What are Submission Techniques?
Submission techniques involve manipulating an opponent’s body in ways that force them to submit or “tap out”. These submission holds, which include armlocks, chokes, leglocks, and neck cranks, are to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling as knockouts are to boxing and kickboxing. Simply put, they’re fight-enders.
Why Learn Submission Holds for MMA?
Submission techniques enable an MMA grappler to subdue their opponent in a controlled way, expending less energy than they would throwing a vicious barrage of strikes and risking none of the potential bone-shattering and brain-jarring consequences. And ending a fight with a submission hold just gives an impression of control, skill, and dominance that one could almost call elegant; much more so than catching an opponent with a wild haymaker.
Most Submission Wins Come From a Small Number of Techniques
The world of submission techniques can be a complex, confusing, and intimidating place. “Judo” Gene LeBell’s incredible Encyclopedia of Finishing Holds boasts a frightening collection of over 950 submission holds. Martial arts legend Eric Paulsen, who had to learn almost 200 submission techniques to earn his Shooter’s Certificate from Yorinaga Nakamura, has been known to say, “the body is a submission waiting to happen”. But despite the daunting number of submissions that are theoretically available in MMA grappling, the number of high-percentage submission techniques is actually pretty small.
Which Submission Holds are the Best to Learn?
Even if an MMA fighter were to memorize all of the techniques in Royler Gracie’s Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Submission Grappling, 90% of their MMA submission wins would probably still be by:
- rear naked choke
- guillotine choke
- kimura shoulder lock
- straight armbar
- triangle choke
- knee bar
- heel hook
- toehold
Basic Submission Techniques are the Best
The reason that the eight submission holds listed above are so effective is that they can be set up from a variety of commonly occurring positions and don’t require any overly complicated motions or extraordinary flexibility on the part of the fighter. Whether it’s MMA grappling, Brazilian jiu jitsu, or submission grappling, simple and straightforward is usually the best path to follow.
The Best MMA Submission Fighters Master the Set-up
Set-ups are the key to the game of MMA grappling and submission holds. Just knowing how to perform a submission technique isn’t enough. Boxing provides a perfect analogy. Every boxer knows the six punches: jab, cross, left and right hook, and left and right uppercut. So what’s the difference between the 16-year-old gym rat and Manny Pacquiao? Manny is a wizard at using feints, angling, and footwork to set up his punches. Similarly, all MMA fighters know the basic armbar, but very few are as adept at them as Fedor Emelianenko.
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