A popular armbar trend is emerging (or maybe re-emerging) among the new generation of submission hunters, and we keep seeing more and more examples at elite levels. That trend is in the setup, and how they are using positional threats for easier entries into their armbar. Rather than taking the "traditional" route of passing, pinning, and submitting, they are finding more and more opportunities to launch into their fight-finishing arm locks by making their opponents defend back takes, chokes, and more at the same time.

The juji-gatame armbar is one of the most popular moves at any level of grappling, but the traditional setup takes time to work through. Either you work from guard, where most skilled top players know how to defend armbar attempts before they get too far, or you have to pass the guard, pin your opponent, and then setup the armbar against a defensive grappler.

Now, however, we are seeing a change with younger black belts like Mica Galvao, Tainan Dalpra, Kade Ruotolo, and Sam Nagai. While they are still capable of those traditional guard play/pass & pin methods of armbarring someone, where they are finding more success is when they work from control on the back or from turtle position. Being an expert at finishing from the back has become a necessity for professional-level grapplers, and that doesn't just include chokes - they are merging arm lock attempts for even more success.

Tainan Gator Rolls Into Spectacular Spinning Armbar

2-time IBJJF World Champion Tainan Dalpra showed a beautiful example of this theory at this year's Brasileiros. After passing and pinning, instead of separating an arm from side control or mount he instead opts to let his opponent turn into him - exposing his back and allowing Tainan to create a scramble. As he rolled around his grips, Henrik kept his arm extended to help himself retain position, which left his arm out exposed for the finish.

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Nagai Hits Paydirt With Armbar Transition

Sam Nagai won his first world championship this year, beating Pedro Maia in the finals, but his toughest bout came in a rematch with last year's world champion Isaac Doederlein. Nagai found one of the best submissions of the year with this same principle - passing into back exposure, and attacking the armbar from there. As the gets Doederlein to turtle from the pass, he goes to control a seatbelt grip. When Doederlein slips his head and defend position, the arm is left behind for a quick, slick entry.

Mica Wrestles Into A Coyote Armbar

Taking the back isn't the only place we are seeing young submission hunters employ this larger principle to setup armbars. At the last ADCC South American Trials, eventual ADCC world silver medalist Mica Galvao wrestled up into coyote guard/dog fight position. His opponent was forced to wrestle back into him, or give up position - leaving his arm exposed. By finding submission opportunity in positional battles, these young grapplers are making their submission success skyrocket. Mica jumped his hips to the shoulder and rolled across for a beautiful armbar that helped him advance in style.

Kade Flys Into History Books With Armbar Over Barch

Our last example is similar to Mica's, where Kade turns a wrestling exchange into an armbar victory - and a stunning one at that. What's really interesting is that in the dog fight position, he's the one with the overhook whereas in Mica's example he has the underhook. Either on offense or defense, we are seeing grapplers find ways to merge wrestling with joint locks in ways that are working at the elite levels of the sport.

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So is this a new strategy? Really, it's more of an adaptation of armbars that we've seen for a long time already in judo, where fighters are much more resistant to go to their back, thus creating more situations with back exposure. Seeing fighters rolling into armbars from the back, from turtle, or in transition is a much more common and is now permeating into submission grappling at a much higher rate. These young submission hunters continue to change the game, finding new ways to merge classic and cutting edge for maximum success and excitement on the mat.