Dominating the mount means being able to stay in it once you get to the position, something that requires a lot of experience and finesse. It takes years to become comfortable in the mount and develop a mindset that keeps you in it no matter what. That, or getting Mount Dominance by Rayron Gracie.

If you’re interested in developing the mount from hell, then there is a shortcut – using a proven mount system utilized at the highest levels by competitors. While there are many mount instructionals out there, there aren’t many that fulfill these conditions. One that does is the Mount Dominance Rayron Gracie BJJ DVD.

Key Takeaways

• A Gi BJJ DVD, lasting over two and a half hours, spread across 4 volumes.  
• Covers all mount progressions, from low to high with many positional details. 
• Submission finishes and intuitive chains to flow through mount progressions.
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 9 out of 10.

GRACIE MOUNT DOMINANCE DVD AVAILABLE HERE!!!

Conquering the Mount(ain)

The mount has been the favorite pinning position in BJJ for everyone for at least a while. If this is not the case, you’ve not been training long enough yet. It will happen.

When it does, you realize the power of a position we often take for granted. It is not just about the tactical game of not having to worry about stalling once you reach the mount, since there is no better position.  It is more about the possibility of dominating someone so much with your weight distribution, that you force them to quit.

The key aspect of the mount positon in BJJ is that it allows fairly easy top-position control, while also offering plenty of submission attacks and the possibility to chain them together.  As such, though, it has been used so much that there are many different ways to defend against it, and even escape it.

Solving lots of these problems when you’ve mounted your opponent and are looking to go old-school Gracie-style on him, is the Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie BJJ DVD. Go through outer detailed review below to learn exactly what it contains and why you need it.

Rayron Gracie, the New Gracie Family Hope

The name Rayron Gracie might not be an immediately recognizable one for you, but that is bound to change in a few years. The 23-year-old Kyra Gracie black belt is all about showing the BJJ world that the Gracie family is still producing champions.

After winning the Worlds and the Pans title as a purple and brown belt, Rayron got his black belt in 2023. In his first attempt at conquering a world-class tournament just months into his black belt career, Gracie won bronze at the IBJJF Europeans in 2024, one of the toughest BJJ competitions in the world. It is evident that we might have another Gracie gem right there.

Style-wise, Rayron is reminiscent of Roger Gracie, being very patient and methodical in his matches. He spends his training time very intelligently, spreading it between Rogar, Renzo, Kyra, Igor, and Rolles Gracie. I guess we’re waiting to see if Rayron ends up being a mash-up of all the best from all the world champion Gracie family members teaching him.

Detailed Mount Dominance Rayron Gracie DVD Review

The Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie DVD is a Gi instructional containing 4 volumes. Each volume covers a different mount variation, plus a volume dedicated to mount entries. The total running time is slightly over 2 hours.

Part 1 – Getting to Mount

Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie starts out of the mount position, covering several different ways to win the battle for it. Rayron opens up with a side control transition we all know full well, before covering a key modern BJJ aspect of mount acquisition – the quarter guard.

Rayron demonstrates how to slowly and methodically progress up your opponent’s body until you sit comfortably on their hips. There is no flying or rushing moves here, just immense pressure which increases constantly, as Gracie shows how you can kill all of your opponent’s defenses, such as bridging or kipping.

Part 2 – Low Mount Chokes & Mount Progressions

In the second volume of the DVD, Rayron Gracie begins in the low mount, using the most efficient tactic available – dilemma attacks. He shows how to set up and finish the Ezekiel choke, but also shows how you can ride the opponent’s Ezekiel defense al the way to high mount.

In fact, most of this part of the Mount Dominance DVD is about moving up through the mount progressions, starting with the low mount. Most transitions are based on the opponent’s reactions, offering improvement control the higher you go.

Part 3 – Mid Mount Attacks

At the halfway point of the Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie instructional, it is time to look at the mount variation we spend most of our time in – the middle mount. Mid mount offers very efficient dynamic control as well as several key submission options, with Gracie favoring collar chokes.

Following in the footsteps of one of his mentors, Roger Gracie, Rayron opts to go deep into the cross collar choke, offering different variations, including a one-hand finish. Unlike most other offensive instructional, Rayron takes in to account that the opponent won’t just lie still and offers ways to work against common defenses, like head posts and frames.

Part 4 – High Mount Dominance

Saving the best for last, Gracie works off of forearm frames and stacks to achieve high mount, one of the most torturous forms of mount available in BJJ. He keeps up with the collar choke threat, showing how many Gracie family members kept winning fights using nothing but basics.

The armbar, as expected, plays a big role in this volume of the BJJ DVD,  with an innovative wrist pin entry removing a lot of the guesswork during rotational entries. Rayorn also covers several counters to common armbar defenses.

He also covers back mount transitions, mostly based off of an opponent’s bridge attempt. Before wrapping up with an in-depth analysis of the mount position, Gracie also covers several choke threats to prevent the bottom person from bridging at all.

Getting Mount is Just the Beginning

The one thing to remember about the mount in BJJ is that it is not enough just to get to it – you’ll have to work very hard to stay there and impose your control. Namely, mount retention against the bottom person’s attempts to get out is where the battle is, rather than arriving at the mount position in the first place.

While there are a bunch of different weight distribution concepts and body positioning mechanics to ensure optimal mount control from the top, there’s nothing like keeping your opponent busy to stop them from getting away. That is where submission threats play a major role.

Imagine you’re in mount, head and arm control and you’re dead set on keeping the bottom person pinned. Eventually, they will escape. If, on the other hand, you decide to relentlessly attack, let’s say Americanas from Mount, you will find that you have a low percent finish rate on the submission, but you’ll comfortably retain the mount for as long as you want. You see what I am getting at here>

Plenty of great resources exist out there to provide insights into other complicated world of the BJJ mount position. If you opt for Mount Dominance by Rayron Gracie you’re getting a competitor’s way of using nothing but he most effective concepts and techniques to utterly dominate the mount.

GET MOUNT DOMINANCE BY RAYRON GRACIE HERE!

Mount Up!

I liked this instructional. Mount Dominance by Rayron Gracie covers every key mount variation, sticking to proven mechanics and progressions that will not just win you fights, but championships! If you compete in the Gi, you need to get your hands on this DVD, if nothing else, then to figure out what in the best in the world are doing!

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Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals By The King, Roger Gracie

BJJ Fundamentals: The Best DVD and Digital Instructionals

The post BJJ DVD Review: Mount Dominance By Rayron Gracie appeared first on BJJ World.

The problem is that we have a ton of different top positions to consider, and instead of trying to make a dominant one work, we are happy to change between them until we inevitably fail and end up on the bottom. We’ve all been there.

Heather Jo Clark’s 10th Planet Top Game, focusing on how to make the top half guard your main top position, offers a complete game plan that will help you keep the top once you conquer it, throwing a bunch of curve balls at your opponent along the way.

Key Takeaways

• 2-part No-Gi BJJ DVD with almost 2 hours of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu moves.  
• A bunch of unorthodox ways to hold, pass, and submit from the top half guard.
• Taught by Ultimate Fighter Season 20 winner Heather Jo Clark. 
• BJJ World Expert Rating: 8 out of 10.

