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In The Arena Blog

Crossing Your Feet to Help Finish an Armbar

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For this Tip of the Week, Jiu Jitsu Coach Ryan Fortin shows some details on how and why you can cross your feet when looking to finish an armbar. You can apply this technique to both Gi and No Gi.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Coach Ryan Fortin:
What’s up guys? Ryan Fortin here. Jiu Jitsu instructor with the Arena with this week’s tip. A couple of things here from this position that I’m trying to get across for the tip of the week is how to trap this elbow in and how to set up your legs. So what I’ve learned over the years is I don’t want to cross the leg that’s over the head on top, right? For a couple of reasons.


One, if he goes to sit up, I don’t really have the ability to keep him down, right? He could sit up. And also by it being on top, it’s easier for him to, let’s say get this leg up and off his head. So if he could push that off his head, I got to start worrying about him escaping. So what I like to do is cross that one underneath. Okay, this for one, now it’s trapped. More difficult for him to push off. But also if he goes to get up, I could flare my knees out wide like this and have my hand for base. Even if not base, go ahead and sit up. And it makes it much more difficult for him to get up. So hopefully this will help you to set up and finish some armbars.

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