Americana

What This Is

The americana is the external rotation counterpart to the kimura. Both use an identical figure-four grip — one hand on the opponent’s wrist, the other arm under the opponent’s upper arm gripping the first wrist. The finish direction is opposite: the kimura drives the forearm behind the opponent’s back (internal rotation); the americana drives the forearm toward the mat (external rotation with the elbow bent).

The americana’s defining context is mount with a flat-backed opponent. When the opponent’s back is flat on the mat and their arm is extended outward at 90°, they cannot rotate their shoulder in the direction of the submission. All force goes through the shoulder joint — specifically the AC joint and posterior rotator cuff structures — without the relief valve of body rotation that side-mounted attacks allow.

The americana is among the first submissions taught in grappling because the setup position (mount with flat back) is accessible early and the mechanics are direct. Understanding why the flat back is essential — not incidental — separates the practitioner who executes the americana from the one who understands it.

Safety First

The Invariable in Action

Arm isolation in the americana requires the elbow to be placed at 90° outward from the body and the wrist to be gripped before the opponent can pull the arm back in. From mount, the attacker must isolate the arm quickly — reaching the near hand to the wrist and pinning it to the mat before the opponent frames or tucks. A loose arm that the opponent can pull back toward their body cannot be attacked.

The secondary anchor in the americana is the opponent’s shoulder rotation. The opponent can relieve the joint load by turning their body toward the attacking arm. The flat back from mount eliminates this rotation — the mat prevents the turn. This is why mount is the primary platform: the mat provides the anchor removal for free. From side control, the same submission is available but the opponent has partial rotation available, making the americana more forgiving to resist.

The americana finish requires the wrist to be driven toward the mat at the angle that produces external rotation load, not simply downward. If the wrist is pushed straight down rather than arc’d toward the mat in the external rotation direction, the force hits the wrong structure and produces minimal load on the shoulder. The arc direction — toward the mat in the rotation plane — is the finish.

The AC joint has less warning capacity than the glenohumeral joint — the discomfort signal can arrive close to the damage threshold. Apply the americana slowly and give clear time for the tap signal to be delivered and received.

Entries

From Mount — Primary Entry

The standard entry. From high mount or mid mount, the opponent’s arm extends outward or is pushed outward by the attacker’s knee. The near hand pins the opponent’s wrist to the mat; the far hand reaches under the opponent’s upper arm and grips the pinning wrist to complete the figure-four. The elbow must be at approximately 90° and the wrist must be pinned before the figure-four is completed — a loose wrist grip allows the opponent to pull the arm free before the lock is closed.

From Side Control

The americana from side control is available but mechanically different from the mount version. The opponent can partially rotate their body away from the submission direction, which means the force does not concentrate on the AC joint as purely as from mount. The americana from side control is more useful as a secondary attack when the kimura is defended or as a transition — the attacker can switch between kimura and americana based on the opponent’s arm position without changing the grip.

From Kesa Gatame

The near-arm trap in kesa gatame is the americana starting position. The elbow is already pointing toward the ceiling; the wrist needs to be gripped and the figure-four completed. The finish from kesa rotates the forearm outward from the body rather than toward the mat, making the angle slightly different from mount. See: Kesa Gatame.

Finish Mechanics

The figure-four grip is established: wrist pinned to the mat, second arm under the upper arm gripping the first wrist. The opponent’s elbow is at 90° and their back is flat. The finish rotates the forearm toward the mat — not straight down, but in the external rotation arc.

The elbow is the pivot. The wrist moves in an arc toward the mat while the elbow remains stationary on the mat. The attacker’s body leans slightly toward the head during the finish to maintain the elbow position. If the elbow slides toward the feet during the rotation, the lever breaks and the submission fails.

The body drives the rotation in the same way as the kimura: the attacker’s torso rotation and weight provides the force; the arms transmit it. Arm strength alone is insufficient against a resisting opponent.

Defence and Escape

Turn the Elbow Toward the Mat

The primary defence. If the elbow can point toward the mat rather than the ceiling, the americana cannot be applied — the rotation direction requires the elbow to point up. The defender drives their elbow down and tucks it toward their ribs. This must happen before the figure-four is closed. After the grip is established, driving the elbow down requires stronger effort but is still the correct direction.

Escape Mount First

The americana’s effectiveness depends on the flat back from mount. Escaping mount — bridging, hip escaping to guard — removes the structural condition that makes the americana work. Prioritising the mount escape over defending the submission specifically is often more effective than fighting the submission from flat on the back.

Create Rotation by Bridging

A bridge toward the attacking arm can create the partial rotation that relieves the joint load. This is partially effective from mount because the attacker’s weight limits the bridge amplitude. A strong, explosive bridge combined with elbow-to-mat direction gives the best chance of defence from the fully set position.

Common Errors

Drilling Notes

• Wrist pin and figure-four speed drill. From mount, practise the wrist pin and figure-four completion as a single continuous motion. The goal is no pause between the wrist pin and the closed loop. Partner provides mild resistance on the arm. Timed: how fast is the transition from loose arm to closed figure-four?
• Arc finish drill. From established figure-four grip (partner passive), practise the wrist arc toward the mat. Partner calls out when they feel the submission load — practitioner notes the position at that point. Repeat to calibrate the arc direction.
• Switch drill: kimura to americana. From side control, establish figure-four grip. Partner defends by adjusting arm position. Practitioner switches finish direction — kimura if the arm pulls behind, americana if the arm rotates outward. Cooperative — the drill trains the grip-to-finish recognition, not the submission itself.

Ability Level Guidance

Ruleset Context

Also Known As

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