How to Do a Jiu‐Jitsu Arm Bar

Co-authored by Frank Blaney

Last Updated: August 7, 2023 Fact Checked

An arm-bar is a type of martial arts hold, done on the ground, designed to cause an opponent to submit (tap out or in combat, break the arm).^{[1]
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Research source} This is typically taught in judo and jiu jitsu as those are the most common "grappling" arts, although it can be applied to any art where ground work (fighting while not standing) is needed. This can be a very effective maneuver if done properly. The following steps will help give a general understanding of the concept and method.

Steps

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Hold your partner's forearm with both hands so their wrist is facing upwards - they must be on their back for this particular hold.^{[2]
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Make sure you put your leg over your partner's neck first and then the other leg over their waist to make sure they are locked in place (especially important in fights).^{[3]
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You should make tight body contact to prevent your partner from escaping. The result should be that your crotch is under or very close to their shoulder.^{[4]
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Using your partner's chest as a fulcrum, pull their wrist to your chest and apply upwards pressure from your hips, while slightly pulling the hand towards your chest and in the direction of their pinky finger. Very little pressure is necessary to make the hold effective.

Community Q&A

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Question

What if my opponent locks his hand on the hold?

Digeridong

Community Answer

That is the most instinctual counter to this attack, and there are many ways to work around it. Your best bet would be to find a competent judo or Brazilian jiu jitsu school to study this.

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Question

How can I escape the arm bar? I know the hand lock is a defense against it, but is there a way to escape it?

Community Answer

If your opponent held your arm weakly, you can simply turn your wrist->arm->shoulders to overcome an arm bar. If it is really tight, try standing up with your legs and then flip your opponent.

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What's stopping the pinned person from biting or using their free arm to injure you? Is this hold even remotely viable in a fight with street rules?

Techno274721

Community Answer

Once you have the pinned person in the arm bar, any actions they attempt just apply more pressure as a way to punish them for their attempt to escape.

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Tips

Use your hands to hold your partner's forearm or wrist rather than "clamping" his limb to your chest by folding your arms.

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Bridge your hips up as you pull his arms towards you to apply more pressure to his arm.

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Apply the arm bar SLOWLY. Train with friends. If you have a partner who is not flexible then this technique can hurt quite a bit and injure them. Apply pressure in increments of 10%. 10%, 20%, 30% until your partner 'taps out'. If you go from 0% to 70% instantly and your partner's threshold is 30% then guess what....

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Warnings

Until you are proficient in this technique, do not attempt it with an inexperienced individual; the technique can be used to either break an elbow or dislocate a shoulder and requires very little force to cause injury.

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When your partner indicates submission (typically by "tapping out") relax your hips and your grasp.

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