Side Control (Top)

Question 1

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[TRANSITION]
side control > north/south > back take

Answer 1

1. If you have your opponent in side control, let go of the front seat belt and bring your hands in front of your body so you can isolate your opponent’s far-side arm. With your arm nearest their hips, pull their arm upward to create space for your other arm to go underneath and grab their belt. Your forearm should be parallel to your opponent’s chest and should be tight against it not to give any wiggle room.
2. Once the first belt grip is secured, shift and pull your opponent to get your knee closest to their head underneath their shoulder/head while moving your body slightly toward the north-south position.
3. Once in semi north-south, reach under your opponent’s other arm with your free hand and secure a grip on their belt. You should now have a grip on your opponent’s belt on both sides of their torso with one knee under their head and one foot planted next to their torso.
4. In one big move, pull your opponent upward into your lap (using your leg to push) so that they are back-to-chest with you. Immediately put your free leg in as your first hook.
5. Establish your seat belt and place your second hook and look for the choke.

Question 2

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > high mount > arm bar

Answer 2

1. If you have your opponent in side control (with them framing) with the front seat belt on, use your hand nearest to their hips to reach under their far-side arm pit and grab the top of their shoulder (your palm should be facing upwards).
2. With your free hand, reach between your chests and scoop up their elbow to pull their arm up towards your heads. At the same time, switch your base so your hips face upward toward their head so you isolate the arm you just pulled free.
3. Using both your leg that is nearest your opponent’s head and your grip on their isolated arm, push your opponent toward the side you have the top-shoulder grip. This should lift your opponent’s body slightly so you have space to switch base again and tuck your knee under the back of their shoulder/head. This leg should run parallel with your opponent’s torso so they have no room to wiggle free. You should now be high on your opponent’s chest so bridging won’t help them much.
4. Using your top-shoulder grip, lift your opponent’s arm so you can snake your other hand under their neck and get a grip on their arm pit. Once secured, lean heavily into their face while you use your newly free hand/shoulder to shove your opponent’s far-side arm upward over their head.
5. As you push their arm upward, you need to HIGH step your knee over their chest (do not run your foot near their waist or risk getting caught in half guard) so you place your knee in their arm pit land in high mount.
6. Once in high mount, try to secure both your opponent’s arms over their head before going for the arm bar.

Question 3

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Ezekiel choke from side control

Answer 3

1. If you have your opponent in side control with their back off the floor and their hips facing the opposite direction, use the arm closest to their hips to loop under their upper arm pit and under their neck.
2. Use your chest and body weight to keep them pressed down and turned away from you.
3. Plant your free hand behind their head and use your underhooking hand to grip your own gi (underneath your wrist). Then with your ‘free’ hand, place it behind your opponent’s head to create a ‘scissor’ with both your forearms pressed against your opponent’s neck.
4. Turn your shin closest to their head so your knee is facing their head and your foot is facing their hips. Press your leg up tight against their back so they have no wiggle room.
5. Step your other leg over their body and plant your foot on the floor in front of their hips to place your first hook.
6. Sit down while at the same time ‘chopping’ their neck to begin the choke. Make sure your hand gripping your gi is twisted so that the flat blade of your forearm is pressed against your opponent’s neck. Similarly, make sure your hand behind their head is twisted so the blade of your forearm is pressed against the other side of their neck.
7. Continue to roll them to the side you have a hook in and place your other hook in if needed while continuing to tighten the choke until you get the tap. If your hands are placed right, you likely do not need the second hook as the pressure is very extreme.

Question 4

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control to modified arm bar via s-mount (if they try to escape by rolling away from you)

Answer 4

1. If you have your opponent in side control with their back flat on the mat and their arms in the frame position, first you need to trap the arm closest to you to set up the arm bar. Reach into the space between your chests with the hand closest to their head and cup their elbow to pull it upwards toward their head. Drop your hip closest to their hips down so they can’t put it back. Loop your cupping hand back under their head and reach for their opposite arm pit. You should now be back in side control with their arm trapped between your leg and arm closest to their head.
2. Use cross-face to apply pressure. Your opponent will naturally defend by trying to frame. With your free hand reach down and free their lapel. Pass it over their bent arm to your hand under their arm pit to trap their arm in a little chicken-wing.
3. Use a combination of your body weight and leg to roll your opponent away from you. Push your leg closest to their head right up under their shoulder to lift it off the ground and create some space. Your elbow should be tight against your body, trapping the arm you’re going to attack.
4. With your hand that freed the lapel, press down on their trapped wrist/shoulder to keep your opponent’s back on the ground. Sit up and swing your leg closest to their hips up and around their body, curving your leg around their head (almost like a choke or s-mount). Your other leg should be tight against their head, keeping them trapped.
5. You can now leg go of your opponent’s arm pit and slide your hand upward to keep their trapped arm in place. Post your opposite hand on the floor near your opponent’s hips and rotate your body that way over top of them. Really lean that way, rotating your body so you start to face the floor. Keep your legs tight and their arm tight to your side and continue to apply pressure until they tap.

