Here is a powerful Kimura setup from Guard that works off of a Basic Guard break many White Belts (and just people in general) will use in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Many times setting up the Kimura from closed Guard can be tough because people are very conscious of their hands and arms and don’t allow someone to isolate them. If you’ve train Brazilian Jiujitsu you get a 6th sense about not letting your arms get over extended or pulled away from your body.

This is why you 1st have to focus on breaking the posture of the person rather than attempting a submission. It’s similar to the way a Judo player will explain a throw.

In Judo, before you can worry about the actual throwing technique. You have to focus on Kuzushi. Which is the pushing and pulling that causes a person to be off balance and open up the attack.

Attacking from the Guard on the ground is the same way. Before you begin to attempt the throw. You 1st have to knock the person off balance and break their posture.

Once the posture is broken. We can then attempt our actual attack.

In this video I try to share some of the simple details that can make the kimura from Full Guard work.

1. Isolate the arm.
2. Secure the figure 4 armlock for the Kimura / Ude Garami.
3.Move the body to the finishing position.
4. Use the WHOLE body to finish! Don’t just focus on pushing with the arms.

To drive home the idea of the 4th part of that list. When doing a submission in BJJ. Remember that the idea of a submission is to attack a part of our opponent’s body (arm, shoulder, knee, etc) with our WHOLE body. In the case of the Kimura. Recruiting as many muscles as possible will help to overwhelm our opponent’s strength with our shoulder lock.

If you’re a BJJ White Belt or you just enjoy the Kimura. I hope this video is helpful!