BJJ Graph

Back Control

Jun 15, 20258 min read

Back Control

bjjstatedominantcontrolback_control

State Properties

  • State ID: S005
  • Point Value: 4 (Highly dominant position)
  • Position Type: Offensive/Controlling
  • Risk Level: Low
  • Energy Cost: Medium
  • Time Sustainability: Long

State Description

Back Control is widely considered the most dominant position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The practitioner controls the opponent from behind, with their chest against the opponent’s back, legs wrapped around their waist (hooks), and arms controlling the upper body. This position offers exceptional attacking opportunities with minimal defensive risks, as the opponent cannot directly see or easily counter the attacks.

Visual Description

You are positioned directly behind your opponent, with your chest pressed tightly against their back, ensuring a strong connection that limits their ability to turn or escape. Your legs are wrapped around their waist, with your feet hooked inside their thighs (hooks) or locked in a body triangle to control their hips and prevent movement. Your arms are typically in a harness grip, with one arm over their shoulder and the other under their armpit, hands clasped together near their chest to dominate their upper body. This setup creates a highly controlling environment where the opponent is facing away from you, unable to see your attacks, and severely restricted in their defensive options, making it ideal for setting up submissions like chokes or arm locks.

Key Principles

  • Maintain chest-to-back connection at all times
  • Control opponent’s hip movement with leg hooks or body triangle
  • Establish and maintain harness control of upper body
  • Prevent opponent’s rotation to face you
  • Manage opponent’s defensive hand fighting
  • Create and exploit attacking angles for submissions

Prerequisites

  • Successful transition from mount, side control, or turtle
  • Control of opponent’s upper body and prevention of rotation
  • Proper insertion of hooks or body triangle
  • Seatbelt or double-underhook control

State Invariants

  • Chest connected to opponent’s back
  • Opponent facing away from you
  • Control of upper body through harness grip
  • Control of hips through hooks or body triangle

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: Emphasizes a systematic approach to controlling defensive structures before attempting submissions. The “straitjacket system” focuses on controlling both of the opponent’s arms to eliminate defensive options before attacking the neck. Emphasizes the body triangle over hooks for maximum control.
  • Gordon Ryan: Known for exceptional back control retention and ability to maintain the position for extended periods. Uses precise weight distribution and a methodical approach to breaking down defensive hand fighting. Often transitions between harness grip and a modified cross grip to create submission entries.
  • Eddie Bravo: Incorporates unique control mechanisms such as the “Zombie Control” and modified harness grips. Focuses on the body triangle and creating angles for submissions, with an emphasis on unconventional finish variations like the “Invisible Collar” choke.

Common Errors

  • Error: Losing chest-to-back connection
    • Consequence: Leads to position compromise as the opponent can turn to face you or initiate an escape.
    • Correction: Maintain constant pressure with your chest against their back, adjusting your position to prevent any gaps.
  • Error: High hooks that allow opponent to turn
    • Consequence: Results in loss of control as the opponent can rotate their hips and face you, potentially regaining guard.
    • Correction: Keep your hooks deep inside their thighs or use a body triangle to lock their hips in place.
  • Error: Overcommitting to submission attempts
    • Consequence: Creates escape opportunities as focusing too much on a submission can loosen your overall control.
    • Correction: Prioritize positional control before attempting submissions, ensuring your hooks and harness grip are secure.
  • Error: Poor harness control
    • Consequence: Leads to ineffective upper body control, allowing the opponent to hand-fight and defend submissions.
    • Correction: Establish a strong harness grip with one arm over the shoulder and one under the armpit, clasping hands tightly.
  • Error: Crossing feet in front of opponent
    • Consequence: Increases vulnerability to leg locks as the opponent can trap your feet and attack your legs.
    • Correction: Avoid crossing your feet; instead, keep them hooked inside the thighs or locked in a body triangle behind the opponent.

Training Drills

  • Back Control Maintenance: Practice back control maintenance against increasing resistance, focusing on chest-to-back connection and hook placement.
  • Transition Cycles: Drill transition cycles between different back control variations like hooks, body triangle, and technical back mount.
  • Hand Fighting Sequences: Work on hand fighting sequences and submission entries to break down opponent’s defensive grips.
  • Escape Prevention and Recovery: Focus on escape prevention and recovery drills to counter opponent’s attempts to turn or peel hooks.
  • Body Triangle Control: Develop body triangle control and pressure application to enhance hip control and submission setups.

Decision Tree

If opponent defends neck with both hands:

Else if opponent attempts to turn into you:

Else if opponent tries to peel hooks:

Else (full control established):

Position Metrics

  • Position Retention Rate: Beginner 80%, Intermediate 85%, Advanced 90%
  • Advancement Probability: Beginner 15%, Intermediate 20%, Advanced 25%
  • Submission Probability: Beginner 60%, Intermediate 70%, Advanced 80%
  • Position Loss Probability: Beginner 15%, Intermediate 10%, Advanced 5%
  • Average Time in Position: 2-3 minutes

Optimal Submission Paths

The shortest path to submission from this position: Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

High-percentage path: Back Control → Arm Trap → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Alternative path: Back Control → Bow and Arrow Grip → Bow and Arrow Choke → Won by Submission

Timing Considerations

  • Optimal Conditions: Most effective when opponent’s posture is broken and they are unable to turn, allowing for secure control and submission setups.
  • Avoid When: Less effective if opponent maintains strong defensive posture or controls your legs, increasing the risk of escape.
  • Energy/Fatigue Factors: Medium energy cost means it can be maintained for a long duration, but prolonged engagement can lead to fatigue in the legs and core.

Historical Context

Back Control has been a fundamental dominant position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since its inception, rooted in the Gracie family’s emphasis on control and submission from the back. It gained prominence in early vale tudo and MMA fights, where controlling the back often led to decisive finishes via chokes. Modern BJJ has refined back control with systematic approaches like John Danaher’s straitjacket system, making it a cornerstone of competitive grappling.

Ruleset Considerations

The Back Control’s application varies across competition rulesets:

  • IBJJF: Highly rewarded with 4 points for achieving back control with hooks, often a key position for securing victory through points or submission.
  • ADCC: Extremely effective due to the focus on submission finishes, with back control being a primary path to high-percentage chokes.
  • Professional Submission-Only Formats: Frequently used as the setup for complex submission chains, with transitions to crucifix or arm attacks being common.
  • MMA: Highly effective for control and submissions, though the risk of strikes during setup or if control is lost must be considered.

Computer Science Analogy

Back control can be modeled as a directed graph with high asymmetry, where the controlling player has many offensive edges (transitions to submissions) while the controlled player has very few viable