Ude garami (outside)

Ude garami (outside) is the judo-derived name for the americana — the figure-four shoulder rotation submission that loads the humerus in the opposite direction to the kimura, with the rotation taking the opponent’s wrist toward the mat above their head rather than down toward their hip.

Etymology. Ude (腕) means “arm”; garami (緘) means “entanglement” or “wrap.” The Kodokan judo kansetsu-waza (joint-lock) classification covers both the “inside” rotational direction (ude garami without qualifier, the kimura) and the “outside” rotational direction (this entry, the americana) under the same broader category. The “(outside)” qualifier disambiguates the direction of rotation from the kimura. BJJ and English-speaking no-gi adopted the name “americana” for the outside variant, reportedly attached after the technique became associated with American grappling practice in the mid-20th century.

Mechanics. The submission isolates the shoulder by trapping the opponent’s wrist with a figure-four grip and rotating the arm outward — the opposite direction from the kimura — past the natural range of external rotation in the glenohumeral joint. The configuration requires the opponent’s arm to be pinned with the elbow at roughly 90 degrees and the wrist near the mat.

Cross-reference. English-speaking no-gi and BJJ use “americana”; wrestlers use “keylock”; older sambo and catch contexts use “key wristlock” or “paintbrush.” Full mechanical coverage on Americana.