Americana
A shoulder lock applied from mount or side control, where the arm is folded and rotated outward.
- Judo: Ude Garami, Ude-garami, Arm Entanglement
- Japanese: 腕緘
- BJJ: Americana, American armbar, Chave de braço
- Wrestling: Keylock, Top wrist lock, Figure-four armlock, V1 armlock, Bent armlock, Hammerlock, Paintbrush
Description
A shoulder lock applied from mount or side control, where the arm is folded and rotated outward.
Common Applications
Most often hit from side control or mount on a supine opponent — typically when they frame a hand or forearm on your neck/chin or leave the near arm bent up by their head, which you pin to the mat and lock with a figure-four. It's a low-risk attack: a failed attempt usually returns you to the same top position, so it chains well. It also works as a transition hub — threatening the Americana opens the straight armbar and omoplata, and flips to the Kimura if the opponent turns the arm away to defend — and even when it doesn't finish, pinning the arm helps hold side control or mount. A staple at lower belts and a classic leverage ("big man") submission.
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