It’s Wednesday and that means another installment of MMA Gospel’s Technique of the Week with fourth Dan Hapkido black belt Ed Perdomo. Over the past two weeks, Ed and Johnny Rodriguez have demonstrated a sweep from guard to the back mount and then used a Roll Through Armbar to counter the defense. This week, Ed closes the current arc with a Step Over Armbar that can serve both as a counter when the opponent prevents the needed underhook from the roll through Armbar and as a maneuver that is easier to perform against larger opponents.
Ed once again finds his path to the back mount blocked by Johnny’s turtle after he completes the sweep. Unlike last week however, Johnny has tucked his head and planted his base to prevent the Roll Over Armbar. Ed instead opts for a simpler submission and reaches under Johnny’s far arm to secure it to his chest (LEFT).
Ed then steps over Johnny’s head to isolate the arm (RIGHT). He maintains a tight grip on Johnny’s bicep and makes sure that his knee is between Johnny’s forearm and his head.
Ed then moves to set the Armbar. He uses his free hand to control Johnny’s wrist while maintaining his grip on the bicep. Next, Ed leans forward and pushes his legs back underneath Johnny’s head and body (LEFT). It is important that Ed keep Johnny’s arm as tight to his chest as possible to prevent Johnny from turning his arm over and pulling it free.
Once Ed has completely isolated the arm, he extends his hips and slides both hands up to wrist control. This will extend Johnny’s arm away from his center and as Ed leans back, it hyper-extends the elbow in a Belly Down Armbar (RIGHT). At this point, as long as Ed keeps the arm clasped tight to his chest, Johnny will have no option but to tap out.
Recap:
- After completing the sweep, grip your opponent’s arm tightly at the bicep.
- Step over your opponent’s head with your free foot.
- Control your opponent’s wrist with your free hand.
- Extend your legs and lean forward.
- Clasp your opponent’s arm tight to your chest with double wrist control and extend your hips to complete the armbar.
This concludes the current arc of MMA Gospel’s Technique of the Week. In this series, Ed Perdomo covered a sweep to the back and two separate Armbar finishes to keep your opponent guessing every time you roll. Next week, we will begin a new series with another trio of interlacing techniques to further your knowledge of the ground game.
*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.