GET THE 10TH PLANET TOP GAME DVD HERE!!!

The 10th Planet Game

Even when I was a white belt, training in a traditional BJJ Gi-only gym, I was fascinated with Eddie Bravo and his 10th Planet System. It just made sense. Bravo launched his own version of Jiu-Jitsu after getting his black belt from Jean Jacques Machado, trying to create a grappling style tailor-made for MMA.

While the 10th Planet style never really took off as an MMA-specific version of BJJ, it did take off- in a big way. Unorthodox, often flashy, extremely effective, and not bound by any traditional dogmas, Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu was the first major tectonic shift in the BJJ World.

Given his original idea of an MMA-oriented grappling style, Bravo spends a lot of time perfecting and modifying the best positions from wrestling and BJJ, resulting in one of the most intricate and tight styles in existence. Although the Rubber Guard might not be for everyone, stuff like the lockdown and the entire 10th Planet Top Game, from passing to the Truck and Twister are stuff that you definitely want in your arsenal.

‘Hurricane’ Heather Jo Clark

If you ever stumble into 10th Planet Boca Raton then you’re bound to run into Heather Jo Clark, a.k.. the head coach. The UFC strawweight and Ultimate Fighter Season 20 winner is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu under Eddie Bravo and has been representing 10 Planet Jiu-Jitsu throughout her grappling career.

Just like most folks at 10th Planet, Heather is very competitive but decided to channel her energy into MMA rather than professional grappling. She joined the famous Jackson/ Winkeljohn Academy in Albuquerque training with the likes of Holy Holm, Julie Kedzie, and Michelle Waterson.

As her pro-MMA career took off, Heather moved to LA, deciding to make the Xtreme Couture gym her home base. Heather beat Bec Rawlings in the Ultimate Fighter Season 20 finale with a torn ACL, demonstrating grit and determination.

Before retiring in 2018, she fought several more times against high-profile names in the UFC, Bellator, and Invicta FC. Since hanging up the MMA gloves, Heather turned to teaching Jiu-Jitsu at the 10th Planet Boca Raton gym she built in 2023.

Heather Jo Clark 10th Planet Top Game DVD Review

The 10th Planet Top Game BJJ DVD is an instructional by Heather Jo Clark focusing on playing top half guard. It is a No-Gi instructional with almost 2 hours of material on how to hold, pass, and submit from the top half guard:

Part 1 – Half Guard Top

As Hurricane Heather kicks off her first BJJ instructional, she starts in the top half guard. The first chapter is a general overview of the position, and what you can do from it in BJJ and MMA. I happen to agree with Heather that forcing half guard from the top is one of the smartest and most efficient ways to pin and restrict motion.

As Heather starts rolling out the 10th Planet techniques, she begins using a no-hand pass which is very unique and will definitely surprise opponents. She goes on to explore body lock passing, known as ‘Buttock Compressor’ in the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu vocabulary. The dog bar setup from this pass is one to watch out for.

Two-thirds in this volume of the Heather Jo Clark instructional she changes tactics again, offering a new avenue of passing, this time by switching hip sand forcing twister side control. Of course, this involves lots of rolling attacks, so sequences like The Ninja Roll to Swedish Twister appear a lot. They make sense and seem to work just fine, though.

Part 2 – Submissions

The 10th Planet system has always been one of the most submission-oriented styles out there, and Heather does it justice by dedicating an entire volume to the different ways you can make someone tap from the 10th Planet Top Game.

‘Hurricane’ opens with an unusual Guillotine choke setup that looks like a north-south choke, given the heavy use of the lat. She moves on to combine several more guillotines, including the mounted high-elbow finish into a very efficient and aggressive way to attack from the top half guard.

Other submissions featured in this volume include arm triangle chokes, mostly in the form of the D’arce and Anaconda, the usual pairing from the top half guard. heather also shares some interesting Japanese Necktie details, before wrapping up with an Americana/armbar combo.

Rule #1: Be The Guy/Girl On Top!

In the unforgettable words of Chris Haueter: always be the guy on top, and when on top, stay on top. Everyone who has been grappling for at least a while understands how crucial a versatile top game is for success and progress in BJJ.

The premise can be seen throughout grappling martial arts. From Judo and Wrestling to Sambo all grappling martial arts favor top positions, whether it is in a sports or self-defense setting. As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers a lot more threats from the bottom, mostly by way of guard variations, learning how to be dominant from the top is much more challenging, but also rewarding.

Being on top puts you in cruise control, even if you have to deal with the opponent’s guard. Simply by making them carry your weight, you’re making them put in twice the amount of effort you do. Not to mention having nowhere to move behind them, courtesy of the mats.

Heather Jo Clark chose to focus on the half guard as the quintessential top position in Jiu-Jitu in her 10th Planet Top Game DVD instructional. Simply sitting on the bottom person’s leg is more than enough to put you in a position where you restrict movement, put pressure on, and can proceed to submit directly or by gaining more dominant positions. Smart play.

10TH PLANET TOP GAME HEATHER JO CLARK DVD DOWNLOAD!!!

Stay On Top!

Just listen to Chris and whenever you’re on top, stay there! Since this is easier said than done, the 10th Planet Top Game BJJ DVD by Heather Jo Clark is a great resource to help you figure out how to set up and use one of the best top positions in BJJ – the top half guard.

Whether you’re looking to improve your top game for grappling or need the best position to unleash merciless ground and pound in MMA, the safety and versatility of the top half guard mean that there is no need to look past this position. using an unorthodox approach such as the 10th Planet Top Game only increases your effectiveness by introducing the element of surprise.

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Rubber Guard: The Meathook DVD by Brandon McCaghren

16 Fastest Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Promotions In The History Of BJJ

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The Real Reason You Can’t Stay in The Full Mount BJJ Position For Long

Why can’t you keep a hold of people in the full mount BJJ position? The answer to this is easy – they can move. If they can move, they can create space, if they can create space they can replace the guard, get a reversal or perhaps turtle up. All of the above options are not what a person in mount control has as a goal. So, how do you stop it?

The biggest advantage of the mount position is that the person on the bottom has no way of retreating – there’s an entire planet behind them (regardless of your affiliation to either of the round or flat Earth claims). That takes care of one direction of escape. So., how come it is still difficult to prevent someone from snaking out? I used the term “snaking” here on purpose.

The only way somebody can effectively escape your mount is by wiggling forward or back in relation to you. In both situations, the person will need to either:

1. Move you, and keep themselves still;
2. Keep you in place, and move themselves;
3. Move you and move themselves in a different direction.

If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that these types of movements cover every full mount BJJ escape you probably know so far: shrimping out (move themselves, keep you in place), bridge and roll (move both themselves and yourself), hip bump to butterfly (move you, while staying stationary themselves)… I could go on, but you get the point.

Bottom line is that as long as you understand how to control a snake it won’t be able to bite you. In terms of the mount in Jiu-Jitsu the same rules apply as if you’re trying to subdue a snake. You need to control the nake’s head, and the snake’s tail in order to keep it under control and stay safe.

