Last updated: June 14, 2026
Quick Definition
The baratoplata is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu shoulder lock that traps an opponent’s arm with the attacker’s own arm in a figure-four grip, then rotates the trapped shoulder to force a tap. It is a close cousin of the omoplata.
What is the baratoplata?
Strip away the details, and this submission comes down to attacking one joint: the shoulder. It belongs to the same family as the omoplata, but the way it isolates the joint sets it apart. Instead of wrapping the arm with the legs, the attacker uses their own arm to lock the opponent’s arm in place, usually with a figure-four or reverse kimura grip, before twisting the shoulder past its comfortable range.
The technique comes from Rafael “Barata” Freitas, a Gracie Barra black belt and MMA fighter from Brasília who earned his black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior in 2008. “Barata” means “cockroach” in Portuguese, which is where the name comes from. Freitas first built the move as a purple belt, originally as a bicep slicer. IBJJF rules ban bicep slicers below black belt, so he reworked it into a shoulder lock that lower belts could use legally in competition (source: BJJ World).
A grappler runs into the term in two places: watching high-level competition, where athletes like Caio Terra and the Miyao brothers have used it, and in their own training when a partner catches them with a shoulder lock that does not look like a standard omoplata. Knowing the name and the basic shape is enough to follow what happened.
How the baratoplata works
Picture an armbar that the defender has just stuffed by hiding their elbow. The baratoplata picks up from roughly that spot. The attacker threads an arm under the trapped arm and grips their own thigh or hip, building a figure-four that clamps the opponent’s elbow in tight (source: Digitsu).
From there, the finish is rotational. By pinning the elbow and pushing the wrist up and away from the body, the attacker rotates the shoulder internally, loading the rotator cuff and the shoulder capsule. That internal rotation is the same broad idea behind the kimura and the omoplata. What changes is the tool doing the trapping. Here, it is an arm and a figure-four grip rather than a pair of legs.
The look is what gives it away. The attacker’s legs are often controlling posture rather than wrapping the arm, and the opponent’s elbow sits clamped against the attacker’s body instead of being swung overhead. Recognising that shape is the difference between seeing a baratoplata and mistaking it for something else.
Baratoplata vs. omoplata
Most people search for the baratoplata because they confused it with the omoplata. The two attack the same joint and share half a name, so the mix-up is fair. The mechanics are different, though.
| Omoplata | Baratoplata | |
|---|---|---|
| Traps the arm with | The legs | The arm (figure-four grip) |
| Shoulder attacked from | Behind the opponent’s body | In front of the body |
| Typical finishing role | Often a control position and sweep, as much as a tap | A direct shoulder lock |
| Common setup | Open and closed guard | Closed guard, half guard, mount, failed armbars and triangles |
The short version: an omoplata uses your legs to crank the shoulder from behind, while a baratoplata uses your arm to crank it from the front (source: Jiu Jitsu Legacy, BJJ Graph). The finishing angle differs, which is why the baratoplata can catch opponents who have already shut down an omoplata.
The baratoplata and other shoulder locks
The baratoplata sits inside a wider group of jiu-jitsu shoulder locks that all rotate the shoulder inward. According to BJJ More, the kimura, omoplata, tarikoplata, monoplata and baratoplata all push the wrist one way and the elbow the other to internally rotate the joint. The Americana is the odd one out, since it rotates the shoulder in the opposite direction.
| Lock | What traps the arm | Notable detail |
|---|---|---|
| Kimura | Both arms, figure-four | The base shoulder lock most others borrow from |
| Omoplata | The legs | Doubles as a control and sweeping position |
| Baratoplata | The attacker’s arm | Created by Rafael Freitas; attacks from the front |
| Tarikoplata | A leg-arm frame | Kimura-omoplata hybrid from Norwegian grappler Tarik Hopstock, around 2014 |
| Monoplata | Legs and arms | Sits roughly between an omoplata and an armbar |
These overlaps are why one shoulder lock so often flows into another mid-scramble. A defended armbar can become a baratoplata, and a stalled omoplata can become a tarikoplata.
Common misconceptions
A few myths follow this submission around.
It is a bicep slicer. It started life as one, but the version that spread through competition attacks the shoulder, not the bicep. That change was deliberate, made so lower belts could use it under IBJJF rules.
It is the same as an omoplata. They are relatives, not twins. The trapping limb and the angle of attack are different, and a grappler can hit a baratoplata when the omoplata is no longer available.
It is a beginner move. Coaches who teach it tend to place it later in a student’s development. BJJ Tribes suggests learning it after a few years of training rather than on day one, partly because the control needed to apply it safely takes time to build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the baratoplata?
Rafael “Barata” Freitas, a Gracie Barra black belt from Brasília, created it during his purple belt years and brought it to high-level competition.
Why is it called the baratoplata?
It is named after Freitas’s nickname, “Barata,” Portuguese for “cockroach,” combined with the “-plata” ending shared by the omoplata family.
Is the baratoplata legal in competition?
The shoulder-lock version is legal under IBJJF rules across belt levels. The original bicep-slicer version is restricted to black belts, which is why Freitas adapted it.
Does the baratoplata hurt?
Yes. It loads the shoulder joint quickly, so the tap usually comes fast. Like any joint lock, it should be applied with control in training.
Where can you set up a baratoplata?
Most often from the closed guard, but also from half guard, the mount, side control, or as a counter when an opponent defends an armbar or triangle.
Sources
- Digitsu. “Baratoplata Breakdown (BJJ).” Accessed June 2026.
https://digitsu.com/t/baratoplata - BJJ World. “The Mechanics of Baratoplata.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjj-world.com/mechanics-baratoplata-painfully-effective-submission/ - Jiu Jitsu Legacy. “The Baratoplata: An Intro Guide to This Dynamic Sub.” Accessed June 2026.
https://jiujitsulegacy.com/videos/techniques/barataplata-an-intro-guide-to-this-dynamic-sub/ - BJJ Tribes. “What You Need to Know About the Baratoplata Submission.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjjtribes.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-baratoplata-submission/ - Evolve MMA. “BJJ Shoulder Locks: Understanding the Differences Between Tarikoplata and Baratoplata.” Accessed June 2026.
https://evolve-mma.com/blog/bjj-shoulder-locks-understanding-the-differences-between-tarikoplata-and-baratoplata/ - BJJ More. “Shoulder Locks: Understand the Kimura, Omoplata and More.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjjmore.com/shoulder-locks/ - Digitsu. “Tarikoplata Breakdown (BJJ).” Accessed June 2026.
https://digitsu.com/t/tarikoplata
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