Every major move has its own character: All the major moves of the sport of jiu jitsu have their own unique character – their good points and bad points – which are a reflection of their mechanical features. As students, it is exceedingly important we try to increase the depth of our understanding of the character of all the moves we intend to make a big part of our game so that we apply them in the appropriate context. When we look at Kimura (ude garami), we see it is among the most complex and interesting of the major moves of the sport. Like many of the main submission holds, it can function as both a means of submission and a means of control through grip. It often functions in jiu jitsu in much the same way as the knight functions in a chessboard – a means of unorthodox entry into tight situations that resist normal methods and which can open up many other attacks from other pieces. Here, Shy Ace, among the best of my students in the specialized use of our Kimura system, uses a fine rolling entry to open up a defensive opponent and bring his submission game into operation.
