Kimura- Half Guard Bottom

I've been gameplanning a lot lately.

Lately, the kimura has been stuck in my head.

Main kimura positions-

top game-
1. half guard top
2. side control
3. north/south
4. knee on stomach
5. turtle

bottom game
1. half guard bottom
2. closed guard
3. various open guard positions- mainly butterfly


reasons the kimura is a good option-

1. it can be applied from many positions

2. it's a low-risk move. if you miss it, you don't give up position (unlike triangle choke from guard, spinning arm lock, etc.)

3. it gives you great control of an opponent's body (similar to 2 on 1)

4. you don't necessarily need good body control to finish it (it can be pulled off in transitions where you're not established in position yet)

5. it leads into many sweeps

6. you can almost be doing it the whole match. if the opponent is sitting in a kimura from initial tie up, how do they mount any sort of offense?

7. it immediately disrupts your opponent's posture (from top or bottom)

8. it gives you some sort of offense from half guard bottom


Some thoughts on kimura half guard bottom-

options-

1. use to stop the crossface and threaten the submission (opponent reacts by alleviating pressure and giving space). can possibly replace guard.

2. use to prevent opponent from flattening you (similar to #1)

3. use to sweep opponent- opponent grabs wrists together. you can either half butterfly sweep towards trapped arm or hip bump towards trapped arm (with lockdown).

4. use to sweep opponent- opponent grabs wrists together. bridge and roll over your farside shoulder. also can switch to butterfly guard and sweep opponent either direction from there.

5. use to replace guard- opponent is off-balance from sweep/submission attempts- replace guard when window opens. also possible to move to butterfly guard, x-guard, or many other variants from here.

6. use to prevent opponent from passing- opponent is threatened and must tend to the kimura before attempting and passes.

7. finish the lock. from stephan kesting- 1. push into thigh. 2. relax (they relax also, thinking they're safe). 3. suddenly skip hips under them and rip it out.

8. allow opponent to pass (with the lock) and finish or sweep them from side control.

details-
1. thumb grip on initial wrist grab
2. switch to no thumb grip once you lock the other arm over
3. skip hips, don't just roll over
4. bring elbow high (above head if possible) for the finish
5. keep their arm glued to your chest

There are probably many more options, but this should give me a good start. I'm trying to plan all my other moves similarly- and have a specific plan of attack for the main finishing positions.

This was developed a lot from watching Marcelo Garcia's tapes and noticing how each move he does is part of a larger system that addresses each of the opponent's major reactions. It was also developed from listening to Roy Harris' concepts on the mental game and developing a deeper awareness of each position.