SAFETY: Kimura from New York Control targets the Shoulder joint, rotator cuff, and shoulder capsule. Tap early and often. Your safety is more important than any training round.
Defending the Kimura from New York Control requires recognizing the transition from overhook to figure-four grip before it solidifies, because once the Kimura grip locks in with proper hip escape angle, defensive options diminish rapidly. The primary danger lies in the bottom player’s pre-existing arm control from the overhook, which eliminates the usual defensive window available against Kimura attempts from other guard positions. Defenders must focus on preventing the grip conversion, maintaining elbow connection to the body, and using posture recovery to create the space needed for arm extraction before the attacker can establish the figure-four. Early recognition of the attacker’s intent through tactile cues provides the best defensive outcomes, as reactive defense against an established Kimura grip from this position has a substantially lower success rate than proactive grip prevention.
Opponent’s Starting Position: New York Control (Bottom)
How to Recognize This Submission
How do you know when someone is attempting Kimura from New York Control?
- The bottom player’s free hand reaches for your wrist on the overhook side rather than controlling your head or opposite arm
- You feel the overhook arm beginning to thread deeper under your elbow joint rather than staying above it
- The bottom player’s hips begin shifting laterally away from your trapped arm, indicating hip escape preparation for the finishing angle
- Increased pulling pressure on your trapped arm toward the bottom player’s hip rather than across their chest
Key Defensive Principles
What are the key principles for defending Kimura from New York Control?
- Prevent the grip conversion from overhook to figure-four before it solidifies - this is the critical defensive window
- Keep your trapped elbow pinned to your ribs to deny the space needed for the figure-four threading
- Posture recovery must happen before the attacker hip escapes, as their angle change makes defense exponentially harder
- Grip clasping (hands together) buys time but is not a permanent solution - use it to create space for posture recovery
- Never allow both your wrist and elbow to be controlled simultaneously by the figure-four
- Circular motion toward the attacker reduces Kimura leverage more effectively than pulling straight back
Defensive Options
What can you do to defend against Kimura from New York Control?
1. Straighten the trapped arm immediately when you feel the wrist being gripped
- When to use: Early stage before the figure-four grip is established - most effective defensive window
- Targets: New York Control
- If successful: Prevents figure-four establishment and forces attacker to restart the submission attempt or transition to a different attack
- Risk: A straight arm is vulnerable to armbar if the attacker recognizes the defense and switches attacks
2. Clasp hands together with palm-to-palm or gable grip to resist rotational pressure
- When to use: After the figure-four grip is established but before the attacker hip escapes and creates finishing angle
- Targets: New York Control
- If successful: Prevents immediate finish and creates time to work posture recovery and arm extraction
- Risk: Temporary defense only - the attacker can systematically break the grip using legs and hip pressure
3. Drive forward explosively to stack the opponent while circling toward the trapped arm side
- When to use: When the attacker begins hip escaping and you still have enough base to generate forward pressure
- Targets: Closed Guard
- If successful: Collapses the attacker’s angle and removes the space needed for rotational finishing, potentially allowing guard pass
- Risk: Forward pressure into New York Control can increase gogoplata and triangle danger if the Kimura grip breaks
Escape Paths
How do you escape Kimura from New York Control?
- Extract arm by straightening and pulling back while recovering posture, returning to standard New York Control top defense
- Stack and circle toward the trapped arm to collapse the finishing angle, then drive forward to pass guard
- Roll toward the Kimura direction to relieve shoulder pressure and scramble to a neutral position
Best-Case Outcomes for Defender
What is the best outcome when defending Kimura from New York Control?
→ Closed Guard
Successfully stack the attacker and collapse their hip escape angle by driving forward while circling toward the trapped arm side, forcing them to abandon the Kimura grip and falling back to closed guard retention