MISSING LINK

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is such an effective martial art in part because it never stops evolving. BJJ practitioners experiment. They often discover techniques taught in other arts — like sambo and wrestling — test them on the mat, and, if they’re successful, incorporate the new moves into their everyday training.

Sometimes they rediscover a technique that was forgotten or overlooked. Such is the case with waki-gatame, a time-honored judo arm lock that manifests, with slight variations, in many martial arts. Presented below is an analysis of the move, which stands a good chance of becoming part of BJJ’s evolution toward improved effectiveness.

“LOST” ARM LOCK

is often called simply waki-gatame. Its name translates to “arm-crush armpit hold” — for good reason. The mechanism involves