Submissions should not be a top priority in self-defense, nor should they be viewed as a goal.
You can execute an armbar if one is obtainable, but you should never give up your position or risk making the situation worse.
A submission should be viewed as either a stepping stone to a higher position or an opportunity to rise and flee.
It’s a bonus if you really finish that submission. It shouldn’t be a requirement.
Armbars are therefore useful for self-defense.
If you can break their arm while still remaining in a top position, you may be able to land a few blows, strangle them out, and go.
If you can armbar someone from a guard while keeping a safe distance so you don’t get stuck in the face.
That might be the opportunity you need to kick them in the face, stand in base, and flee.
Should you do an armbar in a street fight, knowing that your opponent may bite you or pull out a weapon with the other hand?
If you do an armbar and your opponent bites you, that shows your armbar isn’t working.
When used appropriately, it creates a great deal of suffering in the recipient. That’s like stating that if you toss a guy on the floor with a judo throw, he’ll rise up and attack you again like in the movies.
If someone has an armbar applied to them, they are going to be subjected to such excruciating pain that they will not be able to think anything.
Other than how much their arm hurt, and the idea of biting the guy is nonsense that only exists in fiction.
Should you use a flying armbar in a street fight?
Flying armbar is a very high-risk maneuver that requires flawless execution, that’s why it is not recommended for a street brawl.
One bad move and you’re at the mercy of your opponent, who is probably not going to have any.
If I have someone in an armbar on the street, should I snap their arm or wait for them to tap?
It all depends on the laws of the country you live in, self-defense laws only allow you to respond with equal force to an attack or threat in most of the countries.
Breaking someone’s arm might be termed serious bodily harm under the law.
If you’ve subjugated someone with an armbar, do not break it unless you’re in serious danger from that person.
