How To Attack Even When Your Opponent Has Your Back In BJJ

The back mount is the most dominant position in BJJ. It allows you to set up your attacks without your opponent peripherally seeing how you set them up. Because of this, opponents will rely on their experiences and instincts to defend. While having someone controlling your back is a disadvantage, don’t let it stop you from setting some attacks that may change the course of action or even end the match.

Attacks When The Opponent Has The Back Mount

Usually, having someone on your back puts you in a defensive position. While your first instinct is to protect your neck and prevent the opponent from submitting you, keep in mind that the opponent cannot focus on two things. This means that if an opponent is focused on attacking your upper body with their hands, they don’t have as much attention to use their lower body to control you, and vice versa.

Being aware in moments of defending the back mount is crucial, as sometimes it can give you openings for attacks in split seconds. Let’s look at some offensive techniques against the opponent when they have you in the back mount.

1) Foot Lock

A common principle to keep in mind while in the back mount is to never cross your feet. While sometimes crossing them in quick seconds is beneficial for control, it is not advisable to lock them for long periods. The footlock is one of the most common attacks to expect when someone controls you from behind.

When the opponent has their hooks from behind and crosses their feet, a typical reaction is to cross your feet on top of the opponent’s feet and bridge up with your hips to finish the foot lock. While this sometimes works in a split second, opponents who are flexible and filled with adrenaline, especially during competitions, may endure this foot lock attempt.

To effectively submit the opponent with the foot lock, use your left leg to step over if they have their right foot on top as they cross. Use your right foot to lock on top of your left leg like a triangle. While this can be enough to submit the opponent as you bridge, a critical detail is to have one of your arms push down on top of the opponent’s right knee, which is why you must first secure your defense from the chokes.

Finish the foot lock by extending your upper body down and bridging with your hips. Push the opponent’s top knee down as you lock your legs over their crossed feet.

2) Reversal From The Seatbelt Grip

When you’re in a turtle position, and the opponent controls your back with a seatbelt grip or controls your far arm with a wrist control to set up their hooks, their goal is to flatten you out or roll you into back mount. You can do a quick reversal to prevent them from advancing and put you in side control instead.

From the turtle, as the opponent grabs your right wrist with their right hand, you can use your right elbow to hook and trap the opponent’s right triceps and control their wrist. If you can’t reach their right triceps with your elbow, you can focus on controlling their right elbow instead. While controlling the opponent from this position, create space between your hips and the opponent’s hips, and roll on your right side.

Doing so lands you in the top side control in a reverse kesa gatame, and as you land on top, make sure to secure the position.

3) Straight Armlock

Effective hand-fighting skills when the opponent has your back can slow down their attacks and create openings for your escape. Even more so, good control over the opponent’s arm when they have your back allows you to apply a straight armlock that they may not foresee.

If the opponent puts their right arm up (opponent’s choking arm) on top of your right shoulder, catch their wrist using your left hand and drag it under your right armpit. Trap the opponent’s right arm using your right arm on top, around their right triceps, hooking their arm around. Go down on your right side and grab your left wrist using your right hand as your left hand grabs the opponent’s right wrist (trapped arm) to form a figure-four grip. Push down to finish the submission.

4) Kneebar

To set up the kneebar when the opponent has your back, you must first pummel inside their seatbelt grip and have both their arms below your armpit to prevent getting choked. When attacking the right leg, bring your left arm underneath the opponent’s left knee to prepare for a hip escape. Fall to your left side and escape with your hips facing the left and towards the ceiling as you tripod your feet.

While on a tripod, step over your right leg over the opponent’s right leg by swinging it back and on top. Triangle your legs together as you land to catch and trap the opponent’s right leg. Make sure your hip is on top of the opponent’s right leg, and from there, finish with the kneebar by pulling their heel up.

5) Baseball Choke

The baseball choke can be applied from different positions, such as the closed guard, back mount, bottom side control, or even when the opponent passes the guard with the over-under. Typically, holding on to a baseball choke exposes your back, and the opponent may take the opportunity to get the back mount in the process. But when the opponent does take your back, don’t let go of your attempt, as sometimes they may unknowingly get caught in the choke, even if they have your back.

To perform the baseball choke, use your left hand to grab inside deep the opponent’s right collar with four fingers inside the lapel and your forearm beside their carotid artery across their neck. Your right hand grabs the lapel behind the opponent’s neck. You can finish by going belly down on your knees, which may expose your back to the opponent.

Final Thoughts

While many consider the back the most vulnerable position in grappling, don’t let someone on your back stop you from playing on your offense. While lower body attacks may be available, always prioritize defending the choke when your opponent has your back before advancing for a counterattack!

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