As fans and students of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we can all appreciate the awesomeness of a flying submission.  The explosive aerial nature of the technique stands in training and competition.  We spend most of our time fighting on the ground that it’s cool to see flying techniques.  Watching someone attempt a flying sub can be jaw dropping.  The move however doesn’t come easy, as nothing worth it ever does.

The Good

A flying submission is solid when done correctly.  Timed properly it can be devastating, taking an opponent by surprise and wining a match.  It also provides submission artists with a sense of pride for being able to finish with such a unique submission.  Even an attempt at a flying submission is generally enough to get the audience excited.  They exert a sense of enjoyment from knowing that the attempt could succeed and also go horribly wrong.

Gracie Barra Northridge’s Edwin Najmi has been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique in competition numerous times as seen in the video here.

The Bad

The move is high risk, high reward.  A failed attempt could have negative consequence including loosing a match and costing you that spot on the podium.   Many people wouldn’t dare try this risky submission for fear of failure.

Learning the technique will take time and practice.  This means drilling the technique in training.  Some academies are hesitant to practice the flying submission due to risk of injury.

The Ugly

Not only can you fail at the flying triangle attempt, but also there is a chance you may get injured in the process.  The acrobatic nature of the technique can easily cause injury not executed properly.  This can mean landing on your head or neck with some serious chance of injury.

Have you bothered to learn flying submissions?  Would you try it in competition?

Patrick Flores

Gracie Barra Chino

Twitter:  patjflores