⚠️ SAFETY: Bicep Slicer targets the Bicep muscle and elbow joint. Risk: Bicep muscle tear or severe contusion. Release immediately upon tap.
The Bicep Slicer is a devastating compression lock that applies crushing pressure to the bicep muscle and hyperextends the elbow joint. This advanced submission works by trapping the opponent’s arm between your shin and forearm, creating a lever that compresses the bicep against the humerus bone while simultaneously hyperextending the elbow. Most commonly applied from the crucifix, truck, or modified mount positions, the bicep slicer is a technical submission that requires precise positioning and control. The compression creates intense pain in the bicep muscle belly, while the hyperextension threatens the elbow joint, creating a two-fold attack that is difficult to defend. This submission is particularly effective in no-gi grappling where the opponent cannot use gi grips to defend, and it serves as an excellent backup when traditional chokes or arm locks are unavailable. The bicep slicer’s effectiveness comes from its ability to attack an area that most grapplers do not regularly condition or defend, making it a high-percentage finish when the proper positioning is achieved. Understanding the mechanical advantage required and the precise angles needed separates successful application from ineffective attempts.
Category: Compression Type: Bicep Compression Lock Target Area: Bicep muscle and elbow joint Starting Position: Crucifix Success Rates: Beginner 30%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 60%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bicep muscle tear or severe contusion | High | 3-6 weeks for muscle damage, up to 12 weeks for severe tears |
| Elbow hyperextension or ligament damage | High | 4-8 weeks for moderate sprains, 3-6 months for severe ligament tears |
| Radial nerve compression | Medium | 1-3 weeks for temporary nerve irritation |
Application Speed: EXTREMELY SLOW - 5-7 seconds minimum with constant communication
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap or verbal distress signal
- Physical hand tap on opponent or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any vocalization of pain or distress
- Frantic body movement indicating distress
Release Protocol:
- Immediately release all pressure on the bicep/elbow
- Remove the shin from behind the opponent’s elbow
- Release any grip controlling the wrist
- Allow the opponent to straighten their arm naturally
- Check with partner about their condition before continuing
Training Restrictions:
- Never apply sudden or explosive pressure
- Never use full competition speed in training
- Always maintain verbal communication during application
- Never practice on beginners until they understand tap urgency
- Do not apply this submission if opponent has existing elbow or bicep injuries
- Always ensure training partner has clear tap access with free hand
Key Principles
- Create maximum leverage by using your shin as a fulcrum against the back of the opponent’s elbow
- Control the wrist to prevent the opponent from straightening their arm and escaping
- Maintain tight connection between your body and opponent’s trapped arm to prevent space creation
- Apply pressure progressively in training, never suddenly or explosively
- Position your shin perpendicular to the opponent’s arm for maximum compression
- Use your bodyweight and hip pressure to increase the submission force, not just arm strength
- Secure dominant position control before attempting the submission to prevent counters
Prerequisites
- Establish dominant control position such as crucifix, truck, or modified mount
- Isolate one of the opponent’s arms away from their body
- Control the opponent’s wrist to prevent them from straightening the arm
- Position your shin behind the opponent’s elbow joint
- Establish a firm grip on the opponent’s wrist or hand
- Ensure the opponent cannot use their free arm to defend or escape
- Create an angle where your shin can compress the bicep against the humerus
Execution Steps
- Secure dominant control position: From the crucifix, truck, or modified mount, establish complete control over the opponent’s body. Ensure they cannot easily escape or counter your attack. Your weight should be distributed to prevent them from rolling or bridging effectively. (Timing: 2-3 seconds to establish solid control) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Isolate the target arm: Identify the arm you will attack (typically the one closest to your legs or most exposed). Use your hands to control the opponent’s wrist, pulling it away from their body and preventing them from tucking it defensively. The arm should be extended at approximately 90 degrees or slightly more. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Light]
- Insert shin behind elbow: Slide your shin behind the opponent’s elbow joint, positioning it perpendicular to their forearm. Your shin bone should be directly against the back of their elbow, with your knee on one side of their arm and your ankle/foot on the other. This creates the fulcrum for the compression. (Timing: 2-3 seconds with careful positioning) [Pressure: Light]
- Secure wrist control: Grip the opponent’s wrist firmly with both hands if possible, or with one hand while using the other to control their body. Your grip should prevent them from straightening their arm or rotating their shoulder to escape. Consider using a figure-four grip or gable grip for maximum control. (Timing: 1-2 seconds) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Close the angle and apply compression: Pull the opponent’s wrist toward your chest while simultaneously pushing your shin deeper behind their elbow. This creates a scissoring action that compresses the bicep muscle against the humerus bone. The compression should be smooth and progressive, never sudden. Your forearm and shin are now working together like pliers, with the elbow joint as the focal point. (Timing: 3-5 seconds with gradual pressure increase) [Pressure: Firm]
- Add hip pressure for finish: Once the compression is established, use your hips to drive additional pressure into the submission. Lean your bodyweight into the position, increasing the crushing force on the bicep while maintaining the hyperextension on the elbow. Monitor your training partner closely for the tap, which should come quickly once proper pressure is applied. In training, apply this final pressure extremely slowly and carefully. (Timing: 2-4 seconds until tap) [Pressure: Maximum]
- Maintain position until tap or transition: Hold the submission with steady pressure until your partner taps. Do not pump or pulse the submission. If they do not tap after several seconds of proper pressure, reassess your positioning rather than increasing force dangerously. Be prepared to transition to alternative submissions if the bicep slicer is not available. (Timing: Hold steady until tap) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Straightening the trapped arm forcefully (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Anticipate this defense by securing wrist control early and pulling the wrist toward your chest continuously. If they begin to straighten, immediately transition to an armbar or kimura position using their momentum against them.
