While most people who have watched a submission grappler or Brazilian jiu-jiteiro in a fight are aware that the ground is a dangerous place to be, not everybody knows that submissions also come in the airborn variety. This is especially true for flying submissions, in which the attacker literally leaps into the air at his (or her) opponent, locking in the submission hold while airborn and/or holding himself up by pulling down on his opponent. The hold can then be finished in the air, or the attacker may attempt to break down his opponent's balance to bring him to the ground to apply the sub.

The first reaction by many new MMA/grappling fans who hear about this type of attack is that it would never work, because the attacker would get a) slammed, b)punched, and/or c) thrown off before the sub got locked in. This is the case for improperly applied attacks, but a good flying sub will pull an opponent down and break his balance to prevent him from posturing up to pull his arm out, pick up his attacker, or strike.

One of the most common flying subs is the flying armbar, although the flying triangle is gaining in popularity. Other less common subs include the flying omoplata, ankle lock, and kneebar.

Flying subs are somewhat low-percentage attacks for the novice grappler, but they're not all that unreliable when trained constantly. As a bonus, they can easily surprise and overwhelm an unwary opponent, and they look so cool. :P