In the mount, you are already past the legs, so the tail of the snake you need to focus on is the hips. Thea head of the opponent keeps the role of the head of the snake. That provides you with two points of control (hips and head) which will allow you to control someone from the top mount for very long periods of time.

While you could use the usual suspects (low, high, S-mount) to obtain control and pressure over your opponent, you could also opt for some more underrated and obscure-looking BJJ full mount variations.

Cruel And Unusual Full Mount BJJ Variations 

The beauty about the full mount BJJ position is that you can adjust in a bunch of different ways and still be in the mount position. Keep in mind, though, that if you’re after points, some versions of the mount will not land you the expected 4 points even though you are practically in mount. The rules are dumb, I concur, but still, they are the rules… for now, at least. So, if you go into a mounted triangle for example, or if an opponent has both arms inside your legs, you won’t get any mount points. Just something to think about if you are a points chaser.

Apart from that, switching between different mount variations is how you should actually aim to play mount. Nothing happens in a vacuum in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and there is no way to pin somebody to the ground and completely restrict them from moving. If you switch up the way your body is positioned in relation to theirs, though, even subtle shifts can completely disrupt an opponent’s escape attempts.

While we’re on the subject of switching up between different full mount BJJ variations, why not throw in a few curved balls while you’re doing it? Some of the positions I’ll explore below provide lots of pressure and will cause your opponents to panic. Others will make you feel light as a feather but will keep people stuck, or open up effortless entries into devastating submission holds.

Dope Mount

The Dope Mount can be a precursor to the full mount, but it could also be used to keep someone in place when they’re trying to escape and gaining ground doing so. It is basically mount that places your hips over one leg of the opponent (the top leg), while their bottom leg is essentially outside of the mount. So, you’re not riding their torso, but rather one of their legs, your hips at thigh level. This gives you control over the tail of the snake.

Controlling the head comes in the form of double underhooks, or at least one underhook (on the side opposite of the leg you’re riding) and a crossface. in any case, the goal is to have the opponent’s shoulder blades on the ground, while their hips are winded up to the side.

The position makes going into full mount easy, while also opening up interesting submission attacks and spinning/rolling transitions. It won’t get you points, but it will help you stay in mount.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PumK7JZnOu0

Vegan Mount

One of my absolute favorite BJJ full mount variations. It is not just fun because you can get to the Honeyhole from it, but because it confuses opponent’s so much that they’ll stop wiggling and struggling on their way out and they’ll stay calm while attempting to figure out their next step. That is as easy as top control can get.

The Vegan mount concept is something I saw from Reilly Bodycomb. It is fairly simple, but you do have to remember that you need to keep your chest over the opponent’s head when doing this. Also, your arms should preferably touch the mats, over each shoulder, or hold a deep crossface. The concept is easy – put both of your feet on the inside of the opponent’s hips. Your knees should still aim to touch the ground.

While perhaps not that impressive at first sight, this BJJ full mount variation allows you to directly control the hips, aka the tail of the snake. Paired with head control of your choice, you can easily hold someone there. Moreover, you have the option of sneaking a leg in between the opponents, which can take you directly into the Inside Senkaku (aka Honeyhole) to hunt for heel hooks.

Why the name Vegan mount? As Bodycomb says: “It looks and tastes the same, but it is just not the real deal”

Wet Blanket Mount

One of the variations of the BJJ full mount I use on a regular basis. This one causes the most panic in the person on the bottom (in my experience) and is extremely easy to maintain. It is the perfect resting position for you that “happens” to provide you with an extreme amount of pressure that you can place onto your opponent.

The concept is easy – get to middle mount, place both of the opponent’s arms over their head, turn their head to break their posture, and relax. The last one here, relaxing is the most important aspect of this mount variation. You literally need to let your body go limp.

The analogy I use (learned it from Matt Thronton, I think) is that you are just like a wet blanket that has been placed on top of a person. The blanket is both heavy and it goes into every nook and cranny it can find aiming to reach the ground. DO the same with your body and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to keep opponents still. Oh and expect them to emit a bunch of different groaning sounds as they suffer to come to terms with your pressure from top.

Technical Mount

A variation of mount that many shun because it seems like they are not in mount. It is a pity, given that the position not only offers great controlling and attacking options but it will also earn you the 4 points that you’re after.

The technical mount is a variation that has you with one knee and shin on the ground, and the other leg touching the mats with your foot. The opponent is usually turned on their side. All your weight is on top of the leg that has the shin on the ground, while your other leg is placed over the opponent, hamstring on top, and the calf across their stomach or chest.

The position is virtually halfway between mount and back mount, but it still constitutes a mount, which means you get 4 points if you can hold it for at least three seconds.s Holding the position becomes really easy if you are using the Gift Wrap grip, which will open up both mount and back mount control for you. The technical mount is the best spot to establish said grip.

A common reason why people skip over the technical mount as a control option is that they view things in black and white. It is either mount or back mount, anything in between is not as good. The technical mount is a great example of why this way of thinking is highly flawed.

Three-Quarter Mount

The three-quarter mount is technically not a mount, so no points for this full mount BJJ position. However, that doesn’t mean you should immediately dismiss it. The three-quarter mount is essentially a technical mount in which the top leg is still trapped between the opponent’s legs. That said, having a leg in there (a foot, to be more precise) is the main strength of this position rather than its weakness, as is often perceived.

The main idea here is that you can use the positioning of the “trapped” leg to gain easy back control (one hook is already in). Alternately, you can just stay in control of the snake’s tail via the “trapped” leg, while you establish a grip on their head.  The Gift Wrap is once again a very efficient solution.

WHtehre you go to technical mount, full mount, or back control from there is down to you. Oh yeah, you can also choke people from the three-quarter mount. With lots of chokes.

Nightmare Mount

This has to be the worst possible scenario for the bottom person. I’ve gotten so many taps throughout the years from this mount variation, that I avoid using it often, as it feels like I am cheating. I found out the nuts and bolts of this full mount BJJ variation from Brandon McCaghren.

The “Nightmare” mount is a blend between an S-mount and the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Spiderweb position. The goal is not to have an S-mount that lands you flat on your opponent’s chest. You want them to tilt so that your tailbone is actually pressuring their floating ribs. Ouch, I know!

In terms of S-mount positioning, just think about being at a 90-degree angle in relation to your opponent, while trapping both their arms in an S-mount configuration. The trick that will make you enormously heavy form there is to insert a deep hook with the arm that is near the opponent’s head. The goal is to thread it behind the crook of their elbow and try to connect that palm of that hand to the hip on the opposite side.

BU that is not all! If you want to make your opponent feel like they’re being crushed like a trash compactor, post with the ree arm on the mats, right next to their hips. Enjoy the pressure taps you’ll get from there!

Notable Mentions

There are a few other full mount BJJ variations that will help you keep people in place, regardless of how good their mount defense is. Here are three versions of the mount that should asl obe on your radar. Each of them deserves a separate article, so keep your eyes peeled if one of these options ends up being your favorite.

Monkey Mount. This is another 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu position. It is a high mount variation in which one of your legs is deep under the armpit of an opponent (as if setting up a Monoplata). The other can be in a regular position by their body, or you could be stepping with your foot on the forearm of their opposite side arm. Needless to say, you can torture people from there in various fun ways.

