Armbar Statistics: Jiu-Jitsu's Most-Used Joint Lock
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The Jiu-Jitsu Mindset · Data Study
Armbar Statistics: Jiu-Jitsu's Most-Used Joint Lock
The armbar is the most-used joint lock in jiu-jitsu and the second most common submission overall: 467 of 3,209 recorded finishes (14.6%) across 97 elite grapplers. Only the choke from the back (484) produces more taps, and no other joint lock is close — the armbar finishes more than six times as often as the kimura (76).
The armbar is the first submission most people learn and the one most people assume gets left behind at blue belt. The elite data says the opposite: it is still the workhorse of the sport.
The armbar against every other joint lock
Recorded submission wins, out of 3,209 total finishes.
Where it sits overall
| Rank | Submission | Finishes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choke from the back | 484 | 15.1% |
| 2 | Armbar | 467 | 14.6% |
| 3 | Rear naked choke | 417 | 13.0% |
| 4 | Choke (other) | 182 | 5.7% |
| 5 | Triangle | 173 | 5.4% |
Arm locks as a family account for about 20% of all finishes, and the armbar alone is roughly three-quarters of that family.
Who finishes with it most
Three of the ten most prolific submission artists in our dataset list the armbar as their signature move: Keenan Cornelius (108 submission wins across 21 techniques — the most of anyone in the study), Rafael Lovato Jr. (68), and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida (66 wins across 24 techniques). Between a modern guard innovator, an American gi standard-bearer and the most decorated competitor in IBJJF history, the armbar spans every style in the sport.
Why the oldest submission never aged out
Reach explains most of it. The armbar is the only high-percentage finish available from mount, closed guard, side control, knee-on-belly, the back and even from standing — no other submission appears from that many positions. It also chains: the armbar and the triangle attack the same defensive reactions from opposite directions, which is why elite guard players treat them as one system rather than two techniques.
The trade-off is that arms are easier to defend than necks. A determined opponent can stack, hitchhike or simply out-tough a joint lock in a way that nobody out-toughs a strangle — which is why the armbar sits second and not first.
Frequently asked questions
How common is the armbar in BJJ?
It is the second most common submission overall and the most common joint lock, with 467 of 3,209 recorded finishes (14.6%) across 97 elite grapplers.
Is the armbar still effective at high levels?
Yes. It is the single most-used joint lock among elite competitors and the signature finish of three of the ten most prolific finishers in our study. The idea that it stops working above blue belt is not supported by the data.
Armbar vs kimura — which is more common?
The armbar, by a wide margin: 467 recorded finishes to the kimura's 76, a ratio of more than six to one.
What percentage of jiu-jitsu submissions are arm locks?
About 20% of all finishes in our dataset come from the arm-lock family, which includes the armbar, kimura, americana, omoplata and wrist locks. The armbar accounts for the large majority of them.
Sources & method
Data captured from athlete Submission W/L Methods tables on FloGrappling in July 2026 — 97 athletes with recorded methods, 3,209 submission wins, 53 distinct techniques, gi and no-gi combined across each career. Family groupings are our own and are approximate. Full write-up: Tap Stats. Technique breakdown: the armbar, step by step.
More from this series: The most common submission in jiu-jitsu · Triangle choke statistics · Back attacks · Catch The Jiu Jitsu Mindset on YouTube and Spotify.