Take The Back From Mount - Easy & Effective

Posted by Fanatics Authors on December 29, 2018

Check Out This Highly Effective Back Take From Mount!

Often times when discussing the most dominant positions in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the mount position will come up in the conversation. But why is this? Well there are several reasons. If you are knew to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or have not yet heard the concept of the mounted position in grappling I will fill you in. The mount, or mounted position, is a dominant ground grappling position, where one combatant sits on the other combatant’s torso with the face pointing towards the opponent's head. This is very favorable for the top combatant in several ways. If this were a real life street fight scenario or an MMA competition, the top combatant can generate considerable momentum for strikes such as punches or elbows to the head of the opponent, while the bottom combatant is restricted by the ground and by the combatant on top. Another advantage are various choke holds and joint locks which can be applied from the top, while such holds are not feasible from the bottom. The top priority for the bottom combatant is to sweep the opponent or transition into a better position such as the guard.

Attacking The Back is not as easy as you think. In fact, John Danaher thinks the modern BJJ methods of attacking the back are flawed. His System of Attacking The Back has created some of the best submission hunters and finishers in the world.

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There are many different variations of the mount. Often times you will see what is referred as the high mount, where the person on top is very high up on the opponent’s chest. Or there is the low mount, where one is very low on the abdomen or even thighs. A high mount can be used to pin one of the opponent’s arms under the knee, so as to prevent him or her from defending effectively. This however might increase the risk of the opponent being able to escape the back door, in which he or she is able to move under the opponent and escape the mount.

Today we will explore a highly effective back take from the mount. However, we will not be looking at the typical high or low mount. We will look at the mount position when your training partner has one of your legs trapped. This is often referred to as half guard. Half guard is a very commonly played guard in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. If you come up against a good half guard player, it is likely they will be comfortable attacking from the bottom, meaning you will end up in a mount position. The only difference is that you will be at a disadvantage as your training partner controls how your body moves by squeezing your leg. That is okay though. This is actually a very common position to get caught in. Much more common than it is to gain full access to high or low mount (especially when faced with a high level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player).

Did you know it is possible to take the back from a mount position? Many people will not see this coming, as it is not a technique that is widely known. With all that in mind, why don’t we take a look at this incredible back take from mount. It is actually very simple to learn, and can even be performed on a white belt or beginner grappling level. Watch the video below and then we will break down the back take from mount.

There are two simple steps for performing this highly effective back take from mount.

Step 1: The first step is to deal with your trapped leg. Naturally, you want to take your training partner’s ability to control your body from the leg away from him. To do this, simply back step towards your trapped leg. Now all you have to do is close up your triangle and sit on your opponent’s thigh. This is an important step for several reasons: it keeps your opponent from re-positioning, and it renders there only really advantage ineffective.

Step 2: From here you are now able to reverse the position. To do this you want to forward roll on your near side shoulder towards your opponent’s legs. If you are not familiar with the forward roll then I recommend pausing right here and looking up the technique. The forward roll is something you can easily drill before or after class. It is a commonly used technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (along with the backwards roll), so you want to be comfortable doing it. Once you forward roll you should extend your legs as you are finishing your roll. When doing this you want to under hook your training partner’s arm. Then you will be able to slide your free hand over the shoulder. Finally you can lock the seat belt and throw your hook in. Congratulations, you now have your opponent’s back!

Isn’t this technique totally bad ass? I love its simplicity and high level of effectiveness. What is great is that you first counter your opponent’s half guard and make it virtually useless. There is nothing like submitting an opponent who thinks they are fine hanging out in their current position as long as they keep your leg clamped. I also love how fluid the back take is from the forward roll. Notice that when your training partner’s momentum gets going, it gives you an easy opportunity to quickly grab their back without them being able to defend against the upcoming neck choke. The seat belt grip and foot hooks are the most important detail here. Without having both of these you give your training partner an easy opportunity to scramble back to their knees, and either get into a turtle position or worse, pin you to the mat in side control.

I highly recommend training this technique the next time you are working on half guard or single leg escapes. Remember, if you can get to your opponent’s back you give yourself a tremendous advantage and an opportunity to submit with a neck choke. This is especially useful if you find yourself against a bigger opponent or in a situation where you need to prevent yourself from punches. Get these concepts ingrained into your muscle memory so the back take from mount becomes instinctive. It will be a huge benefit to have this one in your arsenal.