Student Objectives:
The student will apply the Kimura from the Broken Turtle position.
The student will transition to Headsit to complete the submission against a compliant partner with good technique.
The student will examine the positional control properties of the Kimura Grip in addition to the submission.
Teaching Cues:
Grab their wrist
Grab your wrist
Unloop
Headsit
Turn
Pull
Spine
Lesson: Head Sit Kimura
The assisting student will start in the Broken Turtle Position by laying on their side with their knees bent towards their stomach and their hands in the Home Alone position. The practicing student will start on their knees behind the assisting student and place their chest and collarbone behind the shoulder/back of the assisting student.
Once in the starting position, the practicing student will reach under the assisting student's head tracing their hand around the assisting student’s neck until it makes contact with the assisting student's top wrist. While practicing this move, instruct the assisting student to make this hand easily available by protecting the space between the floor and their head with the cross grip hand. This is a common use of the hand anyway, but it also makes it easy to grab the wrist.
Once the practicing student has control of the assisting student’s wrist they will take their free hand and slide it between the assisting student’s ribs and tricep. If this space is crowded, it is ok to use the space by the elbow pit and then pull the forearm up until they can grab their own wrist.
This may be a familiar position to some of the students as it is very similar to the Gift Wrap position taught earlier in the curriculum. By stepping over the body with the leg closest to the hips, there is a great back take.
In this lesson however, the practicing student will unloop the head and step over into the North/South position. When done correctly, the practicing student should have one knee on each side of the assisting student’s head. This is referred to as the Headsit position. While the buttocks may make contact with the head, the goal is not to apply pressure to the head while sitting; but simply to isolate the head and neck and align the body to attack the arm with a Kimura.
Now the practicing student should be in the Headsit position with a Kimura Grip. The finish comes by separating the hand from the body by turning the whole core in the direction of the assisting students chest, then lifting their hand up and over the trunk of the body, until it rests with the assisting students knuckles on their own spine. To increase the pressure the practicing student will lift the assisting student’s knuckles off of their own spine and create distance from the spine.
Possible Extensions:
The Kimura Armbar from the Broken Turtle Position is a great entry and finish for the armbar. The setup is the same as the lesson plan above, however after unlooping the head the practicing student will lift straight up and then swing the leg closest to the head, over the neck with the heel being the only part of the foot that hits the floor. This should create a balance shift that requires the practicing student to fall towards the leg over the neck. The practicing student should accept this and fall towards the head. As the student is falling they should pinch the inside knee into the armpit and pull up on the Kimura Grip. Only after sliding the second leg over the body will the practicing student release the hand on the assisting partner’s grip, pinch the knees, and lie back.
If the practicing student is having trouble unlooping the head, there is a very easy back take from this position very similar to the Gift Wrap. The practicing student will obtain the Kimura Grip with the head wrapped and then step over the body with the foot closest to the hips. Simultaneously they will rotate the ankle of the leg closest to the head along the spine until it makes contact with the belt/buttocks. This will remove their base and it will be natural to fall backwards. As the practicing student is falling they will pull with their hands and angle their shoulder towards the mat. This is a clean back take that also lands with the Kimura Grip.
Have the student first start by doing the Gift Wrap and taking the back. Then the assisting student will initiate a back escape by taking their free hand and peeling the hook off to slide their back to the floor. The practicing student will then maintain their Kimura Grip around the head and belly down, rotate, and come up in the Side Control position in the starting position for the above lesson plan.
Possible Refinements:
Sometimes students will struggle with the “unlooping” the head portion of the technique. Make sure to reinforce good body positioning and the importance of maintaining that grip throughout the technique.
Children have very flexible shoulders and there may not be a feeling of tension or pain associated with applying the Kimura. Make sure the students stop the motion when they place the knuckles on the spine. Some students may complain that they don’t feel anything, but student safety is more important than satisfying an ego.
When entering into the Head Sit position, make sure the assisting partner does not lay their free hand on the floor as the practicing student could kneel on it.
During the Head Sit transition make sure the practicing student does not knee or kick their partner in the head/face.
Reference materials:
Teaching Reflections:
How did I do teaching?
What could I do better next time?
Did the student gain proficiency in lesson material?