Mir lock from the pin

Mir lock from the pin is the descriptive name for the top Mir lock — the same overhook shoulder lock as the guard-bottom version, taken from knee on belly, north-south or side control.

Etymology. The qualifier exists because the two halves are one technique in two seats. The finish does not vary: an overhook above the elbow, the arm folded across the attacker’s chest at roughly a right angle, a gable clasp, and a turn up and away. Naming the seat is the only thing that distinguishes them.

Mechanics. The bottom player’s framing arm is the one offered — a defender under knee on belly frames hard to relieve the pressure, and a framing arm is an available arm. The overhook is taken high, near the armpit; taken on the forearm it holds a lever the shoulder can still rotate underneath. The arm is crushed to the attacker’s chest with no gap, the hands clasp around it, and the hips shift back as the clasped arms lift and turn outward. The shoulder loads in rotation and the elbow in torsion together.

What the seat changes. Not the finish — the cost of missing it. From guard, a Mir lock that does not close leaves the attacker rebuilding a guard. From a pin it returns them to the pin, which is why the top half is the cheaper one to hunt and why its threat edges preserve control where the guard-bottom half’s do not.

Cross-reference. The guard-bottom half is the Mir lock; the same three pins offering a straight arm produce the top shotgun armbar instead. Full mechanical coverage on Top Mir Lock.