BJJ Graph

100 Kilos Bottom

Dec 09, 202512 min read

The 100 Kilos Bottom Position represents one of the most challenging defensive scenarios in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where the bottom practitioner must survive extreme shoulder and chest pressure that creates intense physical discomfort and psychological stress. This position is characterized by concentrated crushing force through the opponent’s shoulder into your chest or face, creating the sensation of bearing tremendous weight while simultaneously restricting breathing capacity. The name derives from the feeling of having 100 kilograms pressing on a small area of your body, even though actual weight may be less. Success from this position depends not on strength or explosive escape attempts, but on systematic defensive thinking, controlled breathing under pressure, and recognizing specific moments when the opponent’s weight shifts create escape windows. The psychological challenge often exceeds the physical - maintaining composure and technical precision while unable to breathe normally separates championship-level defensive skills from those who surrender mentally before exhausting technical options. Understanding proper frame management, hip mobility patterns, and energy conservation principles transforms this seemingly hopeless position into a solvable technical problem with clear escape pathways.

Position Definition

  • Bottom player is on their back or side with top player’s shoulder driven into their chest, face, or neck area, creating intense localized pressure and restricting breathing capacity
  • Top player’s weight is concentrated through their shoulder and upper body, with their hips typically positioned to maximize pressure and prevent bottom player’s escape attempts
  • Bottom player’s defensive frames are either compromised or actively being broken down, with arms fighting to create space between their body and the opponent’s crushing pressure

Prerequisites

  • Top player has achieved side control or similar dominant position with significant weight distribution advantages
  • Bottom player’s defensive frames have been compromised or are in the process of being broken down
  • Top player has established shoulder or chest pressure as their primary control mechanism

Key Defensive Principles

  • Maintain defensive chin position tucked to chest to protect airway and prevent chokes from developing
  • Create and maintain micro-frames with forearms and elbows even when full extension is impossible
  • Focus on controlled breathing despite pressure - short, efficient breaths through the nose when possible
  • Keep hips mobile and ready to shrimp even under pressure, never allowing them to become completely flat
  • Protect neck and prevent head from being isolated or controlled, as this leads to deeper attacks
  • Remain mentally calm and systematic in escape attempts rather than explosive or panicked movements
  • Conserve energy by choosing strategic moments to push and create space rather than constant struggling

Available Escapes

Elbow Escape → Half Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 15%
  • Intermediate: 30%
  • Advanced: 45%

Shrimp Escape → Open Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 12%
  • Intermediate: 25%
  • Advanced: 40%

Frame and Shrimp → Closed Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 10%
  • Intermediate: 22%
  • Advanced: 35%

Bridge and Roll → Mount

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 8%
  • Intermediate: 18%
  • Advanced: 30%

Technical Standup → Standing Position

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 5%
  • Intermediate: 15%
  • Advanced: 28%

Hip Escape → Open Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 10%
  • Intermediate: 20%
  • Advanced: 35%

Granby Roll → Turtle

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 8%
  • Intermediate: 18%
  • Advanced: 32%

Opponent Counters

Counter-Attacks

Decision Making from This Position

If opponent drives shoulder pressure into face/chest and maintains heavy crossface:

Else if opponent’s weight shifts forward while attacking far arm:

Else if opponent transitions to mount or north-south:

Else if small space is created between bodies:

Common Defensive Mistakes

1. Pushing directly into opponent’s shoulder pressure with arms fully extended

  • ❌ Consequence: Rapid arm fatigue, loss of framing ability, and increased vulnerability to arm attacks
  • ✅ Correction: Maintain bent-arm frames with elbows close to body, creating structural frames rather than muscle-based resistance

2. Holding breath or breathing in shallow panic breaths

  • ❌ Consequence: Rapid oxygen depletion, increased panic, and accelerated exhaustion leading to mental defeat
  • ✅ Correction: Focus on controlled nasal breathing with short efficient breaths, accepting discomfort while maintaining oxygen flow

3. Allowing hips to flatten completely against the mat

  • ❌ Consequence: Loss of mobility and escape options, making re-guarding nearly impossible
  • ✅ Correction: Keep hips slightly turned and mobile at all times, maintaining ability to shrimp even under heavy pressure

4. Explosive random escape attempts without systematic approach

  • ❌ Consequence: Energy waste, position worsening, and giving opponent opportunities to advance or submit
  • ✅ Correction: Use systematic escape sequences with proper timing, waiting for opponent’s weight shifts before committing energy

5. Turning face directly into opponent’s shoulder pressure

  • ❌ Consequence: Increased facial and airway pressure, potential for ezekiel or other chokes, vision obstruction
  • ✅ Correction: Keep chin tucked and head turned slightly away from pressure while maintaining peripheral awareness

Training Drills for Defense

Pressure Breathing Drill

Partner applies 100 Kilos shoulder pressure while bottom player practices controlled breathing and maintaining calm mindset for 2-minute intervals. Focus on nasal breathing and mental composure under sustained pressure.