Question 5

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control to knee on belly to kimura

Answer 5

1. If you have your opponent in side control with their back flat on the mat, use your hand closest to their head to grab the back of their collar (palm facing up).
2. Use your other hand to get a grip on their pants or belt (hand should be around their hip bone to keep it pinned down).
3. In one motion, press down with your hands to pop up and put your knee closest to their hips on their belly. Your other leg should be extended far enough to be out of reach of their arm if they try and underhook/sweep your leg. You should have a good amount of weight on your knee on their belly (your foot should barely be touching the floor). For intense pressure, you should posture up and pull on their collar/pants while driving the point of your knee down into their belly.
4. To relieve the pressure on their belly, your opponent will likely move both hands to your knee and shrimp away. When they do this, let go of your grip on their pants/belt and shoot that hand through the space under their arm. Push your arm all the way through to the elbow and then loop it around to lasso their arm.
5. Let go of their collar and press their face down out of the way so you can step over their head with the leg closest to their head and plant your knee behind their back. Your shin should run parallel to their torso. Keep your thighs TIGHT together to pin them in place an keep them from rolling onto their back.
6. Switch your arms so your opposite arm is looped through theirs and your original arm is grasping their wrist. Use your looping arm to grab your own wrist to set up the kimura.
7. Use your upper body to twist their hand behind their back and up to their head. Continue to twist until you get the tap.

Option: If they defend by grabbing their own gi or arm, use your upper body to twist/jerk their arm towards their own head to break their grip. Extend their arm upward (so they can’t regrab their grip) and rotate back the other direction until their hand is parallel with their torso. THEN drop it back down behind their back and continue the submission.

Question 6

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control to modified arm bar (good for short legs)

Answer 6

1. If you have your opponent in side control with their back flat on the mat, slide one arm under their head and grab their opposite arm pit.
2. Press your free hand against their shoulder to keep them flat on the mat and in the same motion, let go of their arm pit and posture up to slide your hand out so you pull their arm into a trapped position (between your hip and arm with their hand behind your body).
3. With their arm trapped, continue pressure on their opposite shoulder and ‘pop up’ to press your knee closest to their hips into their arm pit. You should really have their arm trapped now between your legs which should be kept TIGHT together to keep the arm controlled.
4. Sit back and squeeze/torque to apply pressure to the arm. This is a very good attack for people with short legs and the tap should come very quickly.

Option: If your opponent tries to scoot their legs away, grab their pant leg by their knee. If your opponent tries to sit up, use your leg nearest their head to loop in front of their face and tighten the arm bar further (definitely will tap to this pressure)

Question 7

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control to cross-collar choke using lapel

Answer 7

1. If you have your opponent in side control with their back flat on the mat, use your hand closest to their head to grab their opposite arm pit.
2. Use your other hand to open their lapel on that side and pass it up under their arm pit to your waiting hand. You should just pass the tip of the lapel.
3. With your free hand, get a grip on their pants/belt above their hip bone and pop up into knee-on-belly position. Remember to keep posture up for pressure and keep your far leg extended for balance (and so it is more difficult to sweep you).
4. Let go of their pants/belt and reach under the near-side of their head to get a DEEP grip on their lapel (other hand should feed). Once in place, drop your elbow onto their chest so the blade of your forearm is TIGHT against the side of their neck.
5. With your free hand reach across their face to get a grip on their gi (next to neck - if you can get their collar great, but otherwise just get a grip on the fabric above the shoulder) and tighten up the choke. Remember to keep both blades of forearms against their neck.

