Omoplata
- BJJ
- Guard Attacks
- intermediate
- Closed guard
- 3 steps
A leg-powered shoulder lock: swing a leg over the arm and shoulder and sit up to crank it. Also known as the Shoulder lock or the Ashi-sankaku-garami. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 3 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.
When to use it
Use the omoplata when the opponent leaves an arm in your guard with their head low, or defends a triangle by pulling that arm out. Control the sleeve or wrist of the arm you attack. Angle off before you swing the leg over.
Step by step
- 01
Control posture in guard
Break them down and control the sleeve of the arm you will attack.
- 02
Swing the leg over the shoulder
Angle your hips out and throw your leg over their shoulder and across their back, trapping the arm.
- 03
Sit up & finish the shoulder
Triangle your legs over the trapped shoulder, sit up and turn toward their hip to crank the shoulder.
Key details
- Angle off to the side before throwing the leg over. Square does not work.
- Triangle the legs around the trapped shoulder and clamp the knees.
- Sit up and turn toward their hips to apply the lock and stop the roll-out.
Common mistakes
- Staying square to the opponent.
- Letting the trapped arm slip free before you sit up.
- Failing to control the hips, letting them forward-roll out.
Common counters
Opponents forward roll out of it, posture up and stack you, or pull the arm free before you sit up. Others step over your legs to kill the angle. Reach over their hips as you sit up so they cannot roll.
How to drill it
From closed guard with your partner’s posture broken, angle off, swing the leg over the shoulder and sit up to finish, ten reps on each side. Then add the roll: your partner tries to forward roll and you block the hips.
Related techniques
- Guillotine from GuardBJJWhen the head drops in, wrap under the chin, close the guard and extend to strangle.
- Triangle ChokeBJJTrap the head and one arm and strangle with your legs in a figure-four around the neck.
- Armbar from GuardBJJIsolate an arm, swing a leg over the head and extend the hips to attack the elbow.
- Scissor SweepBJJLoad a shin across the body and scissor the legs to sweep the opponent and come up on top.
- Hip Bump SweepBJJSit up, reach over the shoulder and bump your hips to roll the opponent over into mount.
- Cross-Collar ChokeBJJFeed both hands deep into the collars and flare the elbows to strangle from guard.
Train it with the AI coach