BJJ Graph

North-South to Kimura

Jun 15, 20256 min read

North-South to Kimura

bjjtransitionnorth_southkimurasubmission

Transition Properties

  • Transition ID: T912
  • Starting State: North-South
  • Ending State: Kimura Control
  • Success Probability: Beginner (50%), Intermediate (70%), Advanced (85%)
  • Execution Complexity: Medium
  • Physical Attributes: Grip Strength, Core Control, Shoulder Mobility

Transition Description

The North-South to Kimura transition represents a high-percentage submission pathway that converts a strong controlling position (North-South) into a powerful shoulder lock setup (Kimura Control). This transition exploits the opponent’s arm positioning and defensive reactions to isolate and manipulate the shoulder joint while maintaining upper body control. Unlike maintaining North-South purely for positional dominance, this transition creates an immediate submission threat that forces specific defensive reactions, often leading to a cascade of submission opportunities or positional advancements. The technical execution focuses on precise grip establishment, body positioning, and leverage application to secure the figure-four grip on the opponent’s arm while maintaining dominant pressure. This transition exemplifies BJJ’s principle of exploiting limb isolation from controlling positions, where strategic weight distribution and grip fighting create submission opportunities from seemingly secure defensive postures.

Execution Steps

  1. Establish secure North-South position with proper weight distribution
  2. Identify and target opponent’s exposed arm (typically the near-side arm)
  3. Secure initial wrist control of the targeted arm
  4. Create space on the target side while maintaining chest pressure
  5. Thread non-control arm under opponent’s upper arm to establish figure-four grip
  6. Secure figure-four grip by connecting hands (typically palm-to-palm or wrist grip)
  7. Adjust body position to maximize leverage on isolated shoulder
  8. Stabilize final Kimura control with proper weight distribution and connection points

Key Details

  • Arm Isolation: Create and maintain separation of target arm from opponent’s body
  • Grip Sequence: Progress from initial wrist control to secure figure-four lock
  • Weight Distribution: Shift from centered pressure to targeted side pressure
  • Space Creation: Strategic space management to enable grip transitions
  • Body Positioning: Alignment relative to opponent’s shoulder for optimal leverage
  • Pressure Maintenance: Continuous control throughout transitional movement
  • Defensive Awareness: Anticipate and counter common defensive reactions
  • Shoulder Alignment: Critical positioning to maximize mechanical advantage

Common Counters

Variants

  • Classic North-South Kimura (traditional approach)
  • Step-Over Kimura (incorporating leg positioning)
  • Short Grip Kimura (variation with modified grip)
  • Running Kimura (transitional flow variation)
  • Reverse Kimura (attacking opposite side arm)
  • Near-Side Kimura (targeting arm closest to head)
  • Far-Side Kimura (targeting arm furthest from head)
  • Kimura/Armbar Combination (dual-threat approach)

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: Emphasizes the importance of establishing complete control of the opponent’s upper arm before attempting to secure the figure-four grip. Focuses on creating mechanical disadvantages through precise positioning that make defensive reactions ineffective. Particularly emphasizes creating a “wedge position” with the knee to prevent the opponent from turning away during the grip establishment phase.
  • Gordon Ryan: Approaches the North-South Kimura as part of an integrated upper body submission system, often using the threat to create defensive reactions that expose other submissions. Utilizes subtle weight shifts and misdirection to create openings for the Kimura entry. Places significant emphasis on controlling the opponent’s hips during the transition to prevent defensive movements.
  • Eddie Bravo: Has developed specialized setups that integrate with his 10th Planet system. Particularly focuses on creating submission chains where the Kimura threat forces predictable defensive patterns. Emphasizes the importance of the “zombie control” concept where pressure is maintained throughout transition phases.

Timing Considerations

  • Execute when opponent’s arm is naturally exposed in defensive posture
  • Time with opponent’s attempt to frame or create space
  • Capitalize on opponent’s bridge recovery (post-bridge moment)
  • Transition when opponent commits weight to elbow escape
  • Implement during opponent’s attempt to recover guard
  • Execute following hand-fighting sequence that creates arm isolation

Setup Connections

Follow-up Options

Common Errors

  • Insufficient isolation of target arm → Defensive connection
  • Poor figure-four grip alignment → Reduced mechanical advantage
  • Telegraphing submission intent → Early defensive reaction
  • Loss of chest pressure during transition → Control compromise
  • Improper angle relative to shoulder → Ineffective leverage
  • Focusing solely on arm without controlling body → Defensive escape opportunity
  • Rushing the submission → Grip establishment failure

Performance Tips

  • Focus on establishing complete control of the targeted arm before securing figure-four
  • Maintain continuous pressure throughout the transition sequence
  • Use subtle misdirection to create arm exposure
  • Develop sensitivity to opponent’s defensive preparations
  • Practice transitional flow between related submissions
  • Coordinate breathing with movement phases for optimal pressure
  • Study common defensive reactions to anticipate escape attempts

Training Approaches

  • Isolated grip fighting drills with progressive resistance
  • Positional sparring focused on submission entries
  • Defensive recognition and response training
  • Grip strength and endurance development
  • Transition chains linking related upper body attacks
  • Body positioning refinement with emphasis on leverage

Conceptual Framework

The North-South to Kimura transition exemplifies fundamental BJJ principles of positional control leading to submission opportunity. This technique transforms a secure controlling position into a direct submission threat, demonstrating how dominant positions serve not only as defensive checkpoints but as launching platforms for offensive sequences. The execution represents BJJ’s emphasis on mechanical leverage and precise grip establishment, creating situations where technical application overcomes raw strength. This transition highlights how systematic grip fighting and body positioning create submission opportunities even against defensive awareness, forming the foundation of advanced submission chains.

Computer Science Analogy

The North-South to Kimura transition functions as a “state optimization function” within the BJJ state machine, where a stable control state (North-South) evolves into a terminal submission state (Kimura Control) through a sequence of precise input manipulations. This process mirrors how computing systems implement optimization algorithms that transform data structures into more advantageous configurations through sequential transformations.

The transition represents a form of “resource allocation strategy,” where control resources initially distributed for positional security are strategically redistributed to create a submission opportunity. This pattern demonstrates the concept of “just-in-time compilation” in computing, where general control structures are transformed into specialized configurations when specific execution conditions are detected.

The figure-four grip functions as a “mutual exclusion lock” in computing terms, restricting access to a critical resource (the opponent’s shoulder mobility) while maintaining privileged access for the controlling player. In essence, the North-South to Kimura transition exemplifies how BJJ’s positional control framework systematically transforms general dominance into specific mechanical advantage, similar to how computing systems refine general data structures into optimized configurations when advantageous patterns are recognized.

Graph View

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