Last updated: June 18, 2026
Quick Definition
A monoplata is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu shoulder lock that traps and bends one of the opponent’s arms, then uses a single leg and hip rotation to crank the shoulder past its normal range of motion. It is a close cousin of the omoplata, but it finishes with one leg instead of a two-leg triangle.
What is a monoplata?
The monoplata belongs to a small group of grappling submissions that share the “-plata” suffix, sitting alongside the omoplata, the gogoplata, and the baratoplata. All of them attack through the shoulder or neck, using the legs in some way. The monoplata lands squarely in the shoulder-lock category. It bends the opponent’s arm and twists the shoulder inward until they have to tap.
What sets it apart is hidden in the name. “Omoplata” is Portuguese for the shoulder blade, or scapula, and the classic omoplata wraps two legs around the trapped arm in a triangle. “Mono” means one. In a monoplata, only one leg goes over the opponent while the attacker isolates the bent arm against the torso and drives the finish with hip rotation. That single difference changes where and how the submission works.
Coaches often describe it as a blend of an omoplata and an armbar, with the pressure landing on the shoulder rather than the elbow. Marcelo Garcia kept it in his curriculum. 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu relies on it heavily, since it chains so cleanly into the omoplata and the gogoplata, and many no-gi players treat it as a staple of their top game. Gi-focused gyms tend to skip it, which is part of why so many grapplers meet the word before they ever see the move.
How the monoplata works
Picture the attacker on top, often in mount or three-quarter mount. They trap one of the opponent’s arms in a bent, chicken-wing shape and pin it tight against their own ribs, then swing one leg over the opponent’s upper body to block the escape. The finish comes from the hips rather than the arms: as the attacker rotates and extends, the shoulder is forced into internal rotation, the same painful direction a kimura travels.
That internal rotation is the heart of the technique. Like the kimura and omoplata, the monoplata pushes the opponent’s wrist toward their back while pulling the elbow the other way, and the shoulder can only turn so far before the joint gives. Black belt Jeff Glover has noted that the giveaway difference from an omoplata is control: in a monoplata, the attacker pins the arm with the ribs and the top of the thigh instead of steering it with the hands.
For anyone watching a match, the tell is a grappler perched on top with an opponent’s arm folded and trapped, one leg threaded across the body, and a slow turn of the hips right before the tap.
Monoplata vs omoplata
Most people look up the monoplata because they already know the omoplata and want to know how the two differ. They are relatives, and they attack the same joint, yet they are far from identical.
| Monoplata | Omoplata | |
| Legs used | One leg over the opponent | Both legs, locked in a triangle |
| Usual position | Top, often from mount | Bottom, usually from guard |
| Arm control | Trapped against the ribs and thigh | Steered with the legs and hands |
| Common role | Finish, or a bail-out when an omoplata stalls | Submission, sweep, or transition |
The link between them matters as much as the contrast. When a grappler goes for an omoplata from the bottom and the opponent traps the second leg or stacks them, the attack stalls. Rather than forcing it, the attacker can pinch the knees, switch the hips, and finish with the one leg that is still free. That escape hatch is the monoplata, which is one reason it carries the “mono” name.
Where the name comes from
The submission is young next to its cousins. Most accounts credit Marcelo Garcia with popularizing it in the late 2000s, which is why it picked up the nickname “Marceloplata.” Some grapplers know it by blunter labels, including the “Ugly Armbar,” a nod to how unpolished it can look beside a textbook armbar.
Its parent runs much deeper. The omoplata traces back to judo, where it goes by ashi sankaku garami, or leg triangle entanglement, and to catch wrestling, which knew it as the coil lock. That technique stayed a low-percentage afterthought in early Brazilian jiu-jitsu until Nino Schembri showed what it could do in the 1990s competition. The monoplata is a modern offshoot of that revival.
Common misconceptions
A few mix-ups come up again and again.
People often treat the monoplata and omoplata as the same move. They share a joint and a family name, but the leg count and the starting position set them apart, as the table above shows.
Calling it an armbar is another frequent slip. It can flow into a straight armbar and can resemble one in a scramble, yet the monoplata finishes by twisting the shoulder, while a true armbar straightens and levers the elbow.
There is also a belief that it only belongs in flashy no-gi grappling. It does turn up most in no-gi and 10th Planet systems, but the underlying shoulder lock works in the gi and in MMA too, anywhere a top player can trap a bent arm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the monoplata legal in competition?
Yes. It is a controlled shoulder lock, and shoulder locks of this kind are permitted under the major gi and no-gi rule sets.
Is the monoplata dangerous?
It can be. Shoulder locks injure quietly and quickly, so coaches stress slow, controlled application in training and an early tap from the person caught in it.
Is the monoplata used in MMA?
It is uncommon but possible. The setup fits MMA because it comes from top positions like mount, though strikes and sweat make any submission harder to hold.
Why is it called the monoplata?
“Mono” means one, marking the single leg used in the finish, and “plata” comes from omoplata, the Portuguese word for shoulder blade.
Who invented the monoplata?
No single person owns it, but Marcelo Garcia is most often credited with popularizing it, which is why some grapplers call it the Marceloplata.
Sources
- BJJ Heroes. “The Omoplata.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.bjjheroes.com/techniques/the-omoplata - Evolve MMA. “BJJ 101: The Omoplata.” Accessed June 2026.
https://evolve-mma.com/blog/bjj-101-the-omoplata/ - BJJ World. “Are You Hitting the Monoplata as Often as You Should?” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjj-world.com/hitting-the-monoplata/ - BJJ Fanatics. “Monoplata Attacks With Jeff Glover.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/monoplata-attacks-with-jeff-glover - BJJ More. “Shoulder Locks: Understand the Kimura, Omoplata and More.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjjmore.com/shoulder-locks/ - Revolution BJJ (Andrew Smith). “How to Set Up a Monoplata.” Accessed June 2026.
https://discover.hubpages.com/sports/How-to-Set-Up-a-Monoplata-a-BJJ-Tutorial - After the Mat. “Monoplata.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.afterthemat.com/library/jiu-jitsu/monoplata
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