Combining steps for armbar?

[Bjjexpertise@be]

So say I'm going for an armbar from the mount (I'll be armbarring his right arm). Step by step it would normally be secure his right arm with my right arm, place my left hand to the left side of his head, bring my left knee up to his head, bring my right foot up next to his left arm, throw the left leg over his head, and voila, armbar! Is it possible to combine all these steps into one big step, like combining level change and penetration step in a takedown? Or is there some reason you do it separately? This question just popped up and is bugging me, I'm going to ask the guy I train with tomorrow but I'd hope to get an answer so I can sleep easy tonight .

[Penance]

That should be the ultimate goal of any technique.

Learn the big steps and little details. Then smooth them out into fewer and fewer steps until it becomes a single, fluid, natural movement you can do without thinking. Then work on adding speed, power, and explosiveness.

In your example, try combining trapping the arm and posting by his head into one movement and do everything else step by step. Once that's natural, try smoothing the knee and foot movements into one move, more like a scooting, sliding motion. Now combine those two smoothed out motions into one movement. Then practice smoothing that whole piece in with throwing your leg over his head.

[treelizard]

Yeah break it up into steps 'til you get good at it, and then it's beautiful and fluid, inasfar as beating the crap out of your opponent can be beautiful and fluid. I like it.

[7r14ngL3Ch0k3]

Dont worry about pushing into his face...secure the arm, rotate your body and pinch with your knees...and do it really fast!

[Penance]

If he does it really fast without having the details down he's going to be practicing the move wrong. Fast, but wrong.

The second he goes against anybody with any experience or power advantage he's going to be like "why didn't this work?"

[OmaPlata]

do it in steps to get it all smooth and accurate, then keep it really really tight

[sapatiero]

Keep drilling it until it's a subconscious movement, then it'll become faster & tighter. It can be fast if it's tight - eg. Ryron Gracie has a wicked armbar from topmount.

[SamuraiGuy]

Watch any of the top level Jiu Jitsu fighters... Royler comes to mind especially.

You will see how fast they whip around and take that arm, its almost scary, kinda like a viper striking.

Its just, mount, bam, its on.

You should be able to make it all one fluid motion, even if you arent going as fast as these guys, it will still improve your armbars.

I wouldnt suggest concentrating to much on speed though. Make sure you are doing everything right. From my experience control of the arm, and a good S-Mount is extremely effective, even if they know what your doing, and hopefully they do, it will still be hard for them to escape it. It will at least get you in the armbar position , with them gripping their own hands, gi , etc...

[shasan]

a slight variation that I've seen is instead of securing the arm i.e. holding it, i've seen guys wait until arm is extended voluntarily (defending strikes, whatever), then mounter pushe down with BOTH hands on the guy's chest. Key is that during this push, mounter's left arm is snaking OVER mountees extended right arm. Mounter then supports herself on her hands and pushes of with knees thereby lifting up her own lower body off the mat for a bit, and in that instant then swinging left leg over to mountee's head.

It's like a little jump basically - very fast indeed ... doesn't work very well for me because I suck, but i've seen some guys use it very effectively.