The Foundation of Positional Hierarchy

In BJJ, positions are not valued equally. Some offer significantly more control and offensive opportunities than others. The scoring system in modern competition reflects this specific hierarchy. For example, passing the guard is worth three points, while achieving the mount is worth four. This system encourages students to seek the most dominant situations possible. Therefore, your primary goal during any roll should be to climb this positional ladder. This strategic approach is a core part of any professional BJJ curriculum.

1. The Back Mount: The Ultimate Offensive Position

The Back Mount, or “taking the back,” is universally recognized as the most dominant position in grappling. When you secure your opponent’s back, they cannot see your attacks coming. Moreover, they have very few offensive options to strike back or submit you. This position provides the highest percentage of successful finishes in both competition and real-world scenarios.

Why the Back Mount is So Effective

Taking the back allows you to utilize your entire body to control just the upper torso of your opponent. You use your legs (hooks) to track their hips and your arms to threaten their neck. Consequently, the defender must constantly choose between defending their neck or escaping your hooks. This “dilemma” makes the back take incredibly difficult to beat. Indeed, mastering the back take is essential for effective self-defense techniques.

Key Elements of Control

To maintain this position, you must establish a strong “seatbelt” grip. This involves one arm over the shoulder and the other under the opposite armpit. Additionally, your hooks must remain active to prevent the opponent from sliding their hips to the floor. Therefore, constant pressure and chest-to-back connection are vital. This position is a primary focus for students aiming to achieve their fitness goals through intense grappling.

2. The Full Mount: Maximum Pressure and Control

The Full Mount is a classic dominant position where you sit directly on your opponent’s torso. It offers excellent visibility and allows you to use gravity to your advantage. From here, you can transition into various joint locks or chokes with relative ease.

Dominating from the Top

The effectiveness of the mount comes from the total isolation of the opponent’s hips. When you are on top, your opponent must carry your full body weight. This constant pressure quickly leads to fatigue and panic. Furthermore, you can use your knees to pin their arms, making their defense even weaker. Consequently, the mount remains one of the most feared martial arts classes topics.

Offensive Options from Mount

From the mount, the Cross Collar Choke and the Armbar are highly effective. You can also transition to the S-Mount to increase pressure on the opponent’s ribs. However, maintaining balance is crucial to prevent being rolled over. Therefore, you must learn to use your hands and head as “posts” to maintain stability. This technical depth is what we teach in our daily BJJ classes.

3. Side Control: Versatility and Transitional Power

Side Control is a very common position where you are perpendicular to your opponent. It is often the first dominant position a student achieves after passing the guard. While it scores fewer points than the mount, it offers incredible versatility and many submission paths.

Controlling the Shoulders and Hips

In side control, your primary objective is to kill the opponent’s “near-side” hip and “far-side” shoulder. By pinning these two points, you effectively neutralize their ability to bridge or shrimp away. Moreover, side control allows for heavy chest-to-chest pressure. This makes it very difficult for the person on the bottom to breathe or move effectively. Indeed, it is a staple of any expert self-defense strategy.

Transitioning to Other Positions

One of the greatest strengths of side control is the ease of transition. You can quickly move to the North-South position, the Knee on Belly, or the Full Mount. This constant movement keeps your opponent guessing and forces them to open up defensive gaps. Consequently, side control is a vital position for building long-term physical well-being and agility.

4. The Guard: The Greatest Defensive Asset

The Guard is what truly separates BJJ from other martial arts. It is a position where you are on your back but use your legs to control the opponent. A strong guard allows a smaller person to successfully defend against a much larger attacker.

Closed Guard: The Classic Shield

In the Closed Guard, you wrap your legs around the opponent’s waist and lock your ankles. This provides a secure anchor and limits their ability to stand up or strike effectively. From here, you can execute sweeps to get on top or apply submissions like the Triangle Choke. Therefore, the closed guard is the first line of defense in any self-defense training.

Open Guard and Half Guard

The Open Guard involves various configurations, such as the Butterfly Guard or De La Riva. These positions provide more mobility and allow for dynamic sweeps. Additionally, the Half Guard is a powerful defensive position used when one of your legs is trapped between the opponent’s legs. It is an excellent position for reversing the fight. Mastering these variations is key to a complete BJJ training today.

5. Knee on Belly: Dynamic Pressure

Knee on Belly is a transitional position where you place one knee on the opponent’s solar plexus while the other leg remains posted for balance. It is a highly uncomfortable position for the defender.

The Power of Mobility

Unlike the mount, Knee on Belly allows you to remain very mobile. You can easily disengage or switch sides if the opponent tries to roll you. The pressure generated by the knee is intense and often forces the opponent to push with their hands. Consequently, this creates immediate openings for armbars and chokes. Therefore, this position is excellent for developing martial arts skills and precision.

Building Your Positional Strategy

Success in Jiu Jitsu requires more than just knowing these positions. You must understand how to transition between them seamlessly under pressure. This requires thousands of repetitions and a deep understanding of weight distribution and leverage. Our academy provides the perfect environment for this growth. We focus on building strong character through technical discipline and mutual respect.

The Role of Consistent Drilling

You cannot master these positions through theory alone. You must drill the entries, controls, and finishes consistently. This repetitive practice builds the “muscle memory” necessary for high-stakes rolling. Furthermore, situational sparring helps you understand the common counters and escapes your opponents will use. This is a non-negotiable part of our BJJ curriculum.