Question 8

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control to cross-collar choke using lapel & your opponent’s shoulder (if they defend the regular cross-collar choke)

Answer 8

1. If you have your opponent in side control with their back flat on the mat, use your hand closest to their head to grab their opposite arm pit.
2. Use your other hand to open their lapel on that side and pass it up under their arm pit to your waiting hand. You should just pass the tip of the lapel.
3. With your free hand, get a grip on their pants/belt above their hip bone and pop up into knee-on-belly position. Remember to keep posture up for pressure and keep your far leg extended for balance (and so it is more difficult to sweep you).
4. Let go of their pants/belt and reach under the near-side of their head to get a DEEP grip on their lapel (other hand should feed). Once in place, drop your elbow onto their chest so the blade of your forearm is TIGHT against the side of their neck.
5. With your free hand reach across their face to get a grip on their gi. At this point they should be defending their neck with their hand, so transition to grab their elbow instead and PULL it towards you across their face. This sets up the choke using your forearm under their neck and their own shoulder above their neck.
6. Once their elbow is tucked under your chest/belly, apply pressure downwards. Ensure your lower elbow is still pressed down in the center of the chest. If they do not tap, continue to apply pressure using your free hand to hug their shoulder closer to you to tighten the choke. You can also remove your knee from their belly to ‘pike’ downwards and increase the pressure even more.

Question 9

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
side control > set up for high mount > pass own lapel through chicken wing > go north/south for choke

Answer 9

1. If you have your opponent in side control (with them framing) with the front seat belt on, use your hand nearest to their hips to reach under their far-side arm pit and grab the top of their shoulder (your palm should be facing upwards).
2. With your free hand, reach between your chests and scoop up their elbow to pull their arm up towards your heads. At the same time, switch your base so your hips face upward toward their head so you isolate the arm you just pulled free.
3. Using both your leg that is nearest your opponent’s head and your grip on their isolated arm, push your opponent toward the side you have the top-shoulder grip. This should lift your opponent’s body slightly so you have space to switch base again and tuck your knee under the back of their shoulder/head. This leg should run parallel with your opponent’s torso so they have no room to wiggle free. You should now be high on your opponent’s chest so bridging won’t help them much.
4. Using your top-shoulder grip, lift your opponent’s arm so you can snake your other hand under their neck and get a grip on their arm pit. Once secured, lean heavily into their face while you use your newly free hand/shoulder to shove your opponent’s far-side arm upward over their head into a chicken wing.
5. Free your own lapel (on the same side as the chicken wing) and pass the tip through to your waiting hand (which should be above your opponent’s shoulder - i.e. release the arm pit grip).
6. Once you grab the lapel tip, plant your newly freed hand next to your opponent’s hips so they can’t move towards you. Then twist toward north/south position to plant your forehead down where your hand is planted and extending your other arm to be the second side of the choking pincer (the first side is the lapel). Extend arm fully and lean head down for a tight choke.

Question 10

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[NO GI - SUBMISSION]
side control (if your opponent has an underhook) > triangle (?) choke

Answer 10

1. If your have your opponent in side control, but they have an underhook on the far side (underneath your arm that is closest to their hips), immediately lasso their underhooking arm.
2. At this point they should be trying to shrimp or wrestle up, which will give you the opportunity to slide your lassoing hand in front of their throat and grab the back of their neck.
3. Place your other arm up behind the back of your opponent’s head (your tricep should be up against the back of their head) and use your hand that was gripping your opponent’s neck to grip your own bicep (similar to the motion for the rear naked choke). Squeeze and apply pressure while sprawling, keeping your hips low and your full weight over their upper shoulder. Your forearm under their throat and their own shoulder at the side of their neck should be forming the pincers for the choke.

Question 11

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[DRILL]
Switching side control

Answer 11

1. If you have your opponent in side control and they turn to face/shrimp away while keeping underhooks, use your hand by their head to scoop their head into your chest.
2. Stick your other hand under their arm pit and slide it up behind their neck (palm facing the ground, or back of your hand facing the back of their neck). Plant your first hand behind them and scoot around their head to land in side control from opposite side (with their arm in your lasso). Note that your chest should be pressing down against them the entire time your body is rotating to the opposite side to not allow them any space to get away.

