MMA Gospel ends its arch on defensive grappling with a simple submission from the mount position that was achieved through each of the previous techniques. The armbar from the mount serves two very distinct purposes in this instance. First, it will give you a method to end the fight after utilizing the techniques previously discussed. Second, the armbar can easily be released to allow a grappling partner to roll into guard or even take the back. This means that it can become a flow drill where you constantly move from back escape, to armbar, to guard sweep, to armbar, to back, etc. allowing you to experience the flow of moving from technique to technique with a smooth action. 
Once Ed Perdomo has firmly established his mount, he moves to set the hand position for the armbar. He starts by wrapping his arm around Bob’s bicep and cupping his hand around the back of the controlled arm, creating separation between Bob’s head and arm and isolating the elbow. (LEFT)
Once he has established control of the arm, Ed uses punches to the side of Bob’s head to force him to roll away from the attack. (RIGHT) Ed forces Bob over further onto his side by sitting up in his guard and sliding his knee into the center of Bob’s back between the shoulder blades. It is important that Ed continue striking throughout the technique. While the submission is certainly possible without them, it is always best to keep an opponent focused on the damage you are doing with strikes as opposed to the submission you are setting up.
Ed leans in and pushes his chest against the back of Bob’s arm while using a palm strike to shove his head down into the mat. (LEFT) Ed will keep a tight hold on Bob’s arm and will put the majority of his weight on the arm against Bob’s jaw.
This will insure that Bob’s head stays down and that he is unable to roll into the technique as Ed swings his leg around Bob’s head and across his face. (RIGHT) The Pressure Ed applies to Bob’s arm will also break Bob’s grip should he attempt the defensive tactic of clasping his hand to defend the armbar.
Once Ed has his leg over Bob’s face, he sit s back with his butt as close to Bob as possible. (LEFT) Ideally, Ed will have his hips positioned just under Bob’s deltoids (the round muscles at the top of the arm at the shoulder). Ed keeps Bob’s arm tightly controlled against his chest to prevent Bob from reaching up to clasp his hands to defend the armbar.
From there, Ed controls the wrist with his free hand, closes his knees tightly around Bob’s bicep, and lays back to extend the arm. (RIGHT) After he has fully extended the arm, Ed slides his other hand up the the wrist and extends his hips to finish the submission.
Recap:
- Set up the submission by wrapping you arm around your opponent’s opposite arm and controlling the bicep. Use strikes to the body to facilitate the process.
- Sit up while tightly controlling the isolated arm against your chest. Use strikes to the head to assist in rolling your opponent onto his/her side and bring your knee up into his/her back between the shoulder blades.
- Use a palm strike to force your opponent’s head to the mat, then lean into them to compress the controlled arm as well as keep the head trapped against the mat.
- Swing your leg around your opponent’s head and across his/her face. Keep your body weight on your opponent’s head until your leg is firmly in place.
- Sit down with your hips under your opponent’s deltoids, keeping the isolated arm tight to your chest.
- Control the isolated wrist with your free hand, squeeze your knees together WITHOUT crossing your feet, and lay back to extend the arm,
- Slide the controlling hand back to the wrist and extend your hips to finish your opponent.
This technique completes the current set of MMA Gospel Techniques of the Week. With these three maneuvers, you should be able to move in an endless drill from escape to finish back to escape and really hone these moves to a fine sharp edge. This armbar is a very basic submission. However, getting to mount is not an easy task. In this arch, MMA Gospel and Ed Perdomo have shown how very simple defensive techniques can help you defeat a grappler who had the superior technique necessary to take your back, or put you on it.
*Ed Perdomo is a 4th degree black belt in the Korean grappling art of Hapkido and is head instructor of the Hapkido Institute in Morris, IL.
