⚠️ SAFETY: Baratoplata targets the Shoulder joint and rotator cuff. Risk: Rotator cuff tear or strain. Release immediately upon tap.
The Baratoplata is an advanced shoulder lock submission that originated from Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, combining elements of the omoplata with unique arm isolation mechanics. This technique is typically initiated from rubber guard positions, particularly Mission Control or New York, and represents a sophisticated understanding of shoulder manipulation and control. The submission works by trapping the opponent’s arm while rotating their shoulder beyond its natural range of motion, creating intense pressure on the rotator cuff and shoulder capsule. Unlike traditional omoplatas that focus primarily on forward shoulder rotation, the Baratoplata incorporates a unique arm weave that increases the mechanical advantage and makes escape more difficult. The technique exemplifies the innovation within modern no-gi grappling, offering a creative solution to opponents who defend conventional rubber guard attacks. While technically demanding and requiring significant flexibility and timing, the Baratoplata has proven effective at the highest levels of competition when executed with proper setup and control.
Category: Joint Lock Type: Shoulder Lock Target Area: Shoulder joint and rotator cuff Starting Position: Rubber Guard Success Rates: Beginner 20%, Intermediate 35%, Advanced 50%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rotator cuff tear or strain | High | 6-12 weeks for moderate tears, 3-6 months for severe tears |
| Shoulder capsule damage | High | 4-8 weeks minimum |
| Labrum tear | CRITICAL | 3-6 months, may require surgical intervention |
| Shoulder dislocation | CRITICAL | 8-12 weeks minimum, potential for chronic instability |
Application Speed: EXTREMELY SLOW - 5-7 seconds minimum application time, shoulder submissions require exceptional care
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap
- Physical hand tap on partner or mat
- Physical foot tap on partner or mat
- Any distress signal or vocalization
- Rapid tapping motion with free hand
Release Protocol:
- Immediately stop all forward pressure on shoulder
- Release arm weave and unwrap controlling leg
- Remove high guard position and lower hips
- Allow partner to safely extract their arm
- Check for shoulder mobility and comfort before continuing training
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply explosive or jerking motions to shoulder submissions
- Never use competition speed during training rolls
- Always ensure training partner has clear tap access with free hand
- Never force the position if partner has limited shoulder flexibility
- Stop immediately upon any tap signal, do not wait for verbal confirmation
- Beginners should only practice entry mechanics, not finishing pressure
Key Principles
- Arm isolation must be established before attempting shoulder rotation
- High guard control prevents opponent from posturing and escaping
- Hip angle determines the direction and effectiveness of shoulder pressure
- The arm weave creates additional leverage and prevents defensive hand fighting
- Maintaining connection throughout the transition is critical for control
- Shoulder flexibility varies greatly between individuals, requiring sensitivity to resistance
- The finish combines both rotational and linear pressure on the shoulder joint
Prerequisites
- Establish Mission Control or New York position from rubber guard
- Secure high guard with foot positioned behind opponent’s head
- Control opponent’s trapped arm to prevent defensive posting
- Create sufficient angle with hips to access opponent’s shoulder
- Opponent’s posture must be broken and controlled with rubber guard mechanics
- Free hand must control opponent’s wrist or sleeve throughout setup
- Opponent must be prevented from establishing strong base with free arm
Execution Steps
- Establish rubber guard control: From closed guard, break opponent’s posture and establish Mission Control by placing your foot behind their head. Use your hand to control their trapped arm’s wrist, preventing them from posting or creating defensive frames. Your other leg should maintain closed guard position initially. (Timing: 3-5 seconds to establish solid control) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Transition to New York position: Release your bottom leg from closed guard and bring your knee across opponent’s back while maintaining high guard pressure with your top leg. This creates the angle necessary for the arm weave. Keep constant pressure pulling their head down and controlling their trapped arm throughout this transition. (Timing: 2-3 seconds for smooth transition) [Pressure: Firm]
- Thread your arm for the weave: With your hand that’s controlling their wrist, thread your arm over their trapped arm and under your own leg that’s across their back. This creates the characteristic arm weave that locks their shoulder in place. Maintain tight connection between your leg and their arm during this threading motion. (Timing: 2-4 seconds to establish weave) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Secure the grip and adjust angle: Once your arm is threaded, grip your own shin or knee to lock the position. Adjust your hip angle by scooting slightly away from opponent, creating the proper geometry for shoulder rotation. Your high guard leg should maintain constant downward pressure on their head and upper back. (Timing: 2-3 seconds for grip and angle adjustment) [Pressure: Firm]
