The Mir lock is a shoulder and elbow lock that has its roots going as far back to Japanese Ju Jitsu. It was popularized in MMA by Frank Mir. Here, the ex-UFC champion used it to successfully submit Pete Williams. Since this submission was hit, it has never since submitted anyone in the UFC and is considered very rare. Nonetheless, you can sometimes see it used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu which is obviously more grappling-focused. Below we shall analyze the Mir lock in greater detail and show how to execute it on your opponents.
Table of Contents
How does the Mir lock work?
The Mir lock works in a similar way to the Americana. This means, you want to twist the elbow in one direction, whilst keeping their hand trapped. The result of this should create torque on the arm of the opponent. If held without tapping, it can easily break the elbow of the opponent. Further, if twisted badly enough, it can also do damage their shoulder as well. Because of this, it’s recommended to use the Mir lock with caution. Due to it’s harsh nature on the joints, you should never rip this on as it could instantly break the bones of your opponent.
In brief, it is best to think about the Mir lock as a variation of the Americana from the bottom position. It is held differently than an Americana and your arm positions will be different. Nonetheless, if you get caught in a Mir lock, it may feel very similar.
Setting up the Mir lock
The Mir lock usually has two main entries. One entry is from the closed, and the other is from the half guard. Basically, the idea is to get a strong overhook on the near arm of your opponent. This overhook can be on the elbow, or slightly above their elbow joint. However, you don’t want to put the overhook below the elbow. If this is done, the opponent can easily free their arm and release any pain or tension on their elbow. Also from a breaking point of view, it won’t work if there is no pressure on the elbow.
Once the overhook is secured, you next have to create distance between you and the opponent. The reason for this, is that the more distance means the lock on the arm is tighter. In short, distance adds torque to the elbow. With this in mind, it can be defended by the opponent crouching into you, as this lessens the breaking power of the lock.
The Mir lock’s distance can be done in two ways. Here, you will need to place your foot on the opponent’s hip, or put your knee there to base on. Once contact has been made, you should then bridge backward. By doing this, you will add considerable power and tension to the Mir lock. Generally, it is important to do this, as otherwise you may not put enough force onto the elbow.
With regards to your upper body, you want to make a gable grip with your hands. This means bringing your other hand and clasping onto the hand that provides the overhook. With your arms, you then want to twist up and away from your body. This will also add pressure onto the elbow of the opponent. With this done in unison with your leg work, you should successfully tap out your opponent.
Entries into the Mir lock
As mentioned, the Mir lock can be entered by the closed or half guard. From the closed guard, you want to angle onto your side. So, to finish the Mir lock you should be resting on your shoulder, and not flat on your back. Once this has done, you want to bring your nearside leg towards your chest. With this done, you should then put your knee or foot onto the opponent’s hip to kick away from.
Arguably this is easier from bottom half guard. This is because you’re already on your side and already have a free leg to kick on. Once the overhook is secured correctly, you can then re-arrange your legs to base off and attack the Mir lock. A nice part of the half guard entry is that it can catch out top players who prioritize underhooks. Often, people will grab an underhook to start a knee cut pass. With this done, you can sometimes turn this into an overhook and start attacking the Mir lock.
Even if the Mir lock doesn’t work from bottom half guard, it also has other uses. One of the main benefits of this is that you can stop aggressive passers from charging through. In brief, if the insist on plowing through, then they will only put more pressure onto the lock. This means, they will have to retreat and go back to avoid getting submitted. The benefit of this is that it can be used as a threat, even if the submission itself doesn’t work.
Why is the Mir lock so rare?
With all the benefits of the Mir lock mentioned, this begs the question as to why the Mir lock is so uncommon. The reality is, that sadly it is quite low-percentage. The reason for this is that firstly, it relies on your opponent completely lacking knowledge on the situation. This means if they are ignorant, it may work. However, against an experienced BJJ practitioner, they may be able to defend it. As mentioned, this is done by collapsing in and slowly removing the overhook. If you don’t panic, then this is very possible.
When thinking about this from the closed guard, is it really worth opening your legs for the Mir lock? Further, if the opponent is knee slicing and manages to free their elbow, then they will be able to still pass without injury. This are some of the weaknesses of the Mir lock.
Overall though, it is definitely a good submission and something worth considering. Even if it isn’t that successful, it is still good to have as a plan B. As ever in BJJ, the element of surprise is always good to use at times. With this in mind, it’s worth learning the Mir lock. Whether for defense or attack, it adds versatility to your game and is something to be respected whilst rolling.
