You know when you lock in the position and still can’t finish? I don’t think there’s a worse feeling than losing a position because you didn’t adjust it properly.
As I promised earlier on social media, I recorded a video lesson with 6 details so you never lose the americana.
Shall we get to the video lesson?
Video lesson – 6 details so you never lose the americana
Elbow to the ear
The first detail for adjusting the americana is to bring my elbow against my opponent’s ear, taking away the space and the chance for them to come back and put their head on top of my forearm again.
Where to put your second hand
Your second hand absolutely has to go in between your opponent’s elbow and armpit. If you go in toward the forearm, not only will you lack the leverage to finish, but your opponent can easily bend and straighten their arm and defend the submission.
Palm facing up
This is the most common mistake I see out there. When you get your grip, you need to pin your opponent’s hand to the mat, keeping their palm facing up. That makes it harder for them to defend and gives you a lot of leverage for the finish.
90° angle
Once your opponent’s palm is facing up, it’s easier to adjust the right angle of the arm. Remember that the most leverage is at exactly 90°, but you can vary it a little to get a better grip depending on the length of your arms or your opponent’s.
Turn your wrists in
How many times have you lost the americana because your opponent managed to straighten their arm? This detail will help you a lot to even out the strength and stop your opponent from straightening the arm and defending your attack.
After adjusting your grips, you need to turn both wrists down. This movement turns your opponent’s palm up even more and hides your fingers, which are the first thing to open when your opponent straightens the arm. With this movement you’ll feel the difference in tightness, and in some cases your opponent will already start lifting their hips to relieve the pressure.
Finishing
There’s no point making all the adjustments if you finish the movement the wrong way. When you go for the finish, you need to keep all the previous details and slide your opponent’s hand toward their hips. As a result, their elbow will lift, but the pressure keeps their palm facing up and glued to the mat.
Questions
So, what did you think of these 6 details so you never lose the americana? I hope you test these adjustments, and if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.
Good training!
OSSSS
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