Kimura Trap System is a advanced difficulty Submission Chain system. Integrates 5 components.
System ID: System Type: Submission Chain Difficulty Level: Advanced
What is Kimura Trap System?
The Kimura Trap System is a comprehensive control and submission framework built around the kimura grip position. Unlike treating the kimura solely as an isolated submission, this system recognizes it as a powerful control mechanism that creates multiple offensive pathways. The system emphasizes using the kimura grip to control the opponent’s posture and movement while simultaneously threatening submissions, sweeps, and transitions to dominant positions.
Developed and refined by John Danaher and popularized through high-level competition by athletes like Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon, the Kimura Trap System represents a paradigm shift in how grapplers approach the kimura. Rather than immediately hunting for the finish, practitioners learn to use the kimura grip as a steering wheel, directing opponents into increasingly disadvantageous positions while maintaining constant offensive pressure. The system works from multiple starting positions including side control, half guard, turtle, and even standing scenarios.
The genius of this system lies in its problem-solving approach: every defensive response from the opponent opens a different offensive opportunity. If they defend the kimura submission, you take the back. If they defend the back take, you transition to mount. If they defend the mount, the kimura finish becomes available again. This creates an inescapable dilemma where the opponent must choose which catastrophic outcome to accept, embodying the Danaher principle of systematized attack sequences.
Core Principles
- Use the kimura grip as a control mechanism first, submission second
- Create cascading dilemmas where every defensive choice leads to a different attack
- Maintain constant shoulder rotation pressure to prevent opponent’s escape
- Connect multiple positions through the kimura grip as a common thread
- Prioritize position advancement over immediate submission attempts
- Use the trapped arm as a handle to steer opponent’s body
- Recognize that the kimura grip neutralizes half of opponent’s defensive capacity
Key Components
Kimura Grip Establishment (Creates the control foundation from which all other system elements flow) The foundational element involves securing the figure-four grip on the opponent’s arm with proper hand positioning and shoulder alignment. The grip must be deep enough to control the shoulder girdle while maintaining mechanical advantage through proper arm angles. This requires understanding the difference between a shallow grip (easily escaped) and a deep, controlling grip that immobilizes the opponent’s shoulder complex.
Back Take Pathway (Provides primary offensive pathway when opponent defends submission) When the opponent defends the kimura by extending their arm or driving into you, this defensive movement creates the opportunity to climb onto their back. The trapped arm becomes an anchor point for establishing back control, with the kimura grip naturally transitioning into seat belt control. Understanding the timing of when to release the kimura grip and secure the back is critical for smooth execution.
Mount Transition (Advances positional dominance while maintaining offensive pressure) From positions like side control or half guard, the kimura grip allows for controlled transitions to mount by using the trapped arm to prevent the opponent’s ability to create frames or establish defensive structure. The shoulder rotation inherent in the kimura makes it biomechanically difficult for opponents to prevent the mount transition while defending their arm.
Submission Finishes (Provides multiple offensive endpoints to capitalize on defensive errors) The system includes multiple submission endpoints beyond the standard kimura, including americana variations, wristlocks, and shoulder locks. The key is recognizing which finish is appropriate based on the opponent’s defensive posture and arm position. Competition-level execution requires understanding the nuanced differences between finishes and when each becomes available.
Rolling Kimura Mechanics (Adds dynamic movement dimension to break static defensive postures) The rolling kimura represents an advanced expression of the system where the practitioner performs a forward roll while maintaining the kimura grip, using rotational momentum to break the opponent’s defensive structure. This technique is particularly effective when the opponent successfully prevents static kimura attacks by maintaining strong posture or base.
