Class 1-26-25 Rolling Kimura Deep Dive

 Rolling Kimura 

Today's newaza portion of class focused on a deep dive of the rolling Kimura. The rolling Kimura is an attack I have been using and teaching for over twenty years. Originally I learned to do it from the mount: get the mount, lock in a figure four grip, step over the head and roll over your shoulder to finish the lock from the guard position. I don't remember where I first learned that....or from whom (I can narrow it down to sometime in the late 1990's and from a Sambist, but I'm unsure who), but it was an unusual attack from the mount and a bit flashy, although I found it awkward to set up.  I didn't use it much, but I had had some success with it during live rolls when I was able to lock it up because the finishing mechanics are VERY strong; but mostly I saved it to teach at seminars. 

Flash forward about ten years to 2011. The fight was the rematch between Frank Mir and Big Nog Antonio Nogueira, at UFC 140. I had met Big Nog in 1999 while he was traveling with Mario Sperry  prior to his pro debut at World Extreme Fighting 5 (a match he won by Kimura). I was working with another WEF athlete and we were fortunate enough to spend some time in the gym together. Mario was a complete class act and one of the nicest people I had met in the fight game, he introduced us to Big Nog during a break in training. Mario had told us he was a future World Champion:his stature and demeaner was intimidating! At that time there was a language barrier and he was already known as a boogy man: the scars and story of being run over by a truck, the BJJ black belt and Cuban boxing pedigree. I was a fan of the Brazilian Top Team after this encounter and followed the careers of both Mario and Big Nog afterwards. The legendary fights with Fedor Emelianko only made me more of a fan. 

The fight with Mir was a rematch, he had lost the first fight and had gone .500 since. But of course I was rooting for him to win and thought he would. I thought he would submit Frank with a Guillotine, a specialty of the Top Team, and a technique I was fortunate enough to train with Mario during that meeting in 1999. 

About three minutes into the first round; the moment I had been waiting for happened: Frank was rocked, he shot a desperation shot and Big Nog jumped on an arm-in guillotine: the BTT specialty! This was it....except it wasn't. A crazy scramble ensued and Frank somehow locked in a Kimura from the top. Big Nog was defending by keeping his weight on his arm and  keeping it flat to the mat. Then it happened: Frank did a forward shoulder roll giving up the top position, rolling into the guard allowing him to push Big Nog's arm behind his back, forcing Nog to roll again to avoid getting his arm broken,  Frank stepped over his head and finished the Kimura: breaking Antonio's arm in the process. Devastating! 

I immediately recognized the technique; but now saw it with new appreciation.  Even though I wish the fight went the other way I saw the value of this finish.  I had been starting in the mount and stopping after the first roll: finishing in the guard,  I had never even considered rolling from side control or rolling again. I made the adjustments and I added this into my fighters arsenal instantly. 

Night of Champions 2011 

Time in the gym taught us that 1/2 guard top and reverse scarf hold were the ideal positions to attack the Kimura from. Being able to punch our opponent's ribs guaranteed that their arm would sneak in to defend the strikes, only to immediately be caught in the figure 4. Sometimes we didn't get the tap, but the threat causes other opportunities to present themselves: like here were Team Link's Jarrid Heon scores the win at AFO Night of Champions using the reverse side kimura trap to take the back and pound out the win. Jarrid is a phenomenal black belt: a fun fighter I had the pleasure of working with and cornering in the early days of his career.  

By 2013 I was working with Pat Walsh, who was fighting out of New England Combat where I was a coach. Pat was a 3-0 Heavyweight prospect with an Ohio State wrestling pedigree. Pat was a BIG BOY: a farm boy with real gorilla strength. Because Pat's grappling was wrestling based we kept his submission game simple; we focused on a small handful of moves: the Guillotine, the mounted armbar and Americana, and the Kimura/rolling Kimura. 

Pat hits his signature Kimura 2013 IBJJF Worlds  

Pat was impossible to dislodge once he settled into the top position. Typically his fights followed a predictable but successful pattern.  Pat pressures his opponent to the fence, Pat get's the takedown, Pat settles into their half guard in a reverse scarf type position. An onslaught of strikes comes next to his opponents ribs leading to the inevitable Kimura.  In my time as Pat's Coach he used this game plan to secure a dominant decision over then 4-0 Todd Stoute, to win the 2013 IBJJF Worlds, and then during his Ultimate Fighter season 19 fight against Doug Sparks. 

I hope you enjoyed the history- now get on the mats and train! Greg