- Extend hips and rotate opponent’s shoulder: Slowly extend your hips while maintaining the arm weave and high guard control. This extension creates rotational pressure on opponent’s shoulder, moving it beyond its normal range of motion. The pressure should be progressive and controlled, never sudden or explosive. (Timing: 5-7 seconds minimum for safe application) [Pressure: Maximum]
- Fine-tune finishing pressure: Make micro-adjustments to hip angle and leg pressure to maximize effectiveness while monitoring opponent’s response. The finish combines downward pressure from your high guard leg, outward rotation from the arm weave, and extension from your hips. Be prepared to release immediately upon tap signal. (Timing: Continuous adjustment until tap) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Posting with free hand to prevent rotation (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Use your bottom leg to hook and control their free arm, or transition to crucifix position if they overcommit to the post
- Driving forward and stacking to relieve shoulder pressure (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Maintain high guard pressure pulling them down, scoot hips further away to maintain angle, or transition to omoplata if they commit fully to the stack
- Attempting to strip the arm weave grip (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Tighten the weave by pulling shin closer to body, use free hand to block their grip breaking attempts, or accelerate the finish before they break connection
- Rolling forward to relieve pressure (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Follow the roll maintaining control, this often improves your finishing angle or opens transitions to back control or crucifix
- Attempting to stand and lift out of position (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Increase downward pressure with high guard, control their hips with bottom leg, or transition to triangle if they create space
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What are the minimum application time and key safety considerations when finishing the Baratoplata? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Minimum 5-7 seconds extremely slow application time is required. Key safety considerations include: never using explosive or jerking motions on shoulder submissions, immediately releasing upon any tap signal, being especially cautious with partners who have limited shoulder flexibility, and understanding that shoulder injuries can be severe (rotator cuff tears, labrum damage, dislocations) with recovery times of 6 weeks to 6 months or more.
Q2: What is the purpose of the arm weave in the Baratoplata and how does it differ from a standard omoplata? A: The arm weave threads your arm over opponent’s trapped arm and under your own leg, creating additional isolation and leverage that prevents defensive hand fighting. Unlike standard omoplata which primarily creates forward shoulder rotation, the Baratoplata’s weave adds an extra layer of control that makes the shoulder lock more difficult to escape and increases mechanical advantage. The weave essentially locks their arm in place while your hip extension creates the rotational pressure.
Q3: Why must high guard pressure be maintained throughout the entire Baratoplata sequence? A: High guard pressure with your top leg pulling opponent’s head down prevents them from posturing up and escaping. If they can raise their head and create posture, they can relieve pressure on their shoulder, break your grips, and escape the position entirely. The downward pressure on their head and upper back is fundamental to controlling their base and maintaining the proper angle for the shoulder lock throughout setup and finish.
Q4: What should you do immediately if your training partner taps to the Baratoplata? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Immediately stop all forward pressure on their shoulder, release the arm weave and unwrap your controlling leg, remove high guard position and lower your hips, allow partner to safely extract their arm, and check that they have full shoulder mobility and comfort before continuing training. The release must be instantaneous upon recognizing any tap signal - verbal, hand, foot, or distress vocalization.
Q5: What hip positioning is necessary for effective shoulder rotation in the Baratoplata finish? A: You must scoot your hips away from the opponent to create the proper angle for rotational leverage. The hip angle determines the direction and effectiveness of shoulder pressure. If your hips are too close or at the wrong angle, you won’t generate sufficient rotational pressure on their shoulder joint. The correct geometry involves your body forming an angle that allows hip extension to translate into shoulder rotation through the arm weave.