Reverse Mount. Won’t’ get you points, but it will frustrate your opponents. As the name suggests, you’ll need to be sitting facing the legs rather than their head. While you could sneak your legs under their armpits, and hug their hips to get control of the snake, it is an lt more fun to just… sit on them. Hug both legs below their knees, and sit on your opponent. It will block their movement, frustrate them and you can do lots of fun stuff from there. Russian cowboy comes to mind first.

Turtle Mount. Once again, this full mount BJJ variation is as simple as the name suggests. You simply get t on top of your opponent and then ignore the fact that there’s a person underneath you. Simply go for the tightest turtle position you know, and you’ll end up with an air-tight mount that will keep even the most explosive 20-year-old wrestler in place.

In Summary

The full mount BJJ position is quite specific in terms of where you need to be in relation to the opponent, and in relation to the ground. Outside of those two aspects though, the position is still open for interpretation. Feel free to experiment with your own variation, or just go the easy route and try the 6 options I went over in this article. Happy hunting!

The post 6 Full Mount BJJ Variations You’ve Never Thought Of appeared first on BJJ World.

The ¾ mount is one of those positions that can make you really miserable. Mount is just within reach, all you have to do is free up a heel and you’re there, but it may as well be thousands of miles away. Positions like this are many in BJJ, and they all have a solution. However, you first need to accept the fact that sheer force or nervous fidgeting won’t get you where you want. On the contrary, you’ll never reach the mount in BJJ if you are not methodical and patient enough to deal with the ¾ mount first. You literally have to take it step by step.

BJJ Math – Solving Grappling Fractions

I don’t like math either. I know plenty of the BJJ nerds in our community are math wizards, but I belong to the branch of the medical sciences where we’re not too keen on solving complex number equations. In particular, I dislike having to deal with fractions. However, when it comes to Jiu-Jitsu, we simply have to come to terms that there are equations to solve, and fractions to deal with. Two of those “fraction” positions that are often used are the ¾ quarter mount and the ¼ guard.

The quarter guard is a story of its own, one that we have tackled before. Just to summarize it quickly, it is when you think you’ve gotten past someone’s half guard and into side control, just to end up stuck with your foot between the legs. As insignificant as it may sound, the quarter guard is very powerful and secure, and you can’t just wiggle a foot out and get the points for the pass. As such, you really need to consider the possibilities of getting there and facing someone who knows how to play from the position. That means you need to know how to get past this particular irritating BJJ hurdle.

However, the quarter guard is far from the most irritating guard out there. The ¾ mount in BJJ might not be considered a guard per se, but point-wise it is just that – a guard. Get past it and you get both pass points and mount points, which usually amounts to a total of 7. The position itself is beyond simple. Imagine you’re in someone’s mount, only the have their legs wrapped in a triangle around one of your feet. It is just like the quarter guard, but with the top person in the mount, rather than in half guard. And getting out of the ¾ mount can be a real hustle, one that could easily end up with the tables turning due to acting angrily and rashly.

A Foolproof Way To Pass The ¾ Mount In BJJ

The approach to passing the 3/4 mount in BJJ is a simple one. It has to be, given that you’re dealing with a simple position that’s highly effective precisely because it is not too complicated. The fact of the matter is that an opponent can’t do many things for the ¾ mount in BJJ if you’re patient and stay in place. Moving around, frantically trying to get the leg loose will open up all the space they need to get out, reverse you, or go for counters like leg locks. So, the first thing to do in the 3/4 mount is to relax and be patient. If they can’t do anything to you, you’ll eventually find a way to solve this particular grappling fraction.

The one thing that will both help you to stay in place, and will open up a pass is to be heavy. Focus on loosening up, so that your opponent has to carry “dead” weight on top of them. In terms of gripping, you could go for a crossface by placing the arm on the far side under the head. This is the option I prefer, but there’s also another one. You could grip the belt with the same arm, given that the opponent is on their side, leaving their back open for grips.

As for the pass itself, think of a knee slice, just done on the opposite side of what you’re used to. In other words, you take your free leg, and place the knee right next to the opponent’s hip, on the side where they have your leg in the ¾ mount. This will give you the wedge you need to get your foot free, while also providing you with lots of pressure to keep them in place. A little trick to consider when freeing your foot – all you need to free up is the heel. Once it pops, you can get the rest out with ease.

Completing the pass is possible in two directions. One will take you to side control and earn you 3 points for the pass. After you free your foot up, use the knee that’s already on the ground in front of the hip as a pivot, and surf your hips over to the other side. With the crossface/belt grip you’ll end up in a very strong position.

Another option is to head to mount, by placing the knee of the leg you just freed up next to your other knee. This allows you to shift the pivot point and run the nearside knee across the belly right into full mount.

Rolling Back Takes

Let’s make things a bit more interesting here. Sometimes, the ¾ mount is not at all easy to pass, even with the high percentage modified knee slice pass. It has to do with how you and/or your opponent are built, leg strength, foot mobility, and other individual factors. Luckily, freeing the leg is not the only way to get points. With the rolling back take you might not get 7 points, but you’ll certainly get 4 for back control and a perfect position to finish your opponent from.

Once again, stay heavy, loose, and patient. If they can’t get out, you’re in no rush to get your points. Next, use your free leg to lockdown the shin of the top leg of the opponent. Since your leg is already trapped in ¾ mount in BJJ, half the job is done for you. The cool part comes next – turn your body to face in the direction of the legs and focus on grabbing the bottom leg’s foot of the opponent. All you need now is to lay on your back. You’ll end up in the truck positions with lots of options. One is to finish right there with a calf slicer, while another would be to extend the legs and get the back. Of course, you could settle halfway between them too, and finish with a Twister too.

Conclusion

Passing the ¾ mount in BJJ can be difficult, but it is far from impossible. The trick is dealing with the psychological part of the puzzle, i.e. accepting that as close as you might be to full mount in BJJ, you won’t get there quickly. In fact, you might not get there at all, but getting the back is a fair trade, wouldn’t you agree?

Quarter Guard – The Final Frontier Of BJJ Guard

Butterfly Guard: Timeless Sweeps And Submissions Rafael Lovato DVD Review

How IBJJF Rankings Work And Why They Are A Mess

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Robson Mau Mau Lima is a very interesting BJJ character, and he definitely has one of the keenest grappling minds in the sport. The Brazilian is constantly innovating, but few of his things come even close to the success of his Mau Mau Kimura variation. The GF Team legend has used his crazy signature move to secure plenty of victories. In fact, you could argue that he has fixed several drawbacks a “regular” Kimura has. Moreover, he provides options for Kimura hunting from positions not usually associated with this submission. What’s not to love?

Who Is Mau Mau?

Robson Lima is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Julio Cesar and comes from the infamous Oswaldo Fadda lineage. In other words, he comes from the non-Gracie side of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, popularized by Luis Franca, a different student of Mitsuo Maeda.

