Alias · Armbar
Arm lock
Also known as Armbar — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: colloquial — also used generically for other elbow attacks
Generic colloquial — any upper-limb joint submission
Arm lock is a generic colloquial name for the armbar — and, in looser use, for any submission that attacks the elbow joint, including bent-arm shoulder rotations (kimura, americana) and shoulder-lock variants.
Etymology. The phrase is the most generic English-language descriptor for the family of joint submissions attacking the upper-limb structure. In casual gym vocabulary, “arm lock” can mean an armbar specifically, a kimura, a wristlock, or any elbow-axis attack. The looseness is why the term is not used as a canonical site label — disambiguation is required in most contexts. The phrase persists in colloquial use because it captures what the technique does (locks the arm) without committing to which joint or mechanism is being attacked.
Mechanics. When the term refers to the armbar specifically, the configuration isolates the elbow and loads it against its natural range. When the term refers to the broader family, the unifying mechanic is isolating an upper-limb joint and loading it past its safe range.
Cross-reference. Most precise vocabularies disambiguate: “armbar,” “kimura,” “americana,” “wristlock,” “shoulder lock.” Full mechanical coverage on Armbar.