Question 12

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[TRANSITION]
Tightening side control by controlling opponent’s hips and ‘rolling’ to switch base to get rid of opponent’s arm that is blocking your hips

Answer 12

1. If you have your opponent in side control and they are on their back with a frame in place, establish your 3 points of connection: 1) slide one arm under their neck and attempt to grab their opposing arm pit to set up cross-face, 2) use your knee closest to their hips to press right up against their hips so they do not have wiggle room, and 3) use your arm/elbow closest to their hips to press right up against their hips on the opposite side so you fully control their hips and make it difficult for them to shrimp away or get off their back.
   2) Once your three points of contact are established, attempt to get control of the arm that can block your cross face. First you need to get your opponent ‘off the line’. Extend your cross-face arm slightly to give yourself space before pressing your shoulder HARD into your opponent’s neck/chin to force them to look in the same direction as you. You can pike up with your leg nearest their hips if needed. This will make it much harder for them to frame as their spine will be twisted.
   3) With your opponent’s face looking to the same direction in your cross-face, switch your base (so your hips face your opponent’s head) without letting up pressure (i.e. ‘roll’ across your opponent like they are pastry dough) and use your knee/hips to prise out your opponent’s arm that frames against your hips.
   4) Once you switch your base and gain control of your opponent’s arm, switch your base again (so your hips face the ground/your opponent, again, using the ‘roll’ technique not to let up any pressure) and partially pull your opponent into your lap so their shoulder is up on your leg to prevent their ability to roll/shrimp away. You should now have your opponent in a VERY tight side control which will give you time to think about submissions.

Question 13

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[TRANSITION]
Side control to mount via ‘rolling’ base switch if you already control your opponent’s hip-blocking arm

Answer 13

1. If you are in TIGHT side control and already have control of your opponent’s cross-face framing arm, abandon the cross-face grip and reach OVER your opponent’s face so you have 2-on-1 control of their far-side arm.
2. Use your elbow closest to your opponent’s head to force their head toward you. The intent is to force their face to look at you and get them ‘off the line’.
3. With your opponent’s head wedged between your elbow and knee, ‘roll’ (being careful not to let up any pressure) and switch your base so your hips face your opponent’s hips. The side of your ribs/back should create incredible pressure against your opponent’s face.
4. Now that your opponent is in a difficult spot, use your free hand to control their far-side arm to lift it up and create space for you to swing your leg over directly into high mount. You should be lifting their arm to create space so your knee lands under their shoulder and you immediately have tight control in mount.

Question 14

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[TRANSITION]
Side control to mount via over-grip and twisting opponent’s spine

Answer 14

1. If you have your opponent in side control with the front seat belt on, first get an over-grip on their far-side arm. If possible, with your arm closest to your opponent’s head, reach under their arm and get a tight grip on their belt. Use your other hand to block their hips on the near-side so that they do not hip escape and get a knee shoot in.
2. If your opponent’s free arm is framed under you, you need to get rid of it so they don’t bridge and buck you off. Shoot the leg closest to your opponent’s head back while keeping your other knee close to their hips to assist your hand in blocking their hip escape. Your whole weight should be leaning on your opponent’s chest. Switch your base so your hips are facing your opponent’s hips and shoot your hips towards theirs so you pass their framing arm/elbow.
3. Once your opponent’s framing arm/elbow is BEHIND your back, push your back up towards their head so their arm is pressed upwards. If they are resisting too much, use your free hand to grip their nearest knee and force it away so that you ‘twist’ their spine. This will make their resistance weaker and you should now be able to press their arm upwards.
4. Once your opponent’s arm is out of the way, keep a grip on their knee and push it downward to make space for you to get into mount.

Question 15

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control to kimura using fake mount (via over-grip and twisting opponent’s spine)

Answer 15

1. If you have your opponent in side control with a front-seatbelt grip, first establish an overgrip to control their far-side arm. With your hand nearest your opponent’s head, reach under their arm and get a grip on their belt if possible.
2. Use your other hand to post on the floor by your opponent’s hip so they don’t hip escape and get a knee shoot in.
3. Shoot your leg (the one closest to your opponent’s head) backward and keep your other knee near your opponent’s hip to block it. Your weight should be heavy on your opponent’s chest like a dead body, do not support your own weight with your leg. Assuming your opponent’s framing arm is still under you, switch your base towards your opponent’s hips and shoot your body toward their hips. Your own hips should pass over your opponent’s framing arm so it is now behind your back and they cannot use it to bridge you off them.
4. Shoot your body back up towards your opponent’s head, using your back to force your opponent’s elbow up over their head to take away their power to push you away. If your opponent is too strong, reach down with your free hand and get a grip on their knee and press it away from you to twist your opponent’s spine. With their spine twisted, it will make it much harder for them to resist you moving their arm upwards.
5. With your opponent’s framing arm caught behind you and over your head, put your knee by their hips onto their belly to begin creeping for the mount. If your opponent sense this and defends by putting their ‘free’ hand on your knee, immediately grab it with your free hand. Press their arm to the floor. With your other hand, release your opponent’s belt and reach under their arm to grip your own wrist in the key-lock.
   Keeping your weight heavy on your opponent, switch your base so your hips face towards your opponent’s head and use your leg closest to the ceiling to step over their head. This will prevent them from coming up and getting top position. Crank the kimura until you get the tap.

