⚠️ SAFETY: Monoplata from Guard targets the Shoulder joint and rotator cuff. Risk: Rotator cuff tear or strain. Release immediately upon tap.
The Monoplata from Guard is an advanced shoulder lock that combines elements of the traditional omoplata with a unique single-leg entanglement configuration. This submission attacks the opponent’s shoulder joint by isolating their arm while using your legs to create a figure-four lock around their trapped limb. The technique is particularly effective when transitioning from failed omoplata attempts or when the opponent attempts to posture up aggressively from guard. The Monoplata creates severe pressure on the shoulder capsule and rotator cuff, making it a high-percentage finish once proper control is established. Unlike the traditional omoplata which rolls the opponent forward, the Monoplata maintains a more static control position while applying rotational pressure to the shoulder joint. This submission requires excellent hip mobility, precise leg positioning, and a deep understanding of shoulder mechanics to execute safely and effectively. The technique has gained popularity in modern no-gi competition due to its effectiveness against strong postural defenses and its ability to chain seamlessly with other guard attacks.
Category: Joint Lock Type: Shoulder Lock Target Area: Shoulder joint and rotator cuff Starting Position: Closed Guard Success Rates: Beginner 25%, Intermediate 40%, Advanced 55%
Safety Guide
Injury Risks:
| Injury | Severity | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rotator cuff tear or strain | High | 6-12 weeks for minor tears, 4-6 months for major tears |
| Shoulder dislocation or subluxation | CRITICAL | 3-6 months with potential for chronic instability |
| Labrum damage | High | 6-9 months, may require surgical repair |
| AC joint sprain | Medium | 2-6 weeks depending on severity |
Application Speed: EXTREMELY SLOW - 5-7 seconds minimum pressure application with constant communication
Tap Signals:
- Verbal tap (primary signal)
- Physical hand tap on legs or mat
- Physical foot tap on mat
- Any distress vocalization
- Repeated tapping on your body
Release Protocol:
- Immediately stop all rotational pressure on the shoulder
- Release the figure-four leg configuration
- Unwrap your legs from around the arm
- Allow the partner to extract their arm naturally
- Check for shoulder mobility and pain before continuing training
Training Restrictions:
- Never spike or jerk the submission - apply smooth, progressive pressure only
- Never use competition speed in training - always start at 20-30% intensity
- Always maintain verbal communication with training partner throughout
- Never apply the finish without establishing full control first
- Beginners must drill this with 0% resistance for minimum 50 repetitions
- Never practice on partners with pre-existing shoulder injuries without explicit approval
Key Principles
- Isolate the arm completely before attempting the leg configuration
- Create a tight figure-four with your legs to prevent arm escape
- Maintain hip pressure toward the opponent’s head to prevent posturing
- Control the opponent’s wrist to prevent hand fighting
- Apply rotational pressure gradually through hip extension and leg squeeze
- Keep your body angle perpendicular to opponent’s trapped arm
- Transition smoothly from omoplata or other guard attacks to maintain surprise
Prerequisites
- Opponent’s arm must be isolated and extended past your hip line
- You must have broken their posture and prevented them from stacking
- Your legs must be mobile enough to create the figure-four configuration
- Opponent’s weight should be committed forward or to the side of the trapped arm
- You need sufficient hip flexibility to swing your leg over their arm
- Clear control of opponent’s wrist or grip to prevent hand fighting
- Proper angle relative to opponent’s body (perpendicular to trapped arm)
Execution Steps
- Isolate and control the arm: From closed guard or open guard, secure a deep overhook or grip on one of the opponent’s arms. Break their posture by pulling them forward and to the side, ensuring their arm is extended past your hip line. Control their wrist with your same-side hand to prevent them from pulling their arm back. This isolation is critical - the arm must be completely committed before proceeding. (Timing: Take 2-3 seconds to establish this control) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Swing your leg over the arm: Open your guard if still closed, and swing your near-side leg (same side as trapped arm) up and over the opponent’s shoulder and arm. Your shin should come across their upper back while your knee hooks over their shoulder. Maintain constant control of their wrist throughout this movement to prevent escape. Your hips should start to angle perpendicular to their body. (Timing: Smooth 1-2 second motion) [Pressure: Light]
