I wrote an article about the choi bar with examples from quite a few matches. This is a great technique that can be used from a variety of guards. Check it out if you're interested.
Also check out the video Craig did for it here on the grapplers guide. It's really good.
As a lightweight grappler, the Choi bar / arm saddle / belly-down armbar is one of my favourite upper body submissions to look for from guard.
It has a lot of the same transitions and finishing options as the traditional kimura from half-guard, but the Choi bar's initial grips (which are like the shoulder crunch) allow you to keep your forearms framing on the top player's upper body. Entering the Choi bar with elbows closed feels a lot safer to me than sitting up and opening up my elbows to get a kimura grip.
Chandler, I thought your chart on attributes was interesting. Personally I would put "Ease" way down there, at 2 or 3 (ie, Difficulty of 7 or 8). I've had problems teaching this technique in no-gi to intermediate grapplers (ie, purple belts, or grapplers with >5 years of no-gi experience).
As you noted, controlling the arm requires a lot of technique. In my experience, students with long, slender arms in particular have problems controlling the arm and posture.
Moreover, some of the fundamental transitions in the belly-down-armbar position require a lot of advanced movements, such as going from shoulder to forehead post to shoulder, transitioning to K-guard or some leg entanglement when they posture out, etc. Also, it requires good situational awareness to recognise and manage a wide variety of defensive actions -- like stepping over, putting a knee on us, cartwheeling over, clasping hands together, clasping their own inner thigh, peeling our legs off and pinning them to the mat, posturing up, etc. And the whole time we have to maintain our "bite" on the arm, which becomes very hard in no-gi when it's sweaty.
Everyone's experience with a technique is different, so it is a bit hard to give rating that is universally true. I don't find the choi bar to be easy, but it isn't the most difficult technique I've ever learned either. I haven't had too many problems finishing it, but I learned to finish belly down armbars a long time ago. I know some people don't like armbars from that position, so it might be more difficult for those that aren't used to doing it. For me it seems like something that needs a bit of practice, but it shouldn't stump you for weeks. The other things like transitioning from their reactions could be very hard or very easy depending on the levels of the people involved.
Chandlerhimself, post: 64510, member: 15938
I wrote an article about the choi bar with examples from quite a few matches. This is a great technique that can be used from a variety of guards. Check it out if you're interested.Also check out the video Craig did for it here on the grapplers guide. It's really good.