Born as Robson de Lima Rodriguez, he got the nickname Mau Mau in relation to a Brazilian soap opera character who wore a headband, just like Robson did in training. Of course, the nickname stayed with him, and today is the synonym for a very effective Kimura variation developed by a BJJ world champion.

In his early days, Mau Mau trained Capoeira in his native Rio de Janeiro, which opened up the door to Jiu-Jitsu when he was 14. He trained under a few different instructors at the beginning, before ending up with Luiz Roberto Delvivo, who influenced him massively. As a blue belt, Mau Mau started training at Gama Filho (GFT) and he started competing a lot, on two sides of a 4-year hiatus. In fact, it was after his hiatus and some health issues that Mau Mau really burst on the competition scene.

A black belt since 2012, Mau Mau started establishing himself as the man to beat in the BJJ competition scene. He also got to teach in the Boston Academy of his master Julio Cesar. HE not only managed to turn Boston into the headquarters of the GF  Team outside Brazil but also managed to conquer a No-Gi world title and 6 Pans NO-Gi titles, along with countless other IBJJF tournament victories. During that time, he also became famous for the Mau Mau Kimura, a variation that is still effective to this day. In fact, it may just be more effective in modern Jiu-Jitsu than it was back then.

A Few Common Kimura Issues

Before we go on to the Mau Mau Kimura in detail. Let’s talk about a few issues people usually run into with the regular Kimura. The Kimura lock is an extremely versatile hold, that can work as a submission, a position, and even a transitioning checkpoint. Check out this piece on the Kimura Trap System to learn more about the different ways you can use a Kimura grip in Jiu-Jitsu.

However, when it comes to the submission aspect of the lock, people usually run into a few common issues. The first one is, dealing with the defensive grip. Whenever an opponent grips their own belt or Gi, they’re not really helping themselves as those are moving objects that can travel along with their wrist. However when they grab palm to palm their own sleeve r their leg, breaking the grip to finish the lock can become a real hassle.

Also, another thing that people sneakily do, is keeping their shoulders to the ground, or even rotate slightly towards a Kimura side, when they’re on the bottom. This makes it impossible to get the arm behind their back and usually requires a transition into straight armlocks which are much less effective. However, as the game evolves, the Mau Mau Kimura variation is something we need to revisits, as it solves both these issues and a few more. For example, you can execute the Mau Mau Kimura from the mount, which is not something other Kimura variations offer. Moreover, it involves your entire body in the lock, which really increases the power of the Kimura, and makes it a great move for everyone, regardless of size or muscle mass.

The Mau Mau Kimura Variation

The Mau Mau Kimura is a variation that utilizes the use of your legs in order to finish the Kimura. However, unlike the Squirrel Lock, for example, which is only done with the legs, for the Mau Mau Kimura, you use all of your four limbs.

Mau Mau sets it up from the mount to make it all that even crazier. Actually, he uses a Kimura grip to end up in mount. Usually, this is not hard, as opponents will try and get you into the mount, given that the regular Kimura down’s t work from there. They’re trading points in order to escape a submission. Mau Mau likes to keep a hold of the Kimura grip, place his head on the mat, and pass one leg over the head of the opponent. Up to this point, things are easy.

Mau Mau then lifts his other leg, so that the foot is flat on the mats. At this point, the leg that went over the head is on the knee, with the shin under the opponent’s head. In easier terms, he is doing an S-mount on the arm, while maintaining the figure four Kimura grip at all times. Then comes the hardest part – rolling. To make sure you can complete the roll remember to roll towards the opponent’s feet and not their head.

The goal of the roll is to close your legs into a triangle. This is only possible when you’re on your back. From there, it’s a wrap, given that the opponent can’t roll, posture, or do any sort of defense. All you have to do is squeeze the triangle and you’ll even have space to twist the arm if you need to. Which you won’t, because the Mau Mau Kimura is extremely tight and painful.

Final Thoughts

The Mau Mau Kimura works from everywhere. If you want to really get into the nitty-gritty of it all, check out Mau Mau’s dedicated instructional on the subject. You can read a complete review of his “Kimuras As A Way Of Doing BJJ” right here. It is sufficient to say that you’ll discover all the Mau Mau Kimura secrets in there if I managed to tickle your imagination with his mounted Kimura breakdown. Have fun!

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Before we go on, yes there is such a thing as the middle mount BJJ position. In fact, it is the mount variation you’ve been trying to play since day one. In that sense, the middle mount is something we don’t pay a lot of attention to. Well, we should, as it not just connects both the low and high mount but also opens up versatile attacks. In fact, getting the back form the mount can happen in two instances with a high percentage of success – when using a Gift Wrap, or from the middle mount. Not to mention extremely cool attacking options as you’ll see later on.

The Three Types of Mount

Before we focus on the middle mount BJJ position, let’s talk a bit about all mount variation. Or, rather, the three that are worth talking about and that work at every level of the sport. Starting at the bottom.we have the low mount position. That’s when your hips are under the belt of the opponent, as the main reference point. Stuff like grapevine and skydiving are common ways of controlling someone from there. Attacking options include Ezekiel choke and lapel chokes, and bent arm locks (mostly Americanas). Easy to maintain.

On the other end of the spectrum is the high mount. In this variation, your butt is as high up the chest as possible. In other words, you’re attempting to sit on your opponent’s chest. Often time,s you do this at an angle, like for example, the S-Mount.  This is a position that requires a lot of time to get the knack for., It may be hard to stay there, but once you get it, the pressure is immense. Moreover, attacks are ample, ranging from armbars, to cross collar chokes and everything in between.

Finally, the middle mount BJJ position. As the name suggests this one is bang in the middle between the two. This is often seen as an entry point to the mount, and a transitional spot between the high and low mount. However, the middle mount offers much more than that, if you know where to look. It is the missing piece of the puzzle that’ll make your overall mount more dangerous, as well as amplify your low and high mount.

The Mount Nobody Talks About

The middle mount is not too difficult to understand but it does require a bit of finesse. Getting there is usually done from the low mount, given that once you arrive in a high munt variation, you tend to stay there and finish. From the low mount, you can get there on your own, by sliding the hips marginally forward, to reach blet level or just above it. The other option is letting your opponent get you there while they’re trying to escape your low mount.

The first thing to consider in the middle mount is knee position. Regardless if you arrive form the low mount or directly form side control/knee on belly/ guard pass, you need to have your feet and your knees to the ground. First up, this is going to bring you mount points. IF both knees and feet are not on the ground, you won’t get anything. Next up, this builds a base to keep you safe and able to attack. IN that sense, you need the back of your feet firmly placed on the ground, and your knees pinched to the ribs of your opponent. That way, you’ll feel any movement they do extremely early.

Still just staying in a position like this with bad posture is only going to get you thrown off. In fact, this is where most people get the middle mount BJJ position wrong. IN this mount you need to have an upright posture, much like in closed guard. That said, there’s a neat little trick here – tuck your hips forward. This will both give your spine a curve and distribute your weight so that you become extremely heavy and tough to budge., Now, you can start having fun from the middle mount.