Question 16

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > cross face > use own lapel over opponent’s shoulder > twist for neck crank

Answer 16

1. With your opponent in side control, use your knee closest to their head to trap their arm between your knee and elbow (so they cannot use arm to defend against your hips). Get the cross face on TIGHT and use your shoulder to force your opponent to look the other direction to twist their spine.
2. With your hand closest to your opponent’s hips, reach down and free your own lapel. Make sure you do not ease up on the cross face pressure to allow them room to escape. Pass your own lapel over your opponent’s shoulder (under their hand if possible) to your waiting hand and get a DEEP grip on it. NOTE: if your opponent is larger, there is better control to first use their own lapel and pass it under their arm pit for you to grip so they cannot easily hip escape away before going to free your own lapel.
3. Once you have established your grip on your own lapel, scoot your legs into the north-south position while dropping your forehead down to the mat where your hips used to be. EXTEND your arm with the lapel grip. This should force a neck crank and if done correctly, will also be a choke via your lapel in front of your opponent’s neck.

Question 17

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > establish baseball choke grips > knee on belly > knee slice opponent’s defending arm > complete baseball choke

Answer 17

1. From side control, establish cross face. Release your opponent’s arm pit and slide your thumb into your opponent’s lapel to establish a grip on the back of the neck of their gi. Forearm should be flat on the mat.
2. KEEP heavy pressure on the cross face so your opponent cannot easily escape while sliding your free hand up your opponent’s front to get your 4 fingers inside their lapel. You can use your existing grip to open their lapel to make space. Your hands do not need to be tight together, in fact there should be some space to allow you room to do the choke.
3. Once the baseball choke is established, pop up into knee on belly. Your opponent will likely defend either by pushing on your knee or trying to put their hand/arm between their neck and your arm. Either way, use your knee on the belly to pivot and knee slice that defending arm on the close-side. As you knee slice and move around your opponent to north-south, DROP your forearm down on their neck (using the blade of your forearm) while STRAIGHTENING your other arm.
4. Continue to move into the north-south position while dropping your forehead to the ground (can also raise hips as you do this and ‘pike’ into the ground for increased pressure, particularly if your opponent is larger than you) and maintaining your grips (top arm flat against neck, bottom arm straightening to provide the pressure). Quite a nasty choke.

Question 18

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > isolate opponent’s far arm > arm lock (Mauricio Gomez Seminar - this needs updating)

Answer 18

1. If you have your opponent in side control and they have their frame in, apply heavy pressure over them to pin their near side arm in between your bodies. They should be using their remaining arm to frame against your neck.
2. With your arm nearest your opponent’s head, reach over their face and isolate their arm by wrapping your arm over theirs, bringing your elbow tight against their own ribs. Their hand may be caught in your arm pit/under your body and you can use your other hand to free it and stretch it out.
3. Keeping your weight heavy on their chest, shift so you are diagonal across them and bring their arm closer to their hip before using the key lock grip to arm lock them.

Question 19

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > trap opponent’s near-side arm with legs > isolate opponent’s far side arm > knee on belly > choke (Mauricio Gomez Seminar)

