North-South External Shoulder Lock (Trab Lock / Scorpion Lock)
An external-rotation shoulder lock from the north-south / reverse scarf-hold position, entered via a sit-through (sit-out) to one side. The attacker drives weight onto the opponent's face to pin them…
- Judo: Ushiro-kesa-ude-garami
- Japanese: 後ろ袈裟腕緘
- BJJ: North/South External Shoulder Lock, Trab Bar, Trab Lock, Scorpion Lock, Scorpion Death Lock, Mexicana, Honeymooner
Rotates the shoulder through a range of motion that is normally not very mobile, with the arm pinned and the hips trapped under the leg — the lock can load the shoulder quickly and leaves little room to tap.
Primary risk to: Receiver (uke)
Description
An external-rotation shoulder lock from the north-south / reverse scarf-hold position, entered via a sit-through (sit-out) to one side. The attacker drives weight onto the opponent's face to pin them and drags the near arm tight around the hip line in an Americana-like configuration; the far arm threads under the far armpit to drive the trapped arm toward the opponent's face. The near leg is then stepped over the hips and stomped to the mat, pinning the hips, while the attacker leans back and hips up into the trapped elbow — levering the shoulder with a rotational, heel-hook-like motion. An old-school technique reintroduced by Adam Bradley (~2018) and taught as a north-south external shoulder lock system.
Common Applications
Worked from established north-south / reverse scarf-hold top control once the opponent is pinned and the near arm is exposed. You sit through to your chosen side, drive weight onto the face to kill the bridge-and-turn, and trap the near arm Americana-style around your hip; the leg-over-the-hips pin commits the finish and removes their escape. It's taught as part of a north-south shoulder-lock system, interchanged with other north-south attacks based on the opponent's defense — and because it loads the shoulder through a tight, low-mobility range, it should be applied carefully on partners.
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