- Establish the figure-four leg lock: Bring your far-side leg underneath the opponent’s trapped arm and lock it in a figure-four configuration with your near-side leg. Your far-side ankle should hook behind your near-side knee, creating a tight lock around their arm. Ensure the opponent’s arm is trapped between your legs with their elbow pointing toward their own head. This leg configuration is the key mechanical element of the monoplata. (Timing: 2-3 seconds to secure proper configuration) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Control the opponent’s posture and position: Use your free leg (the one not in the figure-four) to hook around the opponent’s far hip or post on their far shoulder to prevent them from rolling forward or escaping to the side. Your upper body should be angled away from the opponent, creating space for the shoulder attack. Maintain your grip on their trapped wrist or use both hands to control their arm and prevent defensive hand fighting. (Timing: 1-2 seconds to establish full control) [Pressure: Firm]
- Create proper angle for shoulder pressure: Adjust your hip position so you are perpendicular to the opponent’s body, with their trapped arm pointing toward their own head. Your figure-four should be tight against their shoulder joint. The opponent’s arm should be in a vulnerable position with their elbow bent and pointing upward. Check that all control points are secure before applying any finishing pressure. (Timing: 1-2 seconds for final positioning) [Pressure: Moderate]
- Apply the finish with rotational pressure: Slowly squeeze your figure-four legs together while simultaneously extending your hips slightly away from the opponent. This creates a powerful rotational force on their shoulder joint. The pressure should come from the combination of your leg squeeze and the leverage created by your body position. Apply pressure EXTREMELY slowly over 5-7 seconds, giving your partner ample time to tap. The submission attacks the shoulder through external rotation and compression of the joint capsule. (Timing: 5-7 seconds minimum for full pressure application) [Pressure: Maximum]
Opponent Defenses
- Pulling the arm back aggressively before figure-four is locked (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Maintain constant grip on their wrist and use your legs to prevent their posture recovery. If they pull hard, transition to triangle or omoplata instead of forcing the monoplata.
- Rolling forward to relieve shoulder pressure (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Use your free leg to block their far hip and prevent the roll. If they commit fully to the roll, follow them over and maintain the lock, or transition to a mounted position with arm control.
- Stacking your hips by driving forward (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Adjustment: Use both hands to push their hips away and create space. If stacked, transition back to closed guard or sweep using the trapped arm as a lever rather than forcing the submission.
- Hand fighting to grab their own gi or your gi (Effectiveness: High) - Your Adjustment: Break any grips immediately using your hands. Consider switching to a different submission if they successfully establish a strong defensive grip. Preventative control of the wrist from step 1 is crucial to avoid this defense.
- Straightening their arm to prevent the shoulder lock (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Adjustment: Tighten your figure-four and use your body angle to maintain the bent arm position. A straight arm actually makes certain aspects of the lock more effective if you adjust your angle properly.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the minimum time you should take to apply finishing pressure in the monoplata during training? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: You should take a minimum of 5-7 seconds to apply finishing pressure in training. This extremely slow application allows your partner ample time to recognize the danger and tap, preventing serious shoulder injuries. Competition pace should never be used in training for shoulder locks due to the high injury risk.
Q2: What are the primary anatomical targets and injury risks of the monoplata? [SAFETY-CRITICAL] A: The monoplata primarily targets the shoulder joint, specifically attacking through external rotation and compression. The major injury risks include rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation (which can lead to chronic instability), labrum damage, and AC joint sprains. The rotator cuff and labrum injuries are particularly serious as they often require surgical intervention and extended recovery periods of 6+ months.
Q3: Describe the proper figure-four leg configuration in the monoplata and why it’s mechanically important? A: The figure-four is created by bringing your far-side leg underneath the opponent’s trapped arm and hooking your far-side ankle behind your near-side knee. This creates a closed loop around their arm that prevents escape and allows you to squeeze and create rotational pressure. The figure-four is mechanically superior to other leg configurations because it distributes force evenly, prevents the opponent from straightening their arm, and allows you to apply consistent pressure through simple leg squeezing rather than complex body movements.
Q4: Why is proper body angle (perpendicular to opponent) crucial in the monoplata? A: Being perpendicular to your opponent’s body ensures that the rotational pressure is applied correctly to the shoulder joint rather than to the elbow or other areas. This angle allows their arm to point toward their own head, which maximizes the shoulder lock’s effectiveness while minimizing risk of elbow injury. An incorrect angle (too parallel to opponent) can result in dangerous pressure on the wrong joint and significantly reduces the submission’s effectiveness.
