Far-Side Armbar

Last updated: May 29, 2026

What is a far side armbar?

When a fighter pins an opponent in side control, lying chest-to-chest and perpendicular across the body, the opponent has two arms within reach. The one closer to the attacker’s hips is the near arm. The one farther away, up past the attacker’s head and shoulder, is the far arm. A far side armbar isolates that far arm, traps it, and bends the elbow backward against its natural range until the joint is in danger.

The term exists because side control offers more than one armbar. Attacking the far arm and attacking the near arm are different attacks with different setups and different angles, so grapplers name them separately to be clear about which one they mean. Commentators do the same thing when they call a finish on a broadcast.

It belongs to the wider armbar family, known in judo as juji-gatame, where the attacker controls the wrist and drives the hips upward against the back of the elbow. The far side version simply applies that idea to the arm on the far side of the body, reached by stepping or spinning around the opponent’s head from a side control pin.

How the far side armbar works

Every armbar targets the elbow. According to Digitsu, the technique attacks the humeroulnar joint and uses the attacker’s hips as a fulcrum to force the elbow into hyperextension. The wrist gets controlled, the arm gets straightened, and the elbow is pressed past the point it can bend.

What makes this one the “far side” armbar is the arm being attacked and the path to it. From side control, the attacker secures the far arm, often after clearing the opponent’s frames, then moves around the head and rotates into the finishing position so the trapped arm runs between the legs with the elbow exposed. Fight Encyclopedia notes a defining detail of any armbar: the thumb has to point upward for the elbow to be vulnerable, and if the arm rotates so the thumb turns, the lock loses its bite.

For a viewer, the tell is the attacker leaving a flat side control pin and circling toward the head while keeping one of the opponent’s arms clamped. That circling motion to capture the arm on the far side is the signature of this submission, and it separates it from armbars thrown from guard or mount.

Far side armbar vs. near side armbar

Both attacks come from side control, and both finish the same way, by hyperextending the elbow. The difference is which arm gets attacked and how the opponent’s reaction opens the door.

Feature	Far side armbar	Near side armbar
Arm attacked	Far arm (farther from attacker’s hips)	Near arm (closer to attacker’s hips)
Typical setup	Circle around the head to the far arm	Attack the near arm directly, often from knee-on-belly
Reaction that opens it	Framing or straightening the far arm	Pushing or framing with the near arm
Reputation	The more common of the two from side control	More of a surprise attack
Also known as	Far side armbar	Shotgun armbar (knee-on-belly version)

The far side armbar is usually the more familiar of the pair. BJJ World explains that grapplers favor it because the far arm can be isolated early, shifting pressure between the shoulders to set the attack up. The near side version is rarer in practice, which is part of why BJJ World calls it the more unexpected of the two. Evolve University refers to the near side attack from knee-on-belly as the shotgun armbar.

Where you’ll see the far side armbar

The far side armbar lives in grappling-heavy settings. Lachlan Giles, in a breakdown hosted by BJJ Fanatics, calls it one of the most common attacks from top side control, which is why it shows up constantly in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and no-gi competition.

It appears in MMA whenever a fighter passes the guard, settles into side control, and the opponent leaves the far arm exposed by framing to defend. The armbar itself is among the most reliable joint locks in the sport. Fight Encyclopedia lists juji-gatame as the second most common submission in MMA history, behind only the rear-naked choke.

So the term tends to come up in commentary and fight breakdowns as a way to specify exactly which arm a fighter is hunting once the action hits the mat. Knowing it means following that part of a fight without losing the thread.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a far side armbar in simple terms?

It is an armbar that attacks the opponent’s far arm, the one farther from the attacker’s hips, from top side control, bending the elbow backward until the opponent taps.

Is the far side or near side armbar more common?

The far side armbar is generally more common from side control, according to BJJ World, because the far arm is easier to isolate and set up. The near side version is rarer and more of a surprise.

Why is it called the far side armbar?

The name points to the arm being attacked. From side control, the far arm sits farther from the attacker’s hips, on the far side of the body, so the attack named for it is the far side armbar.

Does the far side armbar work in MMA?

Yes. It comes from side control, a position fighters reach after passing the guard, and the armbar family it belongs to is the second most common submission in MMA history per Fight Encyclopedia.

What position does the far side armbar come from?

Top side control, where the attacker pins the opponent chest-to-chest and perpendicular before isolating the far arm.

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Sources

1. Digitsu. “Armbar Breakdown (BJJ).” Accessed May 2026.
2. Fight Encyclopedia. “Elbow Lock, Submission family.” Accessed May 2026.
3. BJJ Fanatics. “Far Side Arm Bar from Side Control with Lachlan Giles.” Accessed May 2026.
4. Grapplearts. “Near and Far Arm Armbar Attacks from Side Control.” Accessed May 2026.
5. BJJ World. “How To Fix Your Armbar From Side Control.” Accessed May 2026.
6. Evolve University. “Here’s How To Utilize The Shotgun Armbar For BJJ.” Accessed May 2026.
7. MiddleEasy. “Armbar – BJJ Submission.” Accessed May 2026.

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