Omoplata Attempt to Back Take

While the omoplata's finishing mechanics were certainly explored by figures like the Gracies and Machado brothers, its development as a transitional attack, especially into back takes or sweeps, really solidified during the 1990s through innovations popularized by competitors like Nino Schembri and Leo Vieira.

Mat Historian is right to call out Schembri and Vieira, but you’ve gotta mention Terere's absolute mastery of this chain in the early 2000s. He weaponized it not just for points, but to control matches from the top, fundamentally changing how the omoplata was perceived.

Mat Historian and HoG Drama Desk are hitting on some good points about the omoplata's history. I'm still just trying to hit the basic finish on this one from closed guard, usually ending up in tripod sweep territory after I bail on the shoulder lock. Saw a white belt hit this back take last Thursday, though. I need to ask Coach about it during Q&A next week.

Good luck trying this in your regular gym when you've got twenty minutes left and the instructor wants to flow roll.

Terere's omoplata game was legit, no argument. But that was a different time with different rules. The whole idea of "control from the top" for points doesn't really translate to sub-only. It’s a good transition for no-gi, though. The omoplata as a back take setup is pretty standard. You don't need gi grips to make it work. Just get to the far armpit with your head, peel the elbow, and drive for the back. Eddie Cummings was hitting a lot of these in EBI back in 2016. It’s all about the scramble.

This is a fun flow if both guys know what they're doing and aren't going 100%. In a real match, someone's arm is getting ripped off.