Americana/Paper Cutter Combo

The Americana (also known in Japanese as ude garami) has become a much-maligned shoulder lock in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). The conventional wisdom is that it “doesn’t work” because your opponent can simply straighten their arm to relieve pressure on the shoulder and elbow, escaping before the lock becomes dangerous.

While this criticism is somewhat true for many traditional Americana attempts from side control or the mounted position, the specific version highlighted in this article—and demonstrated in the embedded video—addresses that weakness directly.

Why This Version Works

The Americana/Paper Cutter Combo attacks the Americana with one arm, securing at the hand rather than the wrist. This detail dramatically changes the leverage over the shoulder joint and eliminates the common straight-arm escape. Structurally, the attacker maintains a strong 90-degree angle—a hallmark of an effective figure-four grip—even though the finish is applied with one arm.

By controlling the hand, the attacker can apply pressure more efficiently, creating a tighter rotational force on the shoulder that is more difficult for even experienced catch wrestlers or BJJ athletes to slip out of.

Dual Threat: Arm and Neck

Using one arm to control the shoulder lock frees the other arm to attack the neck with a Paper Cutter choke. This creates a true “double threat”: pressure on the arm and a choking attack.

The combination forces your opponent to defend on two fronts from one of the most dominant positions in grappling. If they overcommit to saving the shoulder, the choke tightens. If they focus on protecting their neck, the Americana becomes increasingly unavoidable.

When executed properly, this hybrid attack sequence applies pressure that is extremely difficult to counter and leads to excellent finishing percentages.