Alias · Armbar
Kimura-style shoulder crank
Also known as Choi Bar — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: Informal — distinct from the kimura mechanically; the Choi Bar uses an extended arm, not a figure-four bent-arm grip
Informal — family-resemblance label distinguishing the Choi bar from the kimura
Kimura-style shoulder crank is an informal label sometimes applied to the Choi bar — based on a structural similarity (both attack the shoulder from omoplata-adjacent positions) despite a mechanical distinction (the kimura uses a figure-four bent-arm grip; the Choi bar uses an extended-arm geometry).
Etymology. The label is colloquial and comes from gym vocabulary where students learning the Choi bar describe it relative to the more familiar kimura. The “style” qualifier flags the family resemblance, and “crank” — distinct from “lock” or “bar” — emphasises the rotational pressure feel of the finish. Precise vocabulary keeps the two techniques separate: kimura uses a figure-four; Choi bar uses an extended arm.
Mechanics. The Choi bar isolates the target arm and loads the elbow/shoulder axis through rotation around the attacker’s connection point — the same axis the kimura attacks, but via different grip and entry geometry.
Cross-reference. The kimura proper uses a figure-four grip with the target arm bent at the elbow; the Choi bar holds the target arm extended. Full mechanical coverage on Choi Bar.