Pretending you’re the blue dot, preparing to sweep the red triangle, you note that once you’re at the side, you can lift up the corner and topple over your opponent. Obviously there is more going on with the sweep, but we’ve reached my two-dimensional artistic limits; the video below goes over the main talking points for this sweep, including the one we stressed in class: scoot your butt to the side!

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In case that wasn’t enough, .you can follow  Stephen Kestings’ explanation of the butterfly sweep, with photographs!

Masahiko Kimura is one of best judo practicioners in history, so it reasons that a high class submission would be named after him. The story goes that Masahiko fought jujitsu legend Helio Gracie and broke his arm with this move, and BJJ guys have been calling it the kimura ever since.

Just look at the dude. (above) I’d name my firstborn after him, even if he wasn’t a hardcore judoka.

Now days, because every mixed martial artist with even a passable knowledge in jujitsu knows the the kimura, it can be a bit tricky to submit a guy with it. A lot of fighters know the specific counters or blocks, or just how to posture and prevent kimura opportunities. Which is, of course, why we need to take our game to the next level.

In the video below, Ari shows how to use your legs to help sneak in the kimura.

One of the most important things about getting the kimura to work is to escape your hips on the side on which you are working the arm. Getting your hips out will help you flatten out your opponent. It is important to keep the leg on top squeezing down, so the kimura’d person doesn’t try to roll out of the lock.

Another tip to getting the kimura is to keep your opponent’s hand well away from his/her body so they don’t block the kimura by grabbing their gi pants or wrestling shorts. If they do grab some clothing – keeping their arm from going backward – you can try to overpower them or do something trickier. That’s where the kimura sweep comes into play.

After you sweep them and take the mount, it’s candyland. You can either abandon the kimura and work something else, or you can finish the kimura from the mount. If you follow that link, I think you’ll enjoy their clever way to sweep from the guard and finish the lock.

One more thing – so people have trouble finishing their opponent.(Some guys just have really flexible shoulders!). Three things to keep in mind.

1. Keep a 90 degree angle in the elbow joint. If the opponent’s hand gets too close to their armpit, the kimura becomes a hammerlock – which many people are more immune to – or they can try to grab clothing and block.

2. Move the elbow up toward the head. If you have fully escaped your hips, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

3. Roll the wrist towards the back of their head.

Happy submission hunting!