Closed Guard Submissions Armbar Triangle and Kimura Done Right

Closed guard is the foundational BJJ position and the source of three of the most reliable submissions in the entire art. The armbar, the triangle, and the kimura. Each one threatens a different attack vector. Together they form a chain that is very hard to defend at any belt level. This guide covers all three with the setup details that make the difference between hitting them and missing.

The Closed Guard Position

Closed guard is the position where you are on your back and your legs are wrapped around your opponent’s waist with your ankles crossed behind their back. From here, your job is to break their posture, control their hands and arms, and chain together attacks until something opens up.

Posture control is the most important skill. If your opponent is upright with their back straight, your attacks have no leverage. If you can pull their head down to your chest, you have multiple attacks immediately available.

The Armbar from Closed Guard

The classic finish that most BJJ students learn first.

1. Break your opponent’s posture by pulling their head and shoulders forward
2. Control one of their wrists and underhook the same side arm with your other hand
3. Pivot your hips so your body forms a 90 degree angle with theirs (left foot points to their right hip)
4. Place your right leg over their head, pinning the captured arm against your hip
5. Squeeze your knees together and slowly extend your hips up to apply the armbar

Critical detail · Keep your opponent’s elbow above your hip line through the whole movement. If their elbow drops below your hip line, the armbar slips off and they pass your guard.

The Triangle Choke from Closed Guard

One of the highest finishing rate submissions in BJJ when set up correctly.

1. Break your opponent’s posture by pulling their head down
2. Control both their wrists and pin one of them across your body to your opposite shoulder
3. Their other arm is now isolated. Trap it against your chest
4. Open your guard, throw your same side leg over the trapped shoulder and around their neck
5. Lock your other leg over your foot and pull your opponent’s head down with your hands
6. Pinch your knees together and lift your hips to finish the choke

Critical detail · The triangle is finished with the leg across the shoulder cutting off the artery, not by squeezing the neck directly. Make sure you have one of your opponent’s arms inside the triangle and one outside before you lock it.

The Kimura from Closed Guard

A shoulder lock that works from many positions, including closed guard.

1. Sit up using your guard and grab one of your opponent’s wrists with your same side hand
2. Reach your other arm over their elbow and grab your own wrist behind their shoulder, forming a figure four grip
3. Pivot your hips out to the side away from the trapped arm, keeping your knee against their hip
4. Lift the trapped arm away from their body to apply the shoulder lock

Critical detail · Many beginners try to finish the kimura by pulling the arm towards them. The actual finish involves pushing the wrist towards the opponent’s head, away from their hip line.

Chaining the Three

The three submissions work together because each one defends against the others.

• If your armbar fails because they pull their elbow back, you can transition into a triangle
• If your triangle fails because they posture up, you can transition to an armbar on the other arm
• If they defend the armbar by gripping their own arm, you can attack the kimura on the gripping arm

Drilling these chains is the difference between a guard player who occasionally finishes a submission and a guard player who is dangerous on the bottom against any opponent.

Common Mistakes Across All Three

• Not breaking your opponent’s posture before attacking
• Trying to finish without first controlling the wrists or arms
• Opening your guard too early and giving up position
• Trying for the submission with grip strength instead of leverage
• Failing to recover guard if the submission fails

How to Drill the Chain

Pick one submission and drill twenty reps slowly. Then drill the second submission, then the third. Then drill flowing between them with a partner who alternates which arm to defend with. Within a few weeks of consistent drilling, the three submissions become a single chain in your head and your guard becomes a real attacking platform.