Q6: How should you assess whether it’s safe to attempt a Baratoplata on a specific training partner? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Assess your partner’s shoulder flexibility during controlled drilling before attempting the submission in live training. Communicate with your partner about any shoulder injuries or limitations they may have. Be especially cautious with partners who have limited shoulder mobility, previous shoulder injuries, or are beginners. Some individuals’ shoulder flexibility makes them particularly vulnerable to shoulder locks, and alternative techniques should be considered for these partners to prevent injury.
Q7: What are the key differences between setting up Baratoplata from Mission Control versus New York position? A: Mission Control provides the initial high guard control and arm isolation, with your foot behind opponent’s head and hand controlling their trapped wrist. New York is typically the transition position where you release bottom leg from closed guard and bring knee across opponent’s back, creating the angle necessary for threading the arm weave. Most practitioners establish Mission Control first, then transition to New York to create the geometry needed for the arm weave, though experienced grapplers may enter directly to New York.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Baratoplata represents an interesting biomechanical problem in shoulder manipulation that combines elements of the omoplata with additional arm entanglement. From a systematic perspective, what makes this submission particularly effective is the compounding of control mechanisms - you have the traditional high guard control preventing posture, the arm weave preventing defensive hand fighting, and the hip extension creating rotational leverage on the shoulder capsule. The submission exploits the shoulder’s vulnerability to rotation when the scapula is controlled and the arm is isolated. However, practitioners must understand that shoulder submissions carry inherently higher injury risk than elbow attacks due to the complexity of the shoulder joint and the involvement of multiple muscle groups and ligaments. The rotator cuff, labrum, and joint capsule are all vulnerable during this technique. Therefore, application must be exceptionally controlled with progressive pressure application over 5-7 seconds minimum. The key technical elements are: first, establishing complete arm isolation before attempting rotation; second, maintaining high guard pressure throughout to prevent postural escape; and third, creating the proper hip angle to generate rotational rather than linear pressure. This is an advanced technique requiring significant mat time before safe application is possible.
- Gordon Ryan: The Baratoplata is one of those submissions that looks spectacular and has definite application in competition, but you need to be realistic about when to use it. In my experience competing at the highest level, the Baratoplata works best as part of a submission chain from rubber guard rather than as an isolated attack. If I’m in Mission Control or New York and my opponent is defending the triangle or omoplata, the Baratoplata becomes a viable option because they’re already committed to defending other attacks. The arm weave is what makes it competition-viable - it’s much harder for them to hand fight out of compared to a standard omoplata. However, there’s a critical distinction between training and competition application. In training, you absolutely must use slow, controlled pressure and give your partners time to tap. I’ve seen too many shoulder injuries from people cranking shoulder locks too fast. In competition, you can be more aggressive with the entry and setup, but even then, the finish should be controlled because you want the tap, not the injury. The technique requires excellent rubber guard fundamentals - if your high guard control isn’t tight, they’ll posture and escape before you establish the weave. I’d also say this: if you’re not already comfortable with standard omoplatas and triangle attacks from rubber guard, don’t jump to Baratoplata. Master the fundamentals first, then add this as an advanced option in your system.
- Eddie Bravo: The Baratoplata is one of my favorite innovations from the rubber guard system because it exemplifies the problem-solving approach we take at 10th Planet. We were looking at omoplata defenses and realized that if we could add an extra layer of control with the arm weave, we could finish the shoulder lock even when they were defending well. What’s beautiful about the Baratoplata is that it turns their defense into a trap - when they try to hand fight or post against the omoplata, that arm position is exactly what we need for the weave. The technique has evolved significantly since we first started working with it. Early on, people were trying to force it as a primary attack, but we’ve learned it works better as part of the flow from Mission Control through various rubber guard positions. The key is staying loose and flowing between attacks - triangle, omoplata, Baratoplata, gogoplata - so they can’t focus their defense on one submission. Now, here’s the critical part about safety and training culture: we drill this slowly and with complete control. At 10th Planet, we emphasize that shoulder locks require extra caution because shoulder injuries can end training careers. When you’re working the Baratoplata in the gym, you’re teaching your body the movement patterns and developing the timing. The tap should come from position and pressure, not from pain. We also encourage creative exploration - the Baratoplata can be entered from various positions beyond standard rubber guard, and students who understand the core mechanics can adapt it to their own game. But that exploration always happens within a framework of safety and mutual respect for training partners.