Implementation Sequence
- Grip Establishment: Secure the kimura grip from your starting position (side control, half guard, or turtle). Ensure deep hand positioning with your controlling hand gripping your own wrist, not just fingers. Apply immediate shoulder rotation pressure to test opponent’s defensive awareness. Key points:
- Deep grip with wrist-to-wrist connection, not finger interlock
- Elbow positioning tight to your own body for leverage
- Immediate pressure application to prevent early escape
- Initial Control Development: Establish positional control using the kimura grip as your primary control mechanism. Drive the opponent’s hand toward their hip to create shoulder rotation and postural compromise. Use your body weight and positioning to prevent them from turning into you or creating space. Key points:
- Shoulder rotation is continuous, not static
- Hip positioning prevents opponent’s hip escape
- Head pressure controls upper body movement
- Reaction Reading: Observe how the opponent responds to the kimura threat. If they extend the arm to relieve pressure, prepare for back take. If they pull the arm tight to their body, prepare for mount transition. If they attempt to roll through, follow with rolling kimura mechanics. Key points:
- Every defensive movement creates specific offensive opportunities
- Delay commitment until opponent reveals their defensive choice
- Maintain grip integrity regardless of which pathway opens
- Pathway Selection: Commit to your offensive pathway based on opponent’s defensive reaction: back take (if they extend), mount (if they pull tight), submission (if they remain static), or rolling attack (if they attempt to turtle). Execute the chosen pathway while maintaining constant pressure on the trapped shoulder. Key points:
- Smooth transition without telegraphing intention
- Maintain shoulder rotation throughout transition
- Use trapped arm as navigation handle
- Secondary Attack Chain: If the primary attack is defended, immediately recognize the new position and available secondary attacks. From back control, threaten chokes. From mount, threaten armbars and ezekiels. From turtle, return to initial kimura establishment. The system loops continuously until submission or dominant position is secured. Key points:
- Never abandon the system entirely - always loop back to kimura control
- Secondary attacks should flow naturally from the position achieved
- Opponent fatigue accumulates through constant decision-making pressure
- System Mastery Integration: Advanced practitioners integrate the kimura trap into their overall game strategy, recognizing kimura opportunities from standing, guard, and scramble positions. The system becomes a default problem-solving framework rather than a specific technique sequence, allowing for creative applications across all positional contexts. Key points:
- Pattern recognition becomes automatic through repetition
- Creative variations emerge from deep system understanding
- Opponent’s awareness of the system creates additional opportunities
How to Measure Your Progress
Grip Establishment Rate: Percentage of opportunities where you successfully establish deep kimura control from various starting positions Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: 30-40% success rate, primarily from static side control
- Intermediate: 50-65% success rate, including half guard and turtle positions
- Advanced: 70%+ success rate, including dynamic scrambles and standing scenarios
Pathway Recognition Speed: Time elapsed between opponent’s defensive movement and your commitment to the appropriate attack pathway Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: 3-5 seconds of observation before committing
- Intermediate: 1-2 seconds, making decision within one opponent movement cycle
- Advanced: Instant recognition with simultaneous or anticipatory response
Position Advancement Rate: Percentage of kimura controls that result in improved position or submission regardless of specific pathway Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: 40-50% result in position improvement
- Intermediate: 60-75% result in back control, mount, or submission threat
- Advanced: 80%+ result in dominant position or submission finish
System Persistence: Ability to maintain system pressure through multiple defensive sequences before completing attack Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: Single-layer attacks, abandoning system after first defense
- Intermediate: Two-layer sequences, following initial attack with one backup option
- Advanced: Three+ layer chains, maintaining system framework through extended exchanges
Expert Insights
- John Danaher: The Kimura Trap System exemplifies the fundamental principle that superior jiujitsu is built upon creating systematized problem-solving frameworks rather than memorizing isolated techniques. When you establish the kimura grip, you are not merely hunting for one submission—you are constructing an entire control ecosystem from which multiple offensive pathways emerge based on your opponent’s defensive choices. The beauty of this system lies in its logical structure: every defensive response opens a different attack vector, creating what I call ‘systematized inevitability.’ Your opponent must choose between defending the submission, defending the back take, or defending the positional advancement, but they cannot defend all three simultaneously. This forces them into a decision-making hell where every choice leads to progressive deterioration of their position. The key to mastery is understanding that the kimura grip itself is the system’s nucleus—maintain that grip with proper mechanics and shoulder rotation, and the various pathways will present themselves organically based on resistance patterns. Train this system not as a sequence of techniques, but as a decision tree where you develop automatic pattern recognition for which branch to follow.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the Kimura Trap System has become one of my highest-percentage offensive frameworks because it solves the fundamental problem of how to advance position against defensive specialists who are experts at stalling and preventing submissions. When I secure the kimura grip from side control or half guard, I’m not thinking about the submission finish—I’m thinking about how to use that trapped arm as a steering wheel to drive my opponent into progressively worse positions. Against elite competitors, the immediate kimura finish is rare because they understand the danger and defend intelligently. But that’s exactly what makes the system so effective: their defensive movements predictably open the back take or mount transition. I’ve won multiple ADCC and No-Gi Worlds matches by establishing kimura control and then methodically working through the decision tree until something breaks. The mental warfare aspect is crucial—once your opponent knows you have a systematized approach to the kimura, they start making mistakes out of panic, either defending too aggressively and giving up their back, or remaining too passive and allowing the positional advancement. My advice is to develop absolute confidence in your grip strength and shoulder pressure, because if you lose the grip during the transition, you lose all your accumulated advantage.
- Eddie Bravo: The Kimura Trap System is a perfect example of how traditional techniques can be evolved into modern attacking frameworks when you stop thinking about jiujitsu in static, position-by-position terms. At 10th Planet, we’ve integrated the kimura grip into our rubber guard system, our truck system, and our leg lock game because it’s such a versatile control mechanism. What most people miss is that the kimura can be the connector between completely different attacking systems—you can establish it from standing, use it to enter into your guard game, or transition from it into leg attacks. The rolling kimura variation is particularly effective in no-gi where grips are harder to maintain, because the rotational momentum allows you to break even the strongest defensive structures. I teach my students to view the kimura grip as a ‘universal control adapter’ that plugs into whatever system you’re already using. If you’re a leg locker, use the kimura to off-balance opponents and expose their legs. If you’re a back attack specialist, use it to climb onto the back. The genius is in the versatility. Don’t limit yourself to the traditional pathways—experiment with using the kimura grip from inverted positions, from bottom positions, even from defensive scrambles. The more creative you get with the entry points and transition options, the more unpredictable and dangerous your game becomes.