The Americana (Keylock)
The americana is often the first submission a white belt learns — and one the best black belts never stop hitting. It is a bent-arm shoulder lock from side control or mount that rewards control and patience over strength. Here is how to finish it cleanly, the mistakes that let it slip, and how to defend it.
Where it fits: The americana lives in the top-position, pressure-passing game that dominates elite grappling — the same control that leads to the back and the armbar. See how the finishes stack up in our submission data study.
What is the americana?
The americana (also called the keylock or ude-garami) is a bent-armlock that rotates the shoulder joint. From side control or mount, you pin your opponent's wrist to the mat with their arm bent at 90 degrees, thread your other arm underneath to form a “figure-four” grip, and then drag the elbow along the floor toward their hip while lifting — torquing the shoulder until they tap.
▶ “Best Way to Do the Americana Shoulder Lock” — Henry Akins (Rickson Gracie black belt) on Bernardo Faria's BJJ Fanatics channel.
The details that make it finish
- Pin the wrist to the mat first — the submission is impossible if the hand is floating.
- Keep their elbow low and drag it toward their hip before you lift; lifting too early gives them room to straighten the arm and escape.
- Use the figure-four, but power the rotation with your body and weight, not just your grip.
- Maintain side-control pressure with your chest and head so they cannot bridge or turn.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbow lift off the mat so the opponent straightens the arm.
- No wrist control — the hand slips and the lock evaporates.
- Rushing the rotation and losing your positional pressure.
How to defend and escape the americana
The moment you feel the figure-four, straighten your arm and drive your hand toward your own hip or feet — a bent arm is the whole submission. Bridge into them to create space, and recover your elbow to your ribs. Once the shoulder is rotated past 90 degrees, the finish is close, so react early.
Frequently asked questions
What is an americana in BJJ?
A bent-arm shoulder lock (keylock) from side control or mount. You pin the wrist, form a figure-four grip, and rotate the shoulder to force the tap.
What is the difference between an americana and a kimura?
They are mirror images. The americana bends the arm so the hand points up toward the head; the kimura bends it so the hand points down toward the hips. Both torque the shoulder.
How do you finish the americana?
Pin the wrist to the mat, keep the elbow low, drag it toward the hip, then lift — rotating the shoulder with your body weight while keeping side-control pressure.
See it on The BJJ Project
Our primary video source for the encyclopedia is The BJJ Project — the channel of Rickson-lineage black belt Chris “Bones” Burns, a friend of the show. Here is the americana — the finish, a gi variation, and the escape:
▶ “How to Do an Americana Without Getting Swept” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
▶ “Americana from Hon Kesa Gatame” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
▶ “Americana Escape” — The BJJ Project.
Learn from the source: the Rickson lineage
These fundamentals come from the Rickson-Gracie school of “invisible jiu-jitsu.” Go even deeper with Chris “Bones” Burns' The BJJ Project and Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu, and hear the philosophy on our podcast with Rickson-lineage black belts Scott Burr and James Driskill.
Part of the BJJ Encyclopedia. Videos are the property of their creators and are embedded from YouTube with credit — please support these instructors. Catch the podcast on YouTube and Spotify.