Back control, or rear mount, is the position where you sit behind your partner, chest to their back, legs hooked inside their thighs, arms around them. Most BJJ players treat it as the strongest position in the sport, because you can attack and they cannot see you.
- In BJJ: the position behind the rear naked choke, the bow and arrow choke and the armbar from the back.
- The two anchors are the hooks, your heels inside their thighs, and the seat belt, one arm over the shoulder and one under the armpit, hands joined on their chest.
What is back control?
The position has two halves. The lower half is the hooks: your feet inside their thighs, heels pulling in, which stop them turning to face you. The upper half is the seat belt: one arm over their shoulder, the other under their armpit, hands clasped on their chest, which keeps your chest glued to their back.
From here you can sit, lie on either side, or roll, and the position stays the same as long as the hooks and the seat belt stay in. The player on the bottom can only defend their neck and work to clear one hook at a time.
How do you hold back control?
- Get your chest on their back first, before you worry about hooks. Chest contact is what keeps you attached while you set up.
- Set the seat belt: one arm over the shoulder, one under the armpit, hands clasped. The over-arm is the choking arm, so hide it under their chin.
- Put your hooks in: heels inside their thighs, knees pinched. Keep the hooks loose enough to move and never cross your ankles.
- Fall to the side of your under-arm, so your choking hand is free, and keep your head tight to theirs.
- Attack the neck patiently. When they defend with both hands, switch to the armbar or re-hook and wait.
The most common mistake is crossing your feet in front of their hips. It feels secure and it hands them an ankle lock, as well as a simple way to break the hooks. Keep your feet apart and your chest heavy, and apply any choke slowly so your partner can tap early.
How many points is back control worth?
Four. The IBJJF Rules Book awards back control when your heels are inside the opponent's thighs without your legs crossed, with at most one of their arms trapped and that arm below the shoulder line, held for three seconds. Crossed feet, a figure-four around the waist or both arms trapped earn only an advantage. Holding the back is never counted as stalling.
In judo, squeezing the trunk with the legs, do-jime, is hansoku-make under the IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, so the body triangle has no place in a judo contest.
How do you escape back control?
The bottom player tucks the chin, controls your choking hand, then works to put their shoulders on the mat on the side of your under-arm and slide their hips out over your leg. Clearing the hooks one at a time is how they get back to guard or on top. Positional rounds starting from the back are the best way to learn both sides. Our BJJ training gear has the kit for them.
Sources
- IBJJF Rules Book, IBJJF
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation
Related terms
Rear naked choke, Bow and arrow choke, Mount, Turtle, Armbar.