Full Mount Position for BJJ

What Is the Full Mount Position?

Full mount (also known as just 'mount') is a position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in which the offensive player is on top of the defensive player with their legs around the defensive player. The defensive player is on the bottom facing up, exposing their back to the floor. In Jiu-Jitsu, there are several variations of the mount, which include 'high mount' where the top player is straddled higher up on their opponent's chest, and 3/4 mount, in which one of the top player's legs is entangled between the bottom player's legs.

Defense for Mount (Survive + Escape)

The defensive position in the full mount for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the person on the bottom. In Jiu-Jitsu, as with all forms of grappling, this is considered one of the worst positions that you can be in (with only defensive back mount being a worse position). In the bottom mount position, your opponent can easily control your body and work for a submission while you pose little threat.

Surviving the Bottom Mount Position

What is meant by "defense"? These are the basics that you must know to prevent someone from quickly submitting you when they have you in their mount. Here's what you should know how to:

1. Adopt the mount survival position. This is the optimal position for preventing a bad situation (being in mount) from being worse (a submission or high mount).

2. Prevent the cross choke. A primary means of attack for your opponent will be the cross-choke; you will want to know how to block their arm (from betting the collar) and bridge and roll (if they can get the collar anyways).

3. Prevent the Americana. If your opponent tries to go for the Americana by separating your arm from your body, you will want to know how to thwart the figure four lock and then bridge forcing them to post. If they get the lock, it's also possible to bridge, roll, and then stuff your arm into their armpit to prevent the submission.

4. Prevent the armbar. When in the bottom mount, do not extend and press your arms into your opponent's chest; this will make you susceptible to the armbar and various other submissions.

Escaping the Bottom Mount Position

After learning how to survive the situations, learn how to get out of them. Improve your jiu-jitsu bottom mount game by learning the:

1. Upa (Bridge) Escape. When your opponent goes for the cross-choke for top mount, this will allow you to roll them, transitioning from the bottom mount to being in your opponent's closed guard.

2. Knee-to-Elbow Escape. An escape where you get one leg out from inside your opponent's leg, push their knee down with your elbow, and then transition to the closed guard.

3. Kipping Escape. An escape where your bridge into your opponent to create space, then 'kip' your hips so that you can get a leg inside, transitioning to Ashi garami (an entangled leg lock).

Offense for Mount (Control + Submit)

The offensive position in the top player in the mount for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The offensive player is highly dominant in this position, with ample opportunity for attacks and low risk for a defensive attack. 

Controlling the Top Mount Position

The most important thing to know in the top mount position is how to control your opponent. If you cannot maintain the top position, you will have difficulty making submissions, and your opponent will be more likely to escape. You will need to know how to:

1. Prevent Escapes. When you are in the top mount position, your opponent will try to use the Upa and knee-to-elbow escape. Learn how to counter these to maintain an effective mount.

Submissions from Top Mount Position

The top mount is a very dominant position and a great time to go for a submission. Options from here include the following:

1. Cross choke. The cross-choke is one of the most fundamental submissions, and it is essential to have a thorough understanding of it.

2. Armbar. A beginner may present an armbar opportunity if they push at your chest. However, for more experienced opponents, an armbar will only present itself if you get the arm away from the body. 

3. Americana. The Americana submission attacks the shoulder joint of your opponent. Getting it from the mount will require getting an arm away from the body and to the ground and then applying a figure four lock.

4. Triangle. Triangle choke doesn't have to happen just in closed guard; you can also pull it off from the mount. This allows you to use your legs for a submission, which are much stronger than your arms.

5. Kimura. If your opponent grabs around your back and you don't have space for other submissions, you can break the grip and perform the kimura submission.

Transitions from Top Mount Position

Mount is great, but the back mount is even better.  If you want to be in an even better spot, you should learn how to:

1. Take the back. If you can get the gift wrap from the modified mount, this will allow several options for transitioning to back control.