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Side Control

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

Core Mechanics and Concepts

Section titled “Core Mechanics and Concepts”

Alignment in side control

Section titled “Alignment in side control”

Side control variations

Section titled “Side control variations”
  • Standard crossface/underhook
  • Kesa gatame
  • Scarf hold
  • Switch base/cross body
  • Reverse underhook

Body positioning and controls

Section titled “Body positioning and controls”

Cranial shift (forcing defender’s knees to face away)

Section titled “Cranial shift (forcing defender’s knees to face away)”

Controlling the near arm

Section titled “Controlling the near arm”
  • Switch base
  • Turning opponent’s hips
  • Using the knee to pin
  • Squashing frames
  • Gaining inside position
  • Inside bicep tie dilemma (elbows separated from body vs forced across centerline)

Controlling the far arm

Section titled “Controlling the far arm”
  • Using the head to trap
  • Passing the arm across

Preventing common escapes

Section titled “Preventing common escapes”
  • Defending the hip escape
  • Defending the underhook
  • Defending against frames

Offense

Section titled “Offense”

Transitions

Section titled “Transitions”
  • To mount (standard and switch base)
  • To back
  • To north south

Submissions

Section titled “Submissions”
  • Head and arm choke
  • Kimura
  • Armbar

Knee on Belly

Section titled “Knee on Belly”

Entries

Section titled “Entries”
  • Side control pop-up
  • Knee drive from side escape
  • Knee cut guard pass finish
  • North south transition
  • Mount dismount (baiting)

Maintenance

Section titled “Maintenance”
  • Windshield wiping
  • Posture breaking
  • Pressure with grips (double collar ties, head-and-arm control)

Escapes

Section titled “Escapes”
  • Bridge and hip escape
  • Inside spin/inversion
  • Leg entanglement entries (cross ashi/saddle, backside 50/50)
  • Octopus guard
  • Turn-in to knee shield

North South

Section titled “North South”

Transitions from side control

Section titled “Transitions from side control”

N-S kimura

Section titled “N-S kimura”
  • Getting the kimura grip (americana set up, KOB to up-and-crush, N-S to kimura grip)
  • Finishing the kimura (chest position, connecting chest to forearm, legwork, body position, breaking the grip)
  • Troubleshooting (they free their elbow, straighten their arm, turn to knees, grip too strong, frame your elbow, push you off)
  • Alternative submissions (armbar, reverse triangle, tarikoplata)

N-S choke

Section titled “N-S choke”
  • Entries (from protected posture, reverse underhook, darce to N-S choke)
  • Finishing mechanics
  • South north choke (from bottom)

Retention and maintenance

Section titled “Retention and maintenance”
  • Sprawling on frames
  • Head and rotation control
  • Blocking inverted spins
  • Reverse tight waist

Defense and Escapes

Section titled “Defense and Escapes”

Side control escape concepts

Section titled “Side control escape concepts”
  • Early prevention
  • Primary sequence
  • Understanding their controls

Frames

Section titled “Frames”
  • Hip frame
  • Forearm frame
  • Inside leg frame
  • Far leg frame

Side control escapes

Section titled “Side control escapes”
  • Frames escape
  • Underhook escape
  • Low on body escape
  • Wrestling up (sit-up/heist)
  • Forward hip escape and far leg framing

Defending transitions

Section titled “Defending transitions”
  • To mount
  • To KOB
  • To N-S

Switch base variant escapes

Section titled “Switch base variant escapes”
  • Kesa gatame (get up, elbow pass, hip escape, underhook escape)
  • Scarf hold (bridge and roll, tilt up, swing and free)
  • Cross body (elbow pass, back take/get up)

N-S escapes

Section titled “N-S escapes”
  • Getting frames from double underhooks
  • Escaping from double overhooks
  • Building frames from over under
  • Escaping to front headlock
  • Escape to knees from chest to chest
  • Leaning forwards to back take

N-S submission defense

Section titled “N-S submission defense”
  • Kimura defense
  • N-S choke defense

KOB escapes

Section titled “KOB escapes”
  • Bridge and hip escape
  • Inside spin/inversion
  • Leg entanglement entries
  • Octopus guard
  • Turn-in to knee shield

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

Coaching Guide

Section titled “Coaching Guide”

Common entries and sequences

Section titled “Common entries and sequences”

Side control entries:

Side control pop-up to KOB. From side control, the top player pops up to place their knee on the opponent’s torso to stabilize the position or collect points.

Knee drive from side escape. When a bottom player attempts an elbow escape from side control, the top player uses a knee drive to transition directly into knee on belly.

Knee cut guard pass. During a headquarters pass, the passer uses a cross knee cut to slice through the guard, landing directly in the knee on belly position.

Side control maintenance:

Top spin to switch sides. As the bottom player attempts to turn in, the top player uses a top spin to switch sides instantly.

Cranial shift. Forcing the defender’s knees to face away, making it significantly harder for the bottom player to recover guard.

Inside bicep tie dilemma. Attempting to pull the defender’s arm across their body, creating a dilemma: allow elbows to separate from body or have elbows forced across center line.

Hip blocking to N-S transition. When the bottom player works to connect knee and elbow, the top player blocks the hip and circles around the head to north south.

N-S entries:

From side control. Transition via reverse crossface (overback grip), grabbing the armpit and walking toward the head.

From turtle. Maintaining top position as defender rolls from turtle into N-S.

From front headlock. Entering N-S as opponent attempts to pull guard from front headlock.

Common problems and cues

Section titled “Common problems and cues”
Section titled “Recommended games”

Resources

Section titled “Resources”