Q5: What should you do if your opponent begins to roll forward to escape the monoplata? A: You should use your free leg to block their far hip and prevent the roll. If they have already committed fully to rolling forward, you can choose to follow them over while maintaining your figure-four lock, or release the submission and transition to a more advantageous position. Never try to hold them in place purely through the shoulder lock as this can cause injury. The key is using your free leg as a blocking tool before they build momentum for the roll.
Q6: What are the critical control points that must be established before attempting to finish the monoplata? A: The critical control points are: (1) complete arm isolation with the opponent’s arm extended past your hip line, (2) wrist control to prevent hand fighting, (3) secure figure-four leg lock around the arm, (4) control of opponent’s posture using your free leg to block their far hip or shoulder, (5) proper perpendicular body angle, and (6) prevention of their base recovery. All six control points should be established before applying any finishing pressure to ensure both effectiveness and safety.
Q7: How does the monoplata differ from a traditional omoplata in terms of mechanics and control? A: The traditional omoplata typically requires you to roll the opponent forward or rotate your body to apply shoulder pressure, often ending with you on top. The monoplata maintains a more static control position with you on your side or back, using a figure-four leg lock instead of both legs extended. The monoplata creates pressure through leg squeezing and hip extension rather than body rotation. This makes it effective when the opponent successfully defends the rolling motion of a traditional omoplata, as the monoplata requires less movement to finish.
From Which Positions?
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The monoplata represents an evolution in our understanding of shoulder-based submissions from guard. Where the traditional omoplata requires significant body movement and often results in positional changes, the monoplata maintains a static control structure that isolates the shoulder joint with remarkable efficiency. The figure-four leg configuration creates what I call a ‘closed kinetic chain’ - the opponent cannot escape without simultaneously escaping multiple control points. The key mechanical insight is that the submission derives its power not from your body weight or large muscle movements, but from the simple act of squeezing your legs together while maintaining proper angle. This makes it remarkably energy-efficient and highly controllable. From a safety perspective, this control is paramount - the gradual nature of pressure application allows both practitioners to recognize the danger threshold well before injury occurs. The monoplata also demonstrates an important principle in submission grappling: when an opponent defends one attack successfully, that defensive movement often creates vulnerability to a related attack. The most dangerous practitioners are those who can recognize these chains of opportunity.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the monoplata is one of those submissions that catches opponents completely off guard because it’s still relatively uncommon at the highest levels. I’ve found it most effective when my opponent thinks they’ve successfully defended my omoplata - they feel safe because they’ve stopped my roll, but they don’t realize their arm is still in danger. The key to making this work at high levels is speed of transition, not speed of finish. You need to snap into the figure-four configuration quickly before they recognize what’s happening, but once you have the lock, you apply pressure slowly and let them make the decision to tap. What separates this from training is that in competition, people will try to tough it out much longer, so you need absolute certainty in your control before finishing. I also use the threat of the monoplata to set up other attacks - once opponents know you have it, they become much more defensive with their arm positioning, which opens up different sweeps and transitions. The psychological aspect of having multiple shoulder attacks from guard cannot be overstated. However, I want to emphasize that in the training room, this needs to be practiced with extreme care. Shoulder injuries end careers, and there’s absolutely no value in injuring your training partners. Save the intensity for competition.
- Eddie Bravo: The monoplata is one of the coolest innovations to come out of the 10th Planet system because it shows how you can take established positions and find completely new applications. We started seeing it as a natural evolution from the rubber guard and mission control positions where you already have incredible arm control. What makes it special in no-gi is that it doesn’t rely on any grips - it’s all about body positioning and leg configuration, which means it translates perfectly to MMA and submission-only formats. I teach it as part of a web of attacks from guard - you’re flowing between triangle, omoplata, monoplata, and armbars, and the opponent never knows which finish is coming. The beauty of the monoplata specifically is that it looks totally different from other submissions, so even experienced grapplers sometimes don’t recognize the danger until it’s locked in. From a teaching perspective, I’m super strict about safety with this one. It’s an advanced technique that requires serious mat time before you should be hitting it live. We spend months just drilling the positioning before anyone even thinks about applying real pressure. The culture in the training room has to be about taking care of each other - tap early, tap often, and never ego-trip with shoulder locks. If you create an environment where people feel safe tapping, everyone improves faster and stays healthy for the long term.