YOU Learned Armbars Wrong..

If you are tired of constantly missing one of the most basic moves in jiu jitsu, then watch this Armbar Seminar! This is a jiu jitsu seminar teaching the armbar, including armbar details from mount, closed guard, triangle, and omoplata transitions. In this Full Seminar, Josh McKinney, AJJ black belt, breaks down the concept that makes armbars work on experienced grapplers so you stop losing the position and start finishing the submission. This seminar was taught live in Wisconsin in 2025 at 608 Jiu Jitsu and focuses on the details that actually make armbars work during real training and competition. Most people think the armbar is about creating the right angle. In reality, the finish usually depends on controlling two checkpoints: the Trap and the Armpit. Once you understand how those controls work together, armbars become much tighter and much harder to escape. In this seminar Josh explains the leg positions that make armbar finishes much stronger, including the standard armbar, the Gordan Ryan Style Armbar, and The Mica Galvao Armbar. You will also learn how to break defensive grips without burning your arms out and how to hit a basic closed guard armbar that actually works during live rolling. The seminar also shows how armbars connect with triangles and omoplatas, plus late stage defenses like the reverse hitchhiker escape. At the end there is a live Q and A where students ask questions and Josh gives specific fixes for common armbar problems. Josh McKinney is an AJJ black belt who regularly teaches seminars, owns 3 AJJ Schools and has competed in Jiu Jitsu for the last 18 years. The goal of this seminar is to give you a clear decision tree for when your armbar will finish and when you should transition so you stop losing position and start collecting taps. If this helped you, drop your biggest armbar problem in the comments and it might be covered in a future video. Subscribe for more AJJ seminars, Podcasts, and Entertainment guaranteed to help you Suck Less at jiu jitsu. 0:00 Why Most Armbars Fail 0:40 The First Rule: Pinch Your Knees 1:45 The Two Armbar Checkpoints (Shoulder + Wrist) 2:45 Why Armpit Control Matters 3:35 Modern Armbar Leg Positions 5:00 Breaking Strong Defensive Grips 7:20 Preventing the Hitchhiker Escape 8:05 Transitioning Your Leg Over the Head 9:20 The Triangle Armbar 12:30 Adapting Armbar Finishes for Different Body Types 13:10 Defending the Figure Four Grip 14:30 Countering the Reverse Hitchhiker Escape 16:40 How Armbars Actually Happen in Live Rolling 18:10 Mount Setup: Americana to Armbar 20:00 Hidden Armbar from Mount 24:10 Finishing with Pressure Instead of Falling Back 26:30 Staying Square vs Creating Angle 30:50 Why the Closed Guard Armbar Usually Fails 32:00 Closed Guard Armbar That Actually Works 35:00 Following the Escape to Finish 37:20 Armbars from Triangle Attempts 40:00 Armbars from Omoplata 44:15 Troubleshooting Advanced Finishes 48:30 Armbar Defense Concepts 49:20 Reverse Hitchhiker Escape 53:30 Escaping by Beating the Bottom Leg 56:50 Defending the Armbar from Top 1:00:15 Competition Mindset and Submissions 1:02:30 Guard Retention Advice 1:06:00 Escaping Smash Side Control 1:09:00 Passing Deep Half Guard 1:11:10 Countering K Guard 1:13:40 Seminar Wrap Up