Answer 19

1. If you have your opponent in side control and they have their frame in, use your legs to pry their nearest arm away from their body and sandwich it in between your thighs. You should be in high side control with their arm trapped near their head.
2. Get a grip under your opponent’s far-side arm pit and pull them into you to tighten your control. Use your shoulder or head to isolate your opponent’s far-side arm by pushing it over their head in a little chicken wing.
3. Once you have isolated both your opponent’s arms, you have a lot of space to attack their torso. Transition to knee on belly, keeping your knee high on their chest for maximum pressure. To be extra nasty, you can get a grip on the back of their gi and pull their chest up while you drive your knee down. Your foot should be off the floor, hooked by their ribs. Your other leg should be bent, not extended, so your full weight is on your opponent’s chest/belly.
4. With your opponent highly uncomfortable, they will likely press against your knee to try and escape. With their hands occupied, establish cross-grips on their lapels. The hand on your knee-on-belly side should go in first with your 4 fingers. The other hand should go in over top with your thumb.
5. Once your grips are established, drop your elbow with the 4-finger grip down on your opponent’s chest and apply pressure. You can finish the choke from there, or you can slide your knee off their belly and plank over them, making sure not to drop your hips to the floor so it is maximum pressure on your opponent’s neck area. If it helps to balance, you can also drop your head down over their shoulder on the far-side.

Question 20

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > trap opponent’s near-side arm with legs > isolate opponent’s far side arm > knee on belly > Kimura (Mauricio Gomez Seminar)

Answer 20

1. If you have your opponent in side control and they have their frame in, use your legs to pry their nearest arm away from their body and sandwich it in between your thighs. You should be in high side control with their arm trapped near their head.
2. Get a grip under your opponent’s far-side arm pit and pull them into you to tighten your control. Use your shoulder or head to isolate your opponent’s far-side arm by pushing it over their head in a little chicken wing.
3. Once you have isolated both your opponent’s arms, you have a lot of space to attack their torso. Transition to knee on belly, keeping your knee high on their chest for maximum pressure. To be extra nasty, you can get a grip on the back of their gi and pull their chest up while you drive your knee down. Your foot should be off the floor, hooked by their ribs. Your other leg should be bent, not extended, so your full weight is on your opponent’s chest/belly.
4. With your opponent highly uncomfortable, they will likely press against your knee to try and escape. When they do that, you can grab their far-side hand and force it to the ground with your far-side hand.
5. Next, step over your opponent’s head with your leg and then quickly snake your free hand under your opponent’s ELBOW and establish the key-lock grip. Apply the kimura. You may slide your knee off belly to increase pressure, if need be.

Question 21

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[SUBMISSION]
Side control > trap opponent’s near-side arm with legs > isolate opponent’s far side arm > knee on belly > arm bar (Mauricio Gomez Seminar)

Answer 21

1. If you have your opponent in side control and they have their frame in, use your legs to pry their nearest arm away from their body and sandwich it in between your thighs. You should be in high side control with their arm trapped near their head.
2. Get a grip under your opponent’s far-side arm pit and pull them into you to tighten your control. Use your shoulder or head to isolate your opponent’s far-side arm by pushing it over their head in a little chicken wing.
3. Once you have isolated both your opponent’s arms, you have a lot of space to attack their torso. Transition to knee on belly, keeping your knee high on their chest for maximum pressure. To be extra nasty, you can get a grip on the back of their gi and pull their chest up while you drive your knee down. Your foot should be off the floor, hooked by their ribs. Your other leg should be bent, not extended, so your full weight is on your opponent’s chest/belly.
4. With your opponent highly uncomfortable, they will likely push against your knee. Take this opportunity to reach down with your far-side arm and get an over grip on their near-side tricep. Keeping your hips low step your leg over your opponent’s head and sit your butt down on the ground. You are aiming to be as close to your opponent as possible before you sit to ensure the armbar is TIGHT. Once you sit, wrap their arm up, find the leverage and crank.

Question 22

[SIDE CONTROL - TOP]
[NO GI - SUBMISSION]
If your opponent is escaping your side control and tries to get an underhook and drive you to the side into their own side control, grab them in a arm-in choke before they can get up.

Answer 22

1. If your opponent is escaping your side control and gets an underhook in an attempt to drive you to down to the mats in their own side control, you must act quickly. Before your opponent bases up on their non underhooking arm and gets onto their knees, immediately wrap their head up in your same side arm and drive your hips/body forward so they fall back to the mat or don’t get a good angle on you. You should wrap your arm DEEP around their head/neck so your hand pops out on the other side of their neck and grabs your own bicep.
2. With your non-bicep gripping hand, plant your hand on your opponent’s back/ribs and drive them to the side your choking arm is. You should also fall on your hips on that same side. Use your leg that is closer to the sky to step over one (or both if possible) of your opponent’s legs and hook them close to you so they cannot escape (sometimes you will need to follow them and keep attempting the hook as they will try to hip escape away).
3. Extend your body and drive your hips forward to tighten the choke.