Understanding the Mir Lock
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The Mir Lock is a rarely seen armlock submission, however it was used yesterderay by Kade @ruotolobrothersjiujitsu at the ADCC west coast trials. This armlock variation was first seen in the early @ufc days when @thefrankmir used this submission to defeat Pete Williams. This the armlock became coined “The Mir Lock”.
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What joint is being attacked by this rare submission? Short answer is both, long answer is depends.
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The Mir lock is a combination of two submissions, americana and armbar. Shoulder:
When attacking the shoulder the submission functions by imparting excessive external rotation and imparting a shear force to anterior translate the humeral head in the glenoid fossa. .
Elbow: While a traditional armbar works by hyperextending the elbow the mir lock works by creating a valgus force on the elbow. The traditional armbar attacks the anterior fibers of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which are strong and thick, while this variation attacks the transverse fibers of the UCL, which are not as strong.
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Since it attacks both the shoulder and the elbow, what will get damaged first? Generally the submission targets the weakest link between the two, which is dependent on the opponents biomechanics, joint mobility and how the attacker imparts force. It is also considered an unorthodox submission because it is rarely seen and it can catch an opponent by surprise.
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Video credit: @flograppling