Omoplata

Last updated: June 19, 2026

What is the omoplata?

An omoplata is a submission that attacks the shoulder. The word comes from the Portuguese for shoulder blade, which points straight at the joint it targets. What sets it apart from most shoulder locks is the tool doing the work: the attacker uses a leg and the rotation of the hips to bend the opponent’s shoulder, rather than gripping the arm with both hands.

It usually appears from the bottom when the attacker has the opponent inside their guard. One arm gets isolated, a leg swings over that shoulder, and the hips turn until the joint is pushed past its comfortable range. A tap follows, or the opponent scrambles to get out.

Most fans first hear the term during ground exchanges, often right after a triangle attempt breaks down. That overlap matters because the omoplata is rarely treated as a single finishing move. Coaches describe it as a position that can lead to a tap, a reversal, or tighter top control, which is why it turns up so often in guard-heavy matches.

How the omoplata works

The mechanics rest on a simple idea. A shoulder has a limited arc of rotation, and the omoplata pushes the joint past that arc until staying still becomes the only safe choice for the person caught in it.

Picture the attacker on their back with the opponent’s right arm trapped. A leg slides under that armpit and across the opponent’s upper back, pinning the shoulder down. The attacker then turns roughly 180 degrees, swinging the hips around to end up sitting beside the opponent rather than underneath. Raising the hips and leaning forward from there rotates the trapped shoulder inward.

Two details give the position away when watching a match. The defender usually ends up flattened on their stomach, face toward the mat, while the attacker sits upright and slightly off to the side. Control of the hips holds the whole thing together; without it, the trapped opponent simply rolls free. That one point, hip control, is what separates a finish from a scramble, and it explains why a clean omoplata looks patient rather than rushed.

Submission or sweep?

One of the most common questions about the omoplata is whether it counts as a submission or a sweep. The honest answer is both, depending on how the opponent reacts.

If the opponent stays put, the shoulder pressure can force a tap. If they posture up to relieve that pressure, they give up their balance, and the attacker can roll them over into a top position instead. Same entry, two completely different endings.

This double nature shaped how the move is scored. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (CBJJ) recognized the omoplata as a submission for decades but only began awarding points for sweeps from the position in 1994, according to LowKick MMA. Once those sweeps counted, competitors had far more reason to chase the position, and its popularity climbed.

Omoplata vs. kimura

Newcomers often mix up the omoplata and the kimura, and the confusion is fair. Both attack the same joint and bend it the same way, twisting the shoulder inward until it has nowhere left to go. Grapplers group them, along with the americana, in a family of locks sometimes called armcoils, as the Wikipedia entry on armlocks lays out.

The real difference is the tool. A kimura uses a two-handed grip, the attacker’s hands forming a figure-four around the opponent’s wrist and arm. An omoplata hands that job to the legs and hips, leaving the arms free. Student of BJJ describes it neatly as a no-hands kimura. There is also a positional tell. A kimura tends to leave the defender face-up, while an omoplata presses them face-down into the mat.

Feature	Omoplata	Kimura
What applies the lock	Leg and hips	Both arms (figure-four grip)
Direction of shoulder rotation	Inward	Inward
Where it usually starts	From the guard	Guard, side control, mount
Defender’s body	Flattened, face-down	Usually face-up
Hands free to attack	Yes	No

Origins and what the name means

The name is the clearest clue to what the move does. Omoplata is Portuguese for shoulder blade, the scapula, which sits right at the joint the lock attacks.

The technique predates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Judo knows it as ashi sankaku garami, meaning leg triangle entanglement, and catch wrestlers call it the coil lock, according to Evolve Daily. For years, it carried a reputation as a low-percentage move, technical and tough to finish, so plenty of academies taught it only in passing.

That reputation shifted in the 1990s, largely through the Brazilian black belt Nino Schembri, whose success with the position convinced a generation of grapplers to take it seriously. It now sits in the standard toolkit beside the triangle and the armbar, and it shows up regularly in modern gi and no-gi competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce omoplata?

Roughly oh-moh-PLAH-tah. The word is Portuguese, with the stress landing on the third syllable.

Is the omoplata legal in competition?

Yes. It is allowed for adult competitors under the major gi and no-gi rulesets, including the IBJJF. Some organizations apply tighter limits on joint locks for younger age groups, so children’s divisions are the usual exception.

Why is the omoplata considered hard to finish?

The trapped opponent can roll forward or posture up to escape before the lock tightens. A finish depends on controlling the hips first, and that control is easy to lose.

What joint does the omoplata attack?

The shoulder. The lock rotates the shoulder inward, past the range it moves through normally.

Can you do the omoplata in no-gi?

Yes. Gi grips on the sleeve and collar make control easier, while no-gi versions lean more on timing and body angle, as Kingz notes.

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Sources

1. Evolve Daily. “BJJ 101: The Omoplata.”
   https://evolve-mma.com/blog/bjj-101-the-omoplata/
2. LowKick MMA. “Omoplata – BJJ Submission Explained.”
   https://www.lowkickmma.com/omoplata/
3. Kingz. “How to Master the Omoplata.”
   https://www.kingz.com/blogs/news/how-to-master-the-omoplata-bjj
4. BJJ Fanatics. “The Omoplata: A Positional System.”
   https://bjjfanatics.com/blogs/news/the-omoplata-a-positional-system
5. Student of BJJ. “Omoplata.”
   https://www.studentofbjj.com/home/begin/common-submissions/omoplata/
6. Wikipedia. “Armlock.”
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armlock

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