Attacking From The Middle Mount BJJ Position 

The first key tip for the middle mount BJJ position is staying there. Two things are going to happen. One, your opponent will try to frame your hips and slither out. That’s extremely hard as your posture allows you to lift their arms and thus, destroy the frame. The second option, which is more viable is to try and bridge you off. This might work if you’re trying to stay too tight to your opponent. Instead, your reaction should be the simplest one of all – allow them to bridge. What you need to do is simply lift your hips up, while keeping your knees and feet planted on the ground. This will only result in a positive outcome for you.

One thing that’s extremely easy in this situation is thinking about getting the back. Lifting your hips will allow your opponent to turn underneath you. Whether you go for the gift wrap or choose to go for the back immediately is down to you. Simply lifting up will open up back attacks better than any other way you have of getting them from the mount.

But that’s not the best part, there’s a neat little choke that only works form the middle mount that you simply have to know. It is a lapel choke that’s unusual and people never see it coming. You start off with a reverse grip, meaning thumb in and four fingers out on the lapel. The position is like a for a paper cutter, with your elbow to the ground on the opposite side. You won’t choke anyone there directly. However, the middle mount gives you the security to place your second grip on the other lapel, four fingers in. Pull that second lapel for one of the tightest lapel chokes in BJJ!

Final thoughts

The middle mount is often taken for granted because it is considered to be the beginner’s version of the mount. Given how effective it is, and how many unusual attacks it offers, it’s a shame not to use it at the higher levels. Have some fun with it and use it to connect your other mount attacks for an unstoppable top game.

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The monkey mount is one of those 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu positions that you run into by sheer chance. ti is exactly how I came across it. However, once you realize how potent the monkey mount is, it will soon become your go-to mount variation. Especially if you’re a smaller grappler or a female. This is not to say that bigger grapplers can’t use the monkey mount to great success. Lighter weights will, however, find a lot more of the control heavier guys take for granted. Today, I’ll do my best to shed light on the monkey mount and all the ways in which it can make your Jiu-Jitsu better.

One guy that certainly knows his 10th Planet positions down to a T is Brandon McCaghren. He is one of Eddie Bravo’s top black belt instructors and runs 10th PLanet Decatur. He has an awesome DVD out on all things rubber guard. Check out his “Rubber Guard: The Meathook” DVD today to introduce some 10th Planet slickness into your game!

Monkey Mount Basics

The monkey mount is a position in which most of us end up, yet only a few recognize. the thing is that when an opponent tries to bridge as a defense, they open up direct pathways to this mount variation. Even if an opponent doesn’t give away the position, getting it from regular mount is a breeze.

To get into the monkey mount, you’ll first need to make sure you control the head. To do that, you’ll need an arm under their neck, lifting their head of the mats. Having the head high off the ground is imperative for controlling any mount. Once you have it, You need to focus on pushing the arm that’s on the opposite side down to the ground. Since you have one arm an all your bodyweight at your disposal, this is an easy thing to achieve. Once there, you can start working towards the monkey mount

Your opponent is likely going to try and bridge to that side, placing their free arm under your armpit. All you need to do is lift the leg on that side, and prop it against their back. this is going to keep your opponent on their side. Once again, aim to lift the head of the opponent as high as possible, while keeping the top arm trapped.

Finally, maintaining the monkey mount is going to require you to re-adjust a bit. Release the trapped arm and use that arm to control the head. Place your other arm around your own leg and grab the back of the lapel. Now you have perfect control. All you need is weight, which is fairly easy – simply take the weight off your leg in order to place it on their ribs via your butt. From there, it’s time to attack!

Monkey Mount Attacks 

You can see how the monkey mount position has a lot to offer in terms of attacks. While you might be able to spot some direct attacks from there, keep patient and we’ll teach you how to develop a complete system. There are numerous options in numerous directions and they depend a lot on how the opponent reacts.

Even if submission attacks don’t work for some reason, you have a lot of transition options. One thing that’s always there from a monkey mount is the rubber guard. From there. you’re in a position to attack more or even return to the monkey mount with ease. Another readily available option is the back, which in itself, is the ultimate finishing position.

Let’s g over some submission attacks you can hunt from the monkey mount. While some are easy and often used, you’ll also see some more advanced moves that need a bit of skill to perform.

Locoplata

let’s start with something completely crazy. The Locoplata is actually as mad as the name suggests. When you get it down, though, you’ll see that it is actually a fairly simple move which can work often. the Locoplata is basically a mounted Gogoplata. However, compared to the Gogoplata, it has a lot more chances of success, given that gravity is now working for you, instead of against you.

Getting the Locoplata form the monkey mount requires just a small shift in position, the main thing to remember is to use your free arm to push down on the opponent’s head. For maximum effect, use the forearm to place pressure and cause discomfort in your opponent. From there, simply swing the leg that’s in a lunge position over, and aim to fall as close to the opponent’s shoulder as possible. This will get your shin deep enough so you can easily place the foot on their neck to get the tap.

Straight Jacket Attacks

The straight jacket system is nowadays a back attack system, thanks to John Danaher. However, Eddie Bravo had his own straight jacket submission system which works from the monkey mount. In fact, it is designed to be the best attacking option the monkey mount has to offer.

For the straight jacket, you’ll need to start from a Locoplata. The only way to stop, or better say, to delay a Locoplata is for the opponent to grab your foot. When they do that, they’ll only fall deeper into the monkey mount trap. Now, they’ve given you access to the second hand via grips. Grab the Gi with a basic grip and strip it off your foot. Then, place the foot of the second leg on the opponent’s biceps. This is going to allow you to get the Locoplata leg off the opponent’s neck and place it around and under their head. Now slide the second leg over the shoulder and pull their arm behind their head. This is the straight jacket position.

From here, you can do whatever you choose to your opponent. You have easy choke options, neck cranks along with shoulder locks, straight armlocks and even wristlocks on both arms. You’re only limited by your imagination.

Unexpected Gi Choke 

Since we’re talking about a Gi based system of attacks, we’ll throw in a great choking option. Yes, a Gi choke might be the last thing you associate with a 10th Planet technique, but it is a potent weapon form the monkey mount. In fact, the gi choke works great when your opponent tilts to their side too much. Now, your pressure is going to dissipate somewhat, and it’s harder to get into a Locoplata or the straight jacket. What you can do instead is to place the free arm across their neck, grabbing the lapel as deep as possible. Now, simply swing the kneeling leg over the head and fall to the other side. A simple leg extension is going to get you a tap due to a very powerful choke.

Triangle Choke

The triangle choke is one attack that’s really obvious from the monkey mount. However, going for a triangle is going to place you on your back in most cases. Doing that is not a particularly smart thing to do. As a general rule, you shouldn’t go to your back from an established dominant top position. However, in certain situations, it may be the best option for you.

When an opponent is turning to their side and propping on their elbow, the triangle is extremely easy to set up. All you need to do is focus on lifting their head as high as possible with your arms. The aim is to sneak your bottom leg over the shoulder of the arm the opponent’s propping on. From there, inertia is going to take you to your back for a strong finishing position. The best thing about it is that, if you adjust correctly, you might even end up back in monkey mount if the triangle fails.

