Hyperextends the elbow. Common from mount, guard, or scramble positions. Many female grapplers — like Mackenzie Dern (before moving to MMA) — built careers on armbar chains.
To illustrate “full” performance, let’s examine three athletes known for complete, dominant matches:
Ready to step on the mats? Here’s a progressive plan:
Their 2021 clash is considered one of the greatest women’s submission matches ever. Full footage shows 15 minutes of back-and-forth leg lock entries, reversals, and near-submissions — ending in a draw but earning “Match of the Year.”
While the fundamental mechanics of grappling are universal, women’s submission wrestling often displays a distinct technical flavor compared to their male counterparts.
Because upper-body strength disparities can be significant in grappling, female athletes often develop incredibly refined guard games. The "guard" (fighting from one's back) relies heavily on flexibility, leverage, and timing rather than explosive power. As a result, women’s matches are frequently praised for their technical fluidity, featuring complex transitions, spider guards, and inversions that neutralize strength advantages with technique.
Furthermore, the lower-center of gravity common in female physiology often lends itself to strong base and balance, making takedowns and top pressure highly effective strategies for those who choose to pursue them.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. The pay gap in professional grappling is a persistent issue, with female purses often smaller than male champions, though organizations are working to equalize this. Additionally, finding high-level training partners can still be difficult for women in smaller regions, though the internet and digital coaching are bridging that gap.
The future, however, is undeniably bright. With the inclusion of grappling in multi-sport events and the increasing popularity of professional grappling leagues like Who’s Number One (WNO) and Polaris, the platform for women is expanding.
