Spider Guard Armbar

Submission Gi only

The spider guard armbar is a submission executed from spider guard bottom by isolating one arm using your lasso or sleeve grip control, then pivoting your hips to throw your leg over the opponent's head and finish a standard armbar. It capitalizes on the extended arm position inherent to spider guard, where the opponent's arms are already stretched and vulnerable.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · The opponent's arm is most vulnerable when they straighten it to resist your spider guard foot-on-bicep pressure.
  • · Hip angle must shift perpendicular to the trapped arm to generate proper breaking mechanics across your hips.
  • · Maintaining the sleeve grip throughout the transition is critical—losing it allows the opponent to retract the arm and posture.
  • · Pinching your knees tightly around the shoulder prevents the opponent from stacking or pulling the elbow free.
  • · Anticipate the opponent pulling their arm back by loading your hips high before swinging the leg over the head.

Execution

  1. 1 From spider guard with feet on both biceps and sleeve grips, choose the target arm and remove your opposite foot from their other bicep, placing it on their hip for leverage.
  2. 2 Pull the target sleeve grip firmly toward you while pushing their bicep away with your foot to fully extend their arm, then swing your hip-side leg off the bicep and angle your hips perpendicular to their trapped arm.
  3. 3 Shoot your free leg over their head, clamping it down tightly across the back of their neck while keeping the sleeve grip and foot-on-bicep control on the target arm.
  4. 4 Pinch your knees together around their shoulder, pull their wrist to your chest with the thumb pointing up, and elevate your hips to apply breaking pressure against their elbow joint.

Common mistakes

  • × Failing to angle the hips perpendicular to the arm before throwing the leg over, resulting in a loose armbar that allows the opponent to stack and escape.
  • × Releasing the sleeve grip during the hip pivot, giving the opponent the opportunity to retract their arm and recover posture.
  • × Keeping both feet on the biceps too long instead of transitioning one foot to the hip, which prevents the hip rotation needed to attack the armbar angle.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the Spider Guard Armbar shows up.

Spider Guard Bottom