Video Source

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Despite the overwhelming mechanical advantage of the position, submissions from the mount are no easy feat. Against an inexperienced opponent, you can do whatever you want, and make it look easy. However, if the person on the bottom knows what to do you’re going to have to work. If you can make submissions form mount look easy against a seasoned grappler than you’re really high level yourself. For most, it takes a long time and lots of mistakes before they get the mounted game down. Instead of trying to figure it out for yourself, we’re going to provide a simple guide to the best submission options from the king of BJJ positions.

The main advantage of the mount position is that you have a high degree of control over an opponent. No matter what they do, you can adjust easily and look to apply your game. When you understand the mount positions, you’ll be able to see and use every opportunity that comes your way. If an opponent is actively trying to escape there will be plenty of openings. If they’re just sitting tight defensively, you can open some doors by yourself. All you need to do is know which weapon to use and when.

Dominant Positioning In The Mount

The mount position is fairly simple at first glance. However, staying on top is like riding a rodeo – you’re going to get flipped at one point or another. In order to avoid, you need to know how to control the position. To do that you must realize two things. First, you need to know the control points of the body from the mount. Second, you need to know which height you need to be at for control and submissions from mount

The main control point of the mount position is the hips. Whenever you’re on top, your hips should, at least initially, be right on top of the opponent’s hips. Sitting with your body weight right above the opponent’s hips make s you notoriously hard to move. The secondary point of control is the shoulders. This is done with the help of your arms, torso, and head. A simple hand under the head offers you the option to control an opponent’s posture along with their shoulder girdle. This effectively pins an opponent down completely.

In terms of mount height, there are two variations. The first is a low mount, which is what I described above. The second is high mount which brings your knees as far up the opponent’s armpits as possible. For hip control, you’re going to use both feet on either side of the shoulder control. The high mount frees up your arms to hunt for submissions but takes away from the hip control.

Submissions From Mount

When we’re talking about submissions from the mount, the most important thing is timing. You have to be as precise as possible with your attacks. Whenever you’re looking for a submission from the mount, you’ll have to sacrifice some of your structure in order to obtain it. This means the opponent can use it to get out. that’s why you need perfect timing before anything else.

next, it is very important to have more than on weapon It’s ok if your favorite mount attack is an armbar. But you also need at least one choke, one bent arm submission, and a leg lock to complete your arsenal. You never know which is actually going to work.

Finally, remember that constantly threatening your opponent means they have to defend. This, in turn, provides you with control over them and the opportunity to create an opening. be mindful though, that only hunting, for one thing, is not going to provide you with success. Be ready to use the opening you get, and do not hesitate to go for it!

Cross Collar Choke / Helio Gracie Choke

The Reason why there are two submissions from the mount in each category is twofold. First, they offer both Gi and No-Gi options to finish. Next, the compliment each other perfectly, working as chains. The only way to be proficient from the mount is knowing how to attack from both low and high mount with a barrage of various attacks that you can connect.

The cross collar choke is probably the most quintessential of all the submissions from the mount. Roger Gracie does it like no other, submitting the highest level black belts like it’s a joke. This only demonstrates how much the move is effective. For the cross collar, you need one hand in each of the opponent/s collars. As the name suggests, one hand should go deep on the opposite side collar. The other should follow. The grip you need is four fingers in, thumbs out. To submit all you need is to keep your elbows close and place your forehead on the mats, above the opponent’s head.

For a No-Gi option (also available with the Gi) you can always go back to a truly old school choke. the Helio Gracie choke requires you to simply place a fist on each carotid artery from the low mount. just squeeze and sprawl from there and you’ll get a fast and easy choke that works.

Armbar / Americana

There’s no way we can skip over these two when the topic is submissions from the mount. The Americana and straight armbar are not only classic mount submissions but the arm-locking combo from hell. You have both a bent and a straight arm lock, they work with and without the Gi and they compliment each other. Plus, you can use them to transition to and from low/high mount.

Starting from low mount the Americana is the first one. All you need is to pin one wrist of the opponent to the mat right next to their head. the arm should be at a 90-degree angle. You need to control the wrist with your opposite side arm and thread the other arm under the opponent’s upper arm. The result is a figure four grip which is essential to finishing. Simply pull the opponent’s back of the palm across the mat, like a paintbrush and you’ll get a tap.

The defense to an Americana is for your opponent to find a way to get their arm to their chest. Once they have it, you’re all set for a straight armbar. The figure four rip you already have means you’re in complete control. All you need to do is the transition to an S-mount and hit the straight armbar. The grip is going to help you finish against any resistance as well.

Triangle / Gogoplata

The mounted triangle and the Gogoplata are not submissions from the mount that you see often. they do work, however, and they have their place in the hierarchy of mount attacks. For the triangle, your best bet is the high mount. Sometimes the opponent’s try to sneak an arm under your leg when in the high mount. This sets you up perfectly for a triangle. Simply control the other arm, and put your free leg under their head. That’s it locking the triangle is easy from there. To finish, just pull up on their head. or, if you’re after fancy points, switch to a Gogoplata.

From a mounted triangle, getting the Gogoplata requires you to switch legs. Basically, you’ll want to open the triangle, get your leg back on their shoulder and use the other leg to choke them. To do this, you’ll need the dexterity to place the foot on their trachea. Once you have it, the choke is really tight and brutal. Just like with triangle, even if an opponent reverses you at this point you’ll still get the submission.

Ashi Garami

Finally, sometimes, in order to get submissions from the mount, you need to leave the mount. How come it’s still a submission from mount? Well, the setup is from the mount, even though the finish might be a step further. Like an Ashi Garami, for example.

When other submissions from the mount don’t work, you need to get innovative. use both your feet to put in butterfly hooks from the mount. This is going to open an entry to an Ashi Garami on each side. You simply need to sit back and trap one leg. From there on feel free to finish with a leg lock of your choosing.

Become a real menace from all top positions by adopting some of the principles of Catch Wrestling. There’s no better coach to teach you Catch Wrestling for BJJ than Neil Melanson. Check out his “Catch Wrestling Formula” DVD for detailed information. 

Source Videos:1 2 3 4

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The post The Best BJJ Submissions From Mount appeared first on BJJ World.

Out of the most dominant positions in BJJ, two used to take all the credit until a while ago. During the last few years, the Danaher leg lock system proved that Jiu-jitsu is far from complete. The Ashi Garami position emerged as a strong contender for the best controlling and attacking position in BJJ. However, until such time as major organizations see fit to award point for the position the reign is going to be divided between the mount and the back positions. From them, the mount is where our focus is going to be in this article. Actually, I’m going to get really specific here and focus on one of the most offensive variations from the mount – the S-mount.

What Is The S-Mount Position?

The S-mount is not a difficult position to get if your opponent is lower level than you, or you really understand the mount. The best version of events would have them opening up the position by themselves or due to intentional pressure from you. That aside, attaining the S-mount against an experienced opponent is the hardest part. Finishing from an established position is a piece of cake.

The S-mount position has you in the high mount, sitting on the shin of one of your legs. The other leg is directed with your foot towards the opponent’s head, your calf pressed against their shoulder. The position in itself means you’re angled off to one side, as opposed to staying on the central line of a traditional mount.

