Glossary /// Alias
Straight armlock defence
Also known as Straight Arm Shoulder Lock Escape — the canonical term used on this site.
Descriptive — the lock that requires an extended arm
Straight armlock defence names the straight-arm shoulder lock by its one requirement: an arm left extended, which the attacker then loads at the shoulder rather than the elbow.
Etymology. “Straight armlock” is the general descriptive family; the qualifier matters because several shoulder attacks want a bent arm instead. Naming the requirement makes the defensive rule obvious, which is why the term travels well among beginners.
Mechanics. Extended arms are the material, so frames are made with bent elbows and the arm is never used as a straight post. Once captured, the arm is bent and pummelled back to the mat side; the last resort is rotating the thumb and turning in, which takes the shoulder off the plane the lock loads through.
Cross-reference. “Extended arm shoulder lock escape” is the longer descriptive form. Full escape coverage on Straight Arm Shoulder Lock Escape.