The armlock from the closed guard is one of the most basic position in all of jiu-jitsu but is at the same of the most complex techniques. There are up to 6 steps comprise the technique and if you forget one detail then the opponent will be able to escape.
Let’s say that your opponent is defending by blocking the front arm. This makes it very difficult to set up the armlock in that situation. Since you can’t pull out the front, why not attack the other arm?
At the Renzo Gracie Online Academy launching week, closed guard expert Rolles Gracie shows how to surprise your enemy by attacking the opposite arm.