A kneebar (also known as legbar, kneelock or hiza-juji-gatame) is a leglock that can hyperextend the knee. The basic kneebar technique is similar to that of an armbar. The practitioner will trap the opponent’s leg in between their legs and secure the leg with their arms so the opponent’s kneecappoints towards the body.

The practitioner then applies pressure with their hips, forcing the opponent’s leg to straighten, hyperextending the knee joint. A variation of the kneebar is similarly accomplished, but instead of holding the leg with the hands, the practitioner will trap the opponent’s foot behind one armpit.

The practitioner will then apply pressure using their upper body as well and their hips, yielding a greater amount of force applied to the knee, therefore rendering the lock much more difficult to escape before tissue or ligament damage occurs.

Enter The MOUNTAIN and his kneebar

In 2020 we`ve seen many new names emerge in the BJJ competition scene, but the one fighter that has stood out and deserves to be called “the next big thing” has be the Six Blades representative Victor Hugo. The 23-years old prospect is undefeated this year and has made it very clear that he is ready for the big game in just two years as a black belt. Despite his major success, Victor is known for his humbleness and “Bushido” attitude which can be a consequence of the years spent under the guidance of the prominent Ribeiro Brothers and Rafael Lovato Jr. If you open up Victor`s Instagram account you won`t see a list of achievements on top, but a simple “I do Jiu-Jitsu”. Let`s dive deep into the not so long, but very successful career of Victor Hugo, so we can understand who he is as a person and as a fighter.

Victor is called “The Mountain” as he is one of the biggest and tallest active BJJ fighters today. He is almost 2 meters tall and weighs around 115 kg. He has always been one of the bigger kids growing up, but he felt like he lacked athleticism. He played a number of sports, from football to basketball, swimming, judo, but never really fell in love with any of those. Then he found out about BJJ in 2011. Victor`s father found out about a local BJJ club that opened doors recently and decided to join the club and push his son to train with him. Victor got hooked on grappling pretty quickly as he realized that athleticism and natural skills are not a necessity to be a champion in this sport.

In this video, Victor Hugo teaches his signature kneebar that he sets up from from top half guard.

Attack Effective Leg Locks With Victor Hugo As The Most Exciting And Dynamic Ultra Heavyweight Grappler Competing Today Shows His Complete Arsenal Of IBJJF Legal Submissions!

• Dominate from bottom position with systematic lower body submissions, including devastating kneebars, toe holds, and more – work out of top and bottom positions like single leg X, spider guard, butterfly guard, and more!