Get Out Of Back Control to a Dominant Position

Having your back taken by a decently skilled grappler can be exhausting physically and mentally. I recall that in my earlier days, I would get so frustrated with someone controlling my back that it would cause me to make a silly mistake that resulted in me getting caught in a choke and I think many new students can relate to this.

In fact, I once got the opportunity to roll with Gordon Ryan, and I got this same frustration with him, even though he was obviously going to tap me out anyway. 

What I learned over the years was that the main thing to focus on when you get your back taken is being patient. As long as you remain patient, your mind will remain clear and you will do the correct defenses and escapes, so long as you know them.

In fact, this concept can be applied to many different defensive positions like being stuck in bottom mount or bottom side control. If you are a new student, I highly recommend remaining patient and calm and focusing on surviving. 

The last thing you want to be is a skilled grappler that spazzes the moment they get stuck in a bad spot. 

Learn the half guard from one of the top specialists in the game, Jake Mackenzie!

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After you successfully master the art of patience, which is one of the hardest lessons you learn as a white belt, you can proceed to learning and applying appropriate defense and escapes. Escaping any difficult position requires true technique, especially when dealing with a high level grappler.

Jake Mackenzie is a high level black belt with many championships under his belt. He is considered one of the best grapplers of his generation. In the following video, Jake shows an escape from back control that leads to deep half guard. See below:

The problem with most back control escapes is that they lead to the defender either getting stuck in bottom mount or getting their back taken again.

Although being in bottom mount might be safer than having ones back taken, it would be preferable to escape to a better position. Deep half guard is one of those positions you can get to and then sweep your opponent with ease.

Jake Mackenzie's instruction of the half guard is one of the best you'll ever see!

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