Flying Kneebar

Submission

The flying kneebar is a dynamic airborne submission where the attacker jumps onto the opponent's leg from standing, rotating to hyperextend the knee joint. It is a high-risk, high-reward attack launched from standing positions when the opponent's lead leg is exposed and their posture is upright.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Commit fully to the jump and rotation—half-committed attempts leave you in a terrible position on the ground.
  • · Control the targeted leg by pinching your knees tightly together and locking the foot to your chest, treating it like an armbar grip on a limb.
  • · Hip extension against the knee joint is the primary finishing force; bridge your hips forward into the back of the knee while controlling the ankle.
  • · Anticipate the opponent pulling the leg back by securing an overhook or wrist grip on the targeted side before launching to prevent disengagement.
  • · Angle your rotation so you land perpendicular to the opponent's leg, not parallel, to maximize knee isolation and control.

Execution

  1. 1 From standing, identify the opponent's lead leg and secure a same-side grip on their wrist or sleeve to anchor your entry.
  2. 2 Step your outside foot close to the opponent's lead foot, then jump and swing your inside leg across their hip while your outside leg threads behind their targeted knee.
  3. 3 Rotate your body 90-180 degrees as you fall, clamping both legs tightly around the targeted thigh with the foot trapped against your chest.
  4. 4 Upon landing on your back, immediately pinch your knees, control the ankle/foot with both arms in a figure-four or cupping grip, and bridge your hips into the knee line to finish.

Common mistakes

  • × Jumping without first closing distance or securing a grip, allowing the opponent to simply step back and leaving you falling to the ground with no control.
  • × Failing to clamp the legs tightly around the thigh after landing, which lets the opponent extract their leg and pass to a dominant position.
  • × Extending the hips before properly aligning the knee joint over your hip line, resulting in a calf slicer or crank rather than a clean kneebar finish.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the Flying Kneebar shows up.

Show 2
Standing Guard Standing Position