Before we look into the possible ways of getting into the S-mount, let’s dissect the best controlling position. Before setting your legs up for the position, you need to have control of both the arms and the head. A crucial step is having the head lifted off the ground, as this will completely immobilize your opponent. A great way of doing this is via a palm-to-palm or ball-in-socket grip. Both work well and you should look to find your preferred version.

Furthermore, once completely set up you’ll notice that one thing keeps reoccurring. Namely, when you have a good, tight S-mount set up, both your opponent’s elbows are going to be pointed towards the ceiling. This means that you have attacking options towards both arms of your opponent. All the while exerting enormous pressure on their chest. While you could insert a deep hook in any direction, I prefer to do so with my palm towards the hip. This results in a spiderweb-like armbar attack that also allows for maximal pressure on the opponent’s torso.

Getting To The S-Mount

From the low mount, the first battle is getting your opponent’s elbows exposed.  It will take patience and perseverance in most cases but it’ll be worth the effort. Use one of your arms first to hook their elbow in the crook of yours and push toward their head. Once secure, repeat the action on the opposite side. Once you have both arms trapped high above the opponent’s head, use your arms to connect the grip under their head. Aim to grip behind the crown of the head so that you have maximum leverage.

From there first you’re going to lift the head, and then you’re going to move one of your legs towards the opponent’s head. The goal is to have your knee reach their neck while keeping your shin parallel and close to their back. This creates a wedge that’s going to stop them from turning towards you. Next, you swing your opposite leg with the heel towards their head and you’re in the S-mount.

Once there, it’s time to turn the pressure on. Either look for a deep hook on their arm or just lift the head up high as you project your weight into their chest with your hips. Feel free to torture your opponent as long as you want from this position.

Those of you out there that prefer smoother transitions, you can hit the S-mount straight off a half guard sweep or an armdrag. Just make sure you anticipate your opponent turning once you go for a back take. If you’re late, you’re just going to end up in top half guard. If you react soon enough, you don’t even need to go through all the mount steps, since you can end up directly in the S-Mount.

Pressure And Submissions

The S-mount is one of the best positions to attack from. You’re in a very secure position, you have the advantage of causing discomfort and you have a bunch of submissions readily available. All the main BJJ boxes are ticked here. Being in a tight S-Mount, especially with a deep hook in means you’re already 95% of the way to a submission.

It is not rocket science that the armbar is your best bet from the S-mount. With the deep hook in, lean toward the opponent’s legs, using your free arm to post. This is going to really increase the pressure and it’s going to open up your wedged leg. Once the weight is off, use that leg to go over the opponent’s head, still staying really heavy on their ribs. Now, use the leg that you just put over their head and curl it backward, causing them to twist their spine. This break in posture means that every defense they might have, from holding the Gi to a figure four lock just went out the window. In most instances, all you’ll need is a hip extension to finish a tight armbar right there on the top.

Conversely, if the opponent isn’t tapping you can always sit back and go for a traditional armbar finish or for a spiderweb armbar. Whatever the case, you have the dominant position and a complete extension of the arm.

If you want to transition out of the position, you can also easily slap on a mounted triangle. As opponent’s try to wiggle out they often sneak one arm out which means your far side leg is in place for a triangle finish. And, in a worst-case scenario, you can always get to the gift wrap position.

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The post Make Your Opponent’s Quite Before They Tap With These S-Mount Attacks appeared first on BJJ World.

One of the strangest moves in BJJ, the gogoplata is a choke done with the feet. Only it’s not as easy as standing over someone and putting a foot to their throat. At first glance, it seems like the person doing the choke is an Indian yogi guru, capable of turning themselves inside out. Such is the pretzeled-up position required to pull the choke off. However, it’s by all means an effective submission, and not at all difficult once you understand the concept behind it.

The Rise Of The Gogoplata

Although credited with fine tuning and popularizing the gogoplata, Eddie Bravo is not the founder of the move. Nino Schembri is the name credited with the invention of the gogoplata. Or so he claims to the very least. Already an omoplata wizard, Schembri developed the gogoplata as a result of his freakish flexibility. He introduced the world  to the unorthodox move in 2000, managing to pull ti off in competition in Sao Paulo.

Not shy of flexibility himself, Eddie Bravo “stole” the move from Schembri taking it to another level. Schembri performed the move as an extension of the omoplata, while Bravo did it from everywhere. Rubber guard, half guard, mount, even a holding position known as the gogo-clinch, Bravo keeps working on the move to this day.

As far as effectiveness is concerned, the move has been successfully used in both MMA and grappling competitions. Although not the most often witnessed submission, it is not as rare as one might think. Exactly 12 years ago, on New Year’s Eve 2006, Shinya Aoki submited Joachim Hansen to become the move’s pioneer in MMA. Aoki is the only fighter to pull off a mounted gogoplata in MMA as well. Perhaps the most famous use of the gogoplata in MMA is by Nick Diaz, when he choked out Takanori Gomi. Brad Imes also has a couple of gogoplata wins to his name.

Setting up the gogoplata

For those that are not in the mood to go all 10th Planet and look for rubber guard setups, the gogoplata is always there off an omoplata. From the omoplata position you just need to take the foot that is on top of the shoulder and move it under your opponent’s neck. From  there, the foot is in perfect position for a choke. Much like the arm-in guillotine, the gogoplata is an air choke as opposed to a blood one. Catching the fingers of the choking foot with your arm behind your opponent’s hand is usually more than enough to get the tap. However, if you’re up against a very resilient opponent, you can always use your other foot to push on the heel of the choking foot. No degree of resilience is going to help with that.

The Rubber Guard Path

Eddie Bravo’s love child, the rubber guard, can also be seen as a variation of the omoplata. Bravo has gone a mile further, though, turning it into a position of impressive control. From there, a plethora of submissions are available, but none is as eye catching as the gogoplata. The angle of the rubber guard (the “New York” position in particular) is far superior to the omoplata set up. Check out the 10th Planet path to gogoplata, via the rubber guard, below:

Mounted Gogoplata

The gogoplata can be sunk in from the mount position as well. This is probably the position that offers the most control, leading up to the choke. Again, Bravo has a whole system of getting to it, so be sure to check out his stuff on the subject. Just make sure you have one arm trapped with a tight overhook before going for the gogoplata. The mount entry takes a bit more practice, but the position is such, that you have easy follow-ups at your disposal, like armlocks and other chokes.

A Bottom Half Guard Surprise

Given that you have the required flexibility, the bottom of the half guard is another spot for hitting gogoplatas. When stuck in the over-under position of bottom half, it only takes a little bit of framing and shrimping to get your foot over. Once you’re in an omoplata-ish position, it’s easy to go for the kill.

Finally, do not be intimidated by the gogoplata’s flexibility requirements. Even regular people can hit the choke, as long as you learn the correct angles and leverage. One of the reasons the move is not often seen is because people lack the confidence to go for it. And, the only way to gain enough confidence in a move is by devoting time to it. So, drill the gogoplata, look for it while you roll and you’ll become an expert in no time!

 Keep Rollin’!

https://bjj-world.com/omoplata-game-essentials/

Watch Buggy Choke Being Executed in MMA

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