Are Wrist Locks in BJJ Legit or a Dirty Cheater Technique?

Are wrist locks a dirty submissions? Are they cheating? If you use them are you doing something wrong within the typical rules or culture of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? This is the question I received from Kevin recently.

Kevin comes from a traditional martial arts background where he learned a lot of wrist locks and he wants to use them in his BJJ training. But he says his coach doesn’t allow White Belts to use them. In addition to that he says he gets the vibe that wrist locks are sort of looked down on in his gym. As if they are dirty in some way.

So he sent me a message to get his perspective which I share in the video.

The biggest issue with them, as I see it, isn’t that they are cheating, but that they are sneaky. Wrist locks in Brazilian Jiujitsu are sneaky submissions and I think thats why we laugh about them at times when we get caught with one. And I think it’s this “sneaky” nature about them that makes us call them “dirty” or say “prison rules”, but as I will explain in the video. It’s the same sneaky nature that makes them so valuable.

If you had a similar question to Kevin then I hope this video is useful to you!

Thanks for watching the video!
-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

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