The monoplata is a super-powerful armlock related both to the omoplata and the Kimura armlocks. For the monoplata you use your legs and your body to create a powerful torque on your opponent’s shoulder. From https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata is a breakdown of the arm and leg positions that’ll make your monoplata armlock super powerful!

00:15 Actions of your left (basing) hand
00:28 Actions of your right (top) leg
00:40 Actions of your left (bottom) leg
00:58 Actions of your right (near) hand
01:24 How to apply the monoplata
02:13 The outside-ashi style of monoplata

Trigger positions make it easy for you to know when it’s time to attack in jiu-jitsu. From https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata here’s an explanation of the trigger position concept and examples including the armbar, the triangle choke, and the omoplata armlock.

The Sitting on the Shoulder (aka ‘SOS’) position is essential to incorporate into your omoplata attack game. More at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

I have been using the Omoplata for more than 2 decades and it has always served me well. Sometimes I would finish the submission itself, but even if that didn’t work the attempt usually led to other submissions, sweeps, and reversals.

In the last few years my percentage for finishing the Omoplata submission itself has shot up. Why? It’s because I started placing a much larger emphasis on breaking my opponent’s alignment before trying to apply the armlock itself.

In the first video you’ll see how I used to do it. I would go to the finish even if my opponent’s knees were still under him (giving him base) and if his spine was still in good biomechanical position (posture). Sometimes it worked but most of the time my opponent would roll out which would result in a scramble. Usually I would get to the top in that scramble which was great, but I could’ve been doing it better.

Now as soon as I sit up my main focus instantly becomes breaking down his base and his posture. If he’s sprawled out with his spine twisted then his ability to wriggle or roll out is much curtailed and it’s much, much easier to finish him.

There are a number of different ways to accomplish this alignment break. I currently use 3 or 4 main methods vs the turtle, but there are also Omoplata entries that take you directly to this position of broken alignment.

TLDR: Break his alignment, finish way more submissions.

More about the Omoplata 2.0 instructional here: https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

Cheers
Stephan Kesting

Omoplata 2.0 is the brand new instructional by Stephan Kesting. More info at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata

After 2 decades of research, experimentation and development my latest instructional, Omoplata 2.0, is now available!

This is the ultimate guide to the omoplata, and it’s available as a 5 disk DVD set, as an online streaming instructional, and in app format as well.

This resource gives you an entire step-by-step system for the omoplata.

You’ll learn entries into the omoplata from every position, how to finish bigger and stronger people with it, how to seamlessly transition into sweeps and other submissions, and exactly how to completely shut down all of your opponent’s omoplata escapes and counters.

The omoplata is the most versatile submission in jiu-jitsu and the Swiss army knife of grappling.

At it’s core it’s is a super effective submission that has been used many times at the highest levels of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, no gi submission grappling and even in MMA to finish tough, resisting opponents.

The cool thing is that the omoplata it’s also one of the most powerful sweeps in the jiu-jitsu repertoire. Many black belts find that it’s the most effective and reliable way to reverse the position and get to the top against high level opponents.

Finally it’s also an amazing setup for many other other submissions and transitions. So long as you know what the other guy is likely to do and have pre-prepared answers for those responses you’ll always be a step ahead of him.

The key is understanding this technique as a system and not as a single isolated submission

In 5 DVDs and 7 volumes of material you’ll learn my complete system for making this attack a cornerstone of your game.

This instructional contains more than 182 techniques, including…

Over 41 effective setups and entries for the omoplata from every position

15 counters to the omoplata

70 counters and followups to use when our opponent tries to escape

Techniques that work with and without the gi

The strategies that connect all these moves together and make them easy to remember

Drills and developmental exercises to make the techniques natural and instinctive

And much more…

More info at https://www.grapplearts.com/omoplata