How is the Americana grip established?

The attacker uses a figure-four grip where the left hand grips the opponent's wrist and the right arm goes under the opponent's upper arm to grip the attacker's own left wrist. The opponent's far arm must be bent above their head with the elbow at 90 degrees.

What are the common errors when applying the Americana?

Common errors include a wrist grip that is not deep enough, failing to keep the attacker's forearm perpendicular to the opponent's forearm, applying insufficient pressure, and losing position by rising too high.

How can a fighter defend against the Americana?

Defense involves connecting both hands together to prevent wrist isolation, maintaining strong arm structure to prevent the L-shape position, and shrimp-ing out of side control to reset position.

Who is known for using the Americana in MMA?

Frank Mir is exemplified for the clean side-control Americana finish of Tim Sylvia at UFC 48. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Demian Maia are also noted for occasional or integrated attempts of the submission.

Americana

A keylock submission applied from side control or mount, rotating the opponent's arm forward to attack the shoulder.

2 min readUpdated May 17, 2026

In Short

The Americana is a shoulder lock applied from dominant top positions like side control or mount, rotating the opponent's arm forward to attack the rotator cuff. It is the mirror-image submission to the kimura but has a low finish percentage due to effective defense techniques.

On this page (8)

The keylock shoulder lock
Mechanics
Setup positions
Common errors
Defense
Variations
Exemplified by
Drills

The keylock shoulder lock

The Americana is a shoulder lock applied from a dominant top position — side control or mount — where the attacker rotates the opponent's arm forward (toward the opponent's head) to attack the rotator cuff and shoulder ligaments.

It's the mirror-image submission to the kimura: same shoulder mechanics, different rotation direction. The Americana is one of the most-attempted submissions in MMA grappling but one of the lowest-percentage finishes because the defense (connecting the hands) is well-known and reliable.

Mechanics

From side control with the attacker on the opponent's right side:

Pin the far arm: the opponent's right arm needs to be in a bent position above their head, with the elbow at 90 degrees.
Figure-four grip: the attacker's left hand grips the opponent's wrist; the right arm goes under the opponent's right upper arm and grips the attacker's own left wrist.
Drag the arm down: the attacker drags the opponent's wrist toward the mat, while keeping their forearm in place.
Finish: the rotation produces shoulder hyperextension. The opponent taps or the shoulder gives.

Setup positions

Side control top: the most common entry. The far arm needs to be in the L-shape position.
Mount: rotating the opponent's arm to the L-shape position from mount.
Crucifix mount: a variation where the opponent's arm is fully trapped.

Common errors

Wrist grip not deep enough: a shallow wrist grip lets the opponent rotate the wrist out.
Forearm not perpendicular: the attacker's forearm needs to be perpendicular to the opponent's forearm.
Insufficient pressure: the Americana requires constant pressure throughout the rotation.
Loss of position: if the attacker rises too high, the opponent can shrimp out.

Defense

Connect the hands: locking both hands together prevents the wrist from being isolated.
Posture and base: from the bottom, maintaining strong arm structure to prevent the L-shape position.
Shrimp out: hip-escaping out of side control to reset position.

Variations

Standing Americana: rare but possible from clinch range.
Mounted Americana: from full mount, attacking the same shoulder mechanics.
Reverse Americana: a less common variant.

Exemplified by

Frank Mir: the Americana finish of Tim Sylvia at UFC 48 — a clean side-control Americana that took the heavyweight title.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: occasional Americana attempts from his top-position ground-and-pound.
Demian Maia: integrated Americanas with the broader welterweight submission catalog.

Drills

Position drill: from cooperative side control, drill the Americana entry and finish.
Defense drill: partner attacks the Americana; you practice connecting hands and protecting the arm.
Live ground sparring from side control: rounds where the Americana is the primary submission attempt.

More ground techniques

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A blood choke from front headlock — the attacker threads an arm under the oppone

Arm Triangle

A head-and-arm choke usually finished from side control or mount. The attacker t

Armbar

A joint lock attacking the elbow. The attacker isolates the opponent's arm with

Back Control

The most dominant position in MMA — chest pressed against the opponent's back wi

D'Arce Choke

A reverse arm-triangle variation where the attacker threads the choking arm unde

Ground-and-Pound

Striking from a dominant top position — guard, half-guard, side control, mount,

Frequently Asked

How is the Americana grip established?: The attacker uses a figure-four grip where the left hand grips the opponent's wrist and the right arm goes under the opponent's upper arm to grip the attacker's own left wrist. The opponent's far arm must be bent above their head with the elbow at 90 degrees.
What are the common errors when applying the Americana?: Common errors include a wrist grip that is not deep enough, failing to keep the attacker's forearm perpendicular to the opponent's forearm, applying insufficient pressure, and losing position by rising too high.
How can a fighter defend against the Americana?: Defense involves connecting both hands together to prevent wrist isolation, maintaining strong arm structure to prevent the L-shape position, and shrimp-ing out of side control to reset position.
Who is known for using the Americana in MMA?: Frank Mir is exemplified for the clean side-control Americana finish of Tim Sylvia at UFC 48. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Demian Maia are also noted for occasional or integrated attempts of the submission.