can dislocate the shoulder or fracture the humerus. Training partners are expected to apply it slowly and release on the tap. The Mir-Nogueira finish at UFC 140 is the clearest example of what happens when the submission is held past the tap point.
What is the kimura trap?
A control system built around the kimura grip, developed and named by grappler and MMA fighter David Avellan in the late 2000s. Instead of forcing a finish, a fighter uses the grip to sweep, pass guard, take the back, or chain into other submissions. The original term dates to 2007, with Avellan’s first full instructional release in 2012.
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Armlock.” Accessed April 2026.
- BJJ Heroes. “Kimura Lock (Submission).” Accessed April 2026.
- BJJ Heroes. “Americana Lock (Submission).” Accessed April 2026.
- Evolve MMA. “BJJ 101: The Kimura.” Accessed April 2026.
- Yahoo Sports. “Sakuraba vs. The Gracies: The dizzying inside story of MMA’s oldest blood feud, 25 years later.” Accessed April 2026.
- Bleacher Report. “UFC 140: Mir Breaks Nogueira’s Humerus with Kimura.” Accessed April 2026.
- Bloody Elbow. “Of the 98 UFC submissions in 2022 these were the rarest.” Accessed April 2026.
Related MMA Terms
MMA Glossary
Explore 200+ MMA terms, techniques, and definitions.