I've been wondering about using wrist locks in BJJ since I attended a Helio Soneca seminar and he showed us a wrist lock from the guard (that one of my instructors told me that one guy used and broke several people's wrists in the BJJ Worlds.) I was in Aikido for about a year and a half in college and since then have had a pretty decent feel for spotting potential wrist locks, so I started sort of looking for opportunities for them recently when rolling to see if any presented themselves and I've seen a lot of them and used one or two successfully. After I got a guy in class with one tonight, he seemed sort of peeved. (I did take special care to apply it slowly and give him plenty of time to tap.) I think he was maybe a bit peeved at the legitimacy of the move when rolling (or perhaps that he seemed to be winning when I applied it).

I guess I'm just wondering what the general feel about using them when rolling is. Is it poor form? Are they effective? (This may seem obvious in a 'well, it is if you make it effective' sort of way, but being the n00b I am, I've already learned that just because it's effective on another n00b does -not- mean it's going to be effective on anyone else. :) Does anyone else keep them in their toolbox?

Thanks!

They are effective when you can out muscle your opponent into one and he's new and panics. Like a 225+ pound guy grappling a 125 pound noobie. Kind of defeats the purpose though doesn't it? I have had people try those on me over the course of 12+ years and only tapped once to a guy who was extremely well versed in BJJ and shooto. The move was more of a tech. from the shooto lock flows too but was a wrist lock none the less. However, that being said he could have done anything he wanted as I was new and he was strong as an ox and near BB level.

Had a guy try them on me last week as well while sparring and I was able to get him into an armbar while he was "working" his wrist lock. Guess who tapped?

I dont think they have a place in submissions. If you know a few, thats fine. They are not a high percentage move at all. I think, as Elvis said, its just something you can have fun with when toying with a newbie. I think there too easy to just out muscle. One of the main points off BJJ is too attack a small area of your oppenents body with your entire body (armbar, triangle omoplata). You cant do that with a wrist lock.

I dont think they have a place in submissions. If you know a few, thats fine. They are not a high percentage move at all. I think, as Elvis said, its just something you can have fun with when toying with a newbie. I think there too easy to just out muscle. One of the main points off BJJ is too attack a small area of your oppenents body with your entire body (armbar, triangle omoplata). You cant do that with a wrist lock.
Yes you can.

Face your partner standing up. Let him put his fist against your abdomen/chest with his elbow bent around 90deg. Grab behind his elbow with both your hands and press his hand against your abdomen.
From there different things might happen.
1) Your partner understands what's happening and tenses his wrist, not allowing you to bend it. You can now abandon the lock.
2) Your partner's wrist bends either inwards or outwards. Adjust the angle of your partner's arm while keeping pressure on it for a wristlock.

They are very legitimate and World Champion Fredson Paixao swears by them.

I had one put on me when the triangle wasnt working for him for some reason. Then it worked.

I get the wrist lock finish to a half-arsed omo plata with reasonable frequency, no one's every complained about it.

wrist locks are in bjj, it's just that people don't use them alot. My teacher calls them "Cheap moves"(he just doesn't like them for some reason), but that doesn't stop some of the guys iin my class from using them.

Yes you can.

Face your partner standing up. Let him put his fist against your abdomen/chest with his elbow bent around 90deg. Grab behind his elbow with both your hands and press his hand against your abdomen.
From there different things might happen.
1) Your partner understands what's happening and tenses his wrist, not allowing you to bend it. You can now abandon the lock.
2) Your partner's wrist bends either inwards or outwards. Adjust the angle of your partner's arm while keeping pressure on it for a wristlock.


This is the exact one that Helio Soneca taught us! :)

This is the exact one that Helio Soneca taught us! :)

Well...almost, he showed us this for use when someone in your guard has their arm against your abdomen. I just caught that you were talking about standing up and doing it. Basically the exact same one though.

I've used them rather consistenly in class while in someone's guard and from the guard. I've had more success however when in someone's guard. I mostly go for while distracting the other guy with a guard break.

its allways seemed like a submission you could get once every few months. You get caught in it and you're like, "oh yeah, hah, well i forgot about that." Then for the next couple months its not going to work.

Yes you can.

Face your partner standing up. Let him put his fist against your abdomen/chest with his elbow bent around 90deg. Grab behind his elbow with both your hands and press his hand against your abdomen.
From there different things might happen.
1) Your partner understands what's happening and tenses his wrist, not allowing you to bend it. You can now abandon the lock.
2) Your partner's wrist bends either inwards or outwards. Adjust the angle of your partner's arm while keeping pressure on it for a wristlock.
http://www.bullshido.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=6430&stc=1&d=1158218068
He, that's one way to break a grip off you lapel. MEGA, I'm sort of blind. Is the hand being bent backwards (knuckles towards forearm)? I've found it more effective to bend the hand forward (palm towards forearm).

I was just discussing this with a friend the other day. Having taken Aikijutsu for several years in the past, I'm very familiar with a variety of wrist-locks and have caught people (and been caught) several times while rolling.
I have decided (for the most part) to stop using wrist locks on my opponents (unless they're either way better than me or familiar with wrist-locks), especially nooBs! I'm very controlled and apply them very slowly, but still I have hurt atleast 3 people with them. Each time it's like their mind just can't accept the idea of a wrist-lock. I even had one guy look up at me all confused like "WTF's happening?", it was from starting on knees, he reached out so I scooped up his hand and rolled it into an Ikkyo. He started dropping to the mat but instead of tapping he looks up at me obviously confused, so I let up a little tension as not to hurt him, and when I did he started advancing again so I applied the pressure back on and yea, he tapped, but he was grabbing his wrist in pain afterwards. I had another guy trapped in one and his face was wincing in pain while I was simply holding him there allowing him time to tap, again I eased a bit and he started advancing, so I VERY SLOWLY applied more pressure and when he finally did tap his wrist was injured enough to put him out of commission for close to 12 weeks. It only takes 5 lbs. of pressure to break a wrist, and if the elbow is properly trapped you can forget about muscling out of it! If you like having training partners I suggest you not pursue the actual submission with a wrist-lock, especially on those unfamiliar with them (and by familiar I mean spending several hours working them as a technique with a partner, so you can feel not only how effective they are on you but also the limits of others as you apply them).
I will continue to stay aware of wrist-locks and perhaps work the setup while rolling, but unless they're very familiar with them, I'm not going to pursue them for the tap, in my experience it's just not worth hurting your partner.

Pe de Pano tried to wrist lock me last night.

If you like having training partners I suggest you not pursue the actual submission with a wrist-lock, especially on those unfamiliar with them (and by familiar I mean spending several hours working them as a technique with a partner, so you can feel not only how effective they are on you but also the limits of others as you apply them).

I will continue to stay aware of wrist-locks and perhaps work the setup while rolling, but unless they're very familiar with them, I'm not going to pursue them for the tap, in my experience it's just not worth hurting your partner.

Good word of advice.