The back is arguably the most dominant position in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Once you get good at controlling the position, it will be difficult for your opponent to escape. Getting to the back is my primary goal whenever I’m sparring or in a competition.
Not only does the back offer you many submission opportunities, but you will also get you four points once you secure the position. A four-point lead will often be more than enough to ensure the victory.
However, just securing the back and having good control does not guarantee you’ll get the submission.
One of the biggest problems when attacking submissions from the back is hand fighting. Every time you try to set a column grip or sink it on around the neck, your opponent pause your hands away and stops you from progressing.
One of the best ways is to neutralise their hand fighting defence is to control one of your opponents arms with your legs.
Trapping one of their arms will mean you have to both arms free to attack their neck while they only have one to defend. If you achieve this, the odds are heavily in your favour that you will get a submission.
Inspired by a video, I saw showing Gordon Ryan’s hand fighting from the back I set about analysing how I attack chokes from the back.
The result is a relatively simple system that will allow you to neutralise one of your opponents defences and free you up to attack the choke regardless of whether you’re fighting Gi or No Gi.
Part 1: Underhook Side
Most commonly when you take the back, you will be using the Seat Belt or Harness position. This makes it possible to land in back control in one of two positions: the underhook side of the seat belt and the overhook side of the seat belt.
Each position will require you to attack the choke slightly differently. Here is how to trap the arm from the Underhook side and attack the choke.
Part 2: Overhook Side
If you finish on the back on the Overhook side, you will need to attack the choke in a slightly different way. Here’s how to trap the arms and attack the choke from the Overhook side.
Part 3: Overhook Side To Re-Grip
Often when you attack the choke, as shown above, your opponent may be able to free one of their hands to grab your choking arm.
However, there is an easy way to counter this movement by transitioning to the Bow & Arrow choke.
Bonus: Back Control Basics
As I said early, the back is one of the most dominant positions in Jiu Jitsu. Like any position, you have to learn to control it correctly or it’ll be easy for your opponent to escape.
That control starts with stopping your opponents ability to rotate. To do this, your legs, arms, and head all need to be working together and adjusting to your opponents movements.
This video covers some essential details on how to make your back control super tight and near impossible to escape. It also covers a simple drill you can do to develop your back control.
Bonus: Bow & Arrow Choke Details
The Bow & Arrow choke is one of the most powerful chokes in your arsenal, as your legs and arms all work in unison to apply the pressure to complete the choke.
However, people often complain their wrists hurt when using the choke or they struggle to get the collar under the neck.
Thankfully, my coach, Braulio Estima, showed me a simple fix for these common problems, that I want to share with you now.
What’s more, this fix will make your bow & arrow choke more powerful. Here are a few important details to make you bow & arrow choke deadly.
Post your questions and comments below and I’ll answer them as soon as possible.
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