Duration: 5 rounds of 2 minutes

Progressive Frame Retention

Bottom player maintains defensive frames while top player gradually increases shoulder pressure. Bottom player works on creating micro-adjustments to frames without losing structural integrity. Reset when frames collapse.

Duration: 3 rounds of 3 minutes

Escape Sequence Chain Drill

Bottom player cycles through elbow escape, shrimp escape, bridge and roll, and re-guard in systematic sequence while partner applies realistic resistance. Focus on smooth transitions between techniques rather than explosive movements.

Duration: 4 rounds of 4 minutes

Escape and Survival Paths

Shortest defensive survival path

100 Kilos Bottom → Elbow Escape → Half Guard

High-percentage re-guard path

100 Kilos Bottom → Frame and Shrimp → Open Guard → Closed Guard

Reversal opportunity path

100 Kilos Bottom → Bridge and Roll → Mount → Side Control

Scramble escape path

100 Kilos Bottom → Granby Roll → Turtle → Technical Standup → Standing Position

Success Rates and Statistics

Skill LevelRetention RateAdvancement ProbabilitySubmission Probability
Beginner10%15%5%
Intermediate25%30%12%
Advanced45%50%25%

Average Time in Position: 30-90 seconds before escape or submission

Expert Analysis

John Danaher

The 100 Kilos position from bottom exemplifies the fundamental principle that jiu-jitsu is not about strength, but about intelligent application of leverage and systematic problem-solving under extreme duress. When trapped underneath heavy shoulder pressure, the untrained response is to push directly against the force - this is precisely what the top player wants, as it creates muscular fatigue that leads to submission. The intelligent defensive approach begins with understanding that you cannot simply push your way out of consolidated pressure. Your defensive frames must be structural, not muscular - think of your forearms as beams in a building rather than pistons pushing weight. Escape begins not with large explosive movements, but with small precise adjustments of hip angle and shoulder position that create geometric space necessary for larger movements. Your breathing must remain controlled and your mind must remain calm, treating this as a technical problem to be solved systematically rather than a physical challenge to be overcome through strength or panic.

Gordon Ryan

From a competition standpoint, being stuck in 100 Kilos bottom is where matches are often decided - if you can’t handle this pressure mentally, you’ll tap or give up your back. The reality is that if you’re in this position against a high-level competitor, you’re in serious danger and survival is the priority. My approach is to accept the discomfort, stay calm, and wait for the specific moment when they commit their weight to an attack - that’s your window. I’m not wasting energy on constant escape attempts; I’m conserving energy and maintaining my defensive frames until I see that opportunity. When that moment comes, you need to be explosive and decisive - half-committed escape attempts will fail and make things worse. The other critical factor is mental fortitude. I’ve seen countless competitors tap to pressure simply because they couldn’t handle the psychological warfare of being crushed. Championship-level jiu-jitsu requires the ability to remain calm and technical even in the worst positions.

Eddie Bravo

The 100 Kilos bottom position is where you see the difference between sport jiu-jitsu and street reality - this kind of pressure is what you might face in a real fight where someone is trying to hurt you. In the 10th Planet system, we train extensively under heavy pressure because we know that in MMA or self-defense scenarios, you’re going to face opponents trying to break your will with crushing weight. Traditional gi-based escapes often rely on grips that aren’t available without the gi, so you need alternative escape mechanisms. The psychological component is huge - if you train regularly under this kind of pressure with larger, stronger partners, you develop mental toughness to stay calm when it matters. I’ve seen smaller guys survive against bigger opponents simply because they refused to be broken psychologically, and that mental resilience opened up technical opportunities that panic would have closed off. Even from the worst bottom positions, maintain an offensive mindset - look for leg attacks, look for their base vulnerabilities, stay thinking rather than just surviving.