Flying juji gatame

Flying juji gatame is the judo name for the flying armbar — the armbar entry initiated from a standing position by jumping into the cross-hold configuration mid-flight, completing the submission with the attacker hanging on the trapped arm.

Etymology. Juji (十字) means “cross” or “the character ten,” referring to the perpendicular geometry of the bodies at the finish; gatame (固め) means “hold.” The “flying” qualifier describes the entry — the attacker jumps from a standing position into the armbar configuration rather than working into it from the ground. The technique sits in Kodokan judo’s kansetsu-waza (joint-lock) catalogue as a variant entry to juji gatame. The flying version became prominent in MMA and submission grappling through high-profile finishes, where the standing entry was demonstrated to work against an upright defender who could not protect the arm in time.

Mechanics. The entry requires the attacker to break the opponent’s posture forward, secure a deep two-on-one grip on the target arm, and use the body’s forward momentum to swing the legs into the perpendicular cross-hold position. The aerial phase isolates the arm from the body’s defensive frame before the opponent’s centre of gravity can compensate; the finish completes as the attacker lands and hyperextends the elbow against its natural range.

Cross-reference. English-speaking no-gi and BJJ use “flying armbar.” Full mechanical coverage on Flying Armbar.