Control principles: Left / right control

• elbows & knees as control
• diagonal control (left elbow + right knee or vice versa)

Strangle hand / control hand

• control hand keeps connection of chest to back
• strangle hand creates a threat

The head trap - concepts

• head and strangle arm are on opposite sides of opponents head
• head and arm work in unison to trap opponents head
• opponent either changes alignment of body or moves strangle arm to break the head trap

DRILL: Control drill (control from back, opponent gives some resistance)

Alignment problem - back escape principles:

• escapes involve breaking alignment
• head on floor, beat bottom hook, hips out

1. fall to open side (allows breaking of head trap through open spot)
2. opponent beat the bottom hook (circle leg around)

• can still use knee to turn opponent and recover hook

3. opponent moves hips over knee
4. opponent moves head forward and to other side (beat head trap)
5. opponent drops inside shoulder to mat (has escaped)

DRILL: Escape drill (Escape from back control, opponent gives some resistance)

Protecting alignment - bottom hook:

• Post rear mount - top foot goes on opponents hip, puts weight on hip bottom foot crosses body
• Figure 4 body lock (closed wedges around opponent) Lock foot outside opponent or inside opponents legs Third option is to lock foot over opponents top hip (top foot over bottom foot) Feet can be crossed outside opponents hips

DRILL: From seat belt, fall to weak side and practice post rear mount / body lock variants

Footlock counter:

• common footlock with ankles crossed requires arching of back
• counter to footlock is taking hands out and posting on back of opponents head pushing away

DRILL: Footlock / footlock counter

Protecting alignment - movement 1:

1. opponent beats bottom hook - but hasn’t beaten bottom knee
2. move bottom knee up
3. post bottom foot on floor
4. push off and move opponent to other side (top leg pulls them over)
5. finish in body triangle or post rear mount

• note: top leg pulls opponent to other side
• finish in body triangle or post rear mount - beat the cycle of escapes

DRILL: Recover bottom hook (roll recovery)

Protecting alignment - movement 2:

1. opponent beats bottom hook and moves hips over knee
2. opponent’s head is starting to move to escape head trap
3. post head to mat
4. tripod with butt up in air
5. position outside knee close to opponents body near their arm
6. roll opponent back into back control
7. finish with body triangle or post rear mount

DRILL: Recover bottom hook if opponent escapes hips (tripod recovery)

Protecting alignment - switching hands:

1. opponent beats bottom hook and starts beating the head trap
2. switch strangle hand to become control hand
3. try to cross grip opponents other hand with new control hand
4. use old control hand to change to new strangle hand (preserve head trap)
5. roll opponent by pulling with new strangle and
6. establish body triangle or post rear mount

DRILL: Recover bottom hook / head trap by switching hands