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- TFS#60: Never Lose The Back
TFS#60: Never Lose The Back
Learn these basics now, and they'll pay off as you level up.
Wayne Terran
July 02, 2023
You passed the guard.
You stabilized side control.
You got them to turn and expose their back.
Now you got your grips and hooks in!
…and then you lose the back.
Maintaining the back is an essential skill you’ll need to develop regardless of your size, age, or skill level.
You worked so hard to expose it, so let’s learn to keep it.
The most important part of taking the back is the seat belt.
Make sure that both your elbows are withdrawn as far back as possible, making the seat belt as tight as possible.
Always, always, always: under hand covers over hand. Protect your choke hand!
2. Hip Control
Before you rush throwing your hooks in (which is a common place for people to lose the back control), make sure you establish hip control.
Generally speaking, if you have your knees on each side of their hip, you’ll be able to follow them.
You don’t have to rush to throw your hooks in.
You don’t want your opponent getting their hips on the mat.
3. Head and Shoulder Control
Similar to the first point, you’ll want to bring your elbows in tight to to keep your chest attached to their back.
Also, when you keep your seat belt tight, you’ll be able to control their head and shoulders.
You’ll use your top (choking side) arm’s elbow to block their head movement to that side.
On the underhook side, you’ll use your head to block their head movement to the other side.
See picture below.
Following the back
The importance of keeping your elbows tight and tucked will help you control your opponent’s movements.
Also notice the picture in the previous section, the hands are brought up all the way under their chin.
This makes the collar more accessible, helping you setup your submissions.
Your opponent will attempt to defend the choke, that’s typically when you’re able to establish your hooks and further secure the back.
Each step you take increases the threat for your opponent.
Strength is a skill.
For The Dedicated
→ For white belts: Now you’re probably giving up the back a lot to upper belts but that’s okay since now you’re able to work on essential back escapes.
→ For blue belts: Getting better will come naturally, but getting better faster is the secret to owning your own path.
→ For your longevity: Top 6 exercises for tight shoulders.
→ For your cardio: If you’re a nerd and want a better understanding of how to increase your Jiu-Jitsu cardio, you’ll want to read about this training method.