- Rolling toward the trapped arm side (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Maintain your body position and follow their roll while keeping your shin locked behind their elbow. Use your free leg as a hook to control their hip and prevent the full roll. You may end up in a different position but can often maintain the submission throughout the movement.
- Using free hand to push your shin away (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Ensure you have dominant position control before attempting the submission. If they have a free hand attacking your shin, you may need to abandon the bicep slicer and transition to controlling their free arm, potentially setting up a crucifix or different submission.
- Creating space by bridging or shrimping (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Maintain tight connection with your upper body weight on their torso. Use your free hand to post on the mat or control their body, preventing effective bridging. Your weight distribution should make space creation nearly impossible.
- Grabbing their own gi or body to create a frame (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: In gi, be aware of grip fighting. Strip their defensive grips before fully committing to the submission. In no-gi, if they grab their own wrist or body, increase the angle of your shin pressure and pull their wrist more forcefully to break their grip.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary safety concern when applying the bicep slicer, and what application speed should be used in training? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The primary safety concerns are bicep muscle tears and elbow hyperextension injuries. In training, the bicep slicer must be applied EXTREMELY SLOWLY over a minimum of 5-7 seconds with constant communication. The submission attacks both the bicep muscle (compression) and elbow joint (hyperextension), making it capable of causing severe injury if applied suddenly or explosively. Training partners must be experienced enough to recognize the submission early and tap immediately.
Q2: Where exactly should your shin be positioned for maximum effectiveness of the bicep slicer? A: Your shin should be positioned directly behind the opponent’s elbow joint, perpendicular to their forearm. The back of their elbow should press into your shin bone, which serves as the fulcrum for the compression. The shin should not be across their forearm or bicep, but specifically behind the elbow joint itself. This positioning allows you to create maximum compression on the bicep muscle while simultaneously hyperextending the elbow joint when you pull their wrist toward your chest.
Q3: Why is wrist control critical for the bicep slicer, and what happens if you lose this control? A: Wrist control is absolutely critical because it prevents the opponent from straightening their arm, which is the primary escape from the bicep slicer. If the opponent can straighten their arm, the compression on the bicep disappears and the hyperextension angle is lost, allowing them to escape completely. Proper wrist control involves gripping firmly with one or both hands and continuously pulling the wrist toward your chest to maintain the bent arm position. Without this control, the submission is ineffective regardless of shin positioning.
Q4: What are the immediate steps you must take when your training partner taps to a bicep slicer? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: Upon receiving a tap, immediately release all pressure on the bicep and elbow, remove your shin from behind their elbow joint, release your grip on their wrist, and allow them to straighten their arm naturally without resistance. Then check with your partner about their condition before continuing training. The release must be immediate and complete—never continue applying pressure after a tap, as both the bicep muscle and elbow joint are vulnerable to serious injury from this submission.
Q5: From which positions is the bicep slicer most commonly and effectively applied? A: The bicep slicer is most commonly applied from the crucifix position, where you have superior control and both of the opponent’s arms are compromised. Other high-percentage positions include the truck (twister control), technical mount, and modified mount variations. The key requirement is having a position where you can isolate one arm, control the wrist, and insert your shin behind the elbow while maintaining dominant control to prevent escapes or counters. Attempting the bicep slicer without proper positional dominance typically results in escape or reversal.
Q6: What mechanical principle creates the finishing pressure in the bicep slicer, and how should force be applied? A: The bicep slicer works through a scissoring or plier-like mechanism where your shin acts as one jaw and your forearm/chest acts as the other jaw, with the opponent’s arm trapped between them. The force is created by pulling the wrist toward your chest while simultaneously pushing your shin deeper behind the elbow. This compression crushes the bicep muscle against the humerus bone while hyperextending the elbow joint. Force should be applied using bodyweight and hip pressure rather than just arm strength, with smooth and progressive application rather than sudden jerking movements.
Q7: What should you do if your opponent begins to straighten their arm to escape the bicep slicer? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: If the opponent successfully begins to straighten their arm despite your wrist control, you should immediately transition to an alternative submission rather than forcing the bicep slicer. The straightening motion opens opportunities for armbars, kimuros, or other attacks. Use their momentum and the fact that their arm is now extended against them. Attempting to force a bicep slicer against a straightening arm is both ineffective and potentially dangerous, as it may cause you to apply excessive force trying to bend an arm that is actively resisting.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The bicep slicer represents a fascinating study in leveraging bone-on-bone compression combined with joint hyperextension to create a submission that attacks two separate pain/injury mechanisms simultaneously. From a biomechanical perspective, the effectiveness comes from creating what we call a ‘fulcrum and lever’ system where your shin acts as the fulcrum and the opponent’s arm becomes the lever. The critical technical detail is shin placement—it must be perpendicular to the arm’s long axis and positioned directly behind the elbow joint capsule. Many practitioners fail with this submission because they place their shin across the forearm or bicep belly, which dissipates force and allows escape. The compression force on the bicep muscle creates immediate pain that often causes premature tapping before the joint is truly at risk, which makes this an excellent control technique in training when applied with appropriate restraint. However, the danger lies in the fact that if an opponent resists the muscle compression pain, you are simultaneously loading the elbow joint in hyperextension, which can cause catastrophic ligament damage within milliseconds of reaching the failure threshold. This dual-threat nature demands extreme caution in training—you must develop the sensitivity to recognize when you’ve achieved full mechanical advantage and stop applying force, rather than continuing until you feel the tap. The positional prerequisite is absolute: you must have dominant control from crucifix, truck, or equivalent positions before attempting this submission, as any defensive movement by the opponent while you’re focused on the arm creates sweep or reversal opportunities.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the bicep slicer is a money submission from the crucifix because people don’t tap to it until it’s too late—they think they can tough it out and then suddenly their elbow is compromised. I’ve finished multiple high-level black belts with this because they’re so focused on defending the rear naked choke or armbar that they don’t realize the bicep slicer is locked in until I’ve already got full pressure on. The key competition detail is that you need to have the position completely secured before you even think about the submission—if they have any ability to roll or move, you’re going to lose it. What makes it work at the highest levels is that it’s often a Plan C or Plan D attack, meaning they’ve already burned their energy defending your primary attacks and their defensive awareness is depleted. In training versus competition, my application speed is completely different—in training, I’m giving my partners 5-10 seconds and releasing at maybe 60% pressure, but in competition, once I have the position, I’m finishing it in 2-3 seconds at full pressure because at that level, everyone knows what it is and they’ll tap when it’s locked. The setup I use most is from the crucifix after failed choke attempts—once they defend my hands going for the RNC, their arm positioning often leaves one arm perfectly isolated for the bicep slicer. The detail that separates okay execution from fight-ending execution is pulling their wrist to your chest like you’re trying to touch it to your sternum—this creates the bent arm angle that makes the submission inescapable. If there’s any space or if their arm isn’t fully bent, a high-level opponent will straighten it and you’ve lost your opportunity.
- Eddie Bravo: The bicep slicer is one of those old-school catch wrestling submissions that got overlooked in modern BJJ until the leg lock revolution reminded everyone that compression locks are legit. From the truck position especially, this is a savage finish because they’re already in such a compromised position dealing with the twister threat that the bicep slicer comes out of nowhere. What I’ve found teaching this at 10th Planet is that it’s actually a great submission for smaller guys against bigger opponents because it doesn’t require a ton of strength—it’s all about the angle and using your shin as a wedge. The setup from the truck is particularly slick because your legs are already in perfect position from controlling the twister, so it’s just a matter of catching their arm and threading your shin behind the elbow. Safety-wise, this is one where you really need to build a culture in your gym of tapping early and applying slowly, because I’ve seen some ugly bicep injuries when guys try to tough it out or when someone cranks it too fast. In training, I tell my students to think of it like a calf slicer—you’re going for the tap from the pain of the compression, not trying to actually break something. The compression pain comes on quick, so if you apply it right, your partner should be tapping before any real joint damage occurs. The variation I’ve been working on recently is combining it with the electric chair position—if they defend the Electric Chair submission by straightening their leg, you can sometimes catch the near-side arm with a bicep slicer while maintaining the leg control. It’s super unorthodox but it’s another example of how these compression locks can work from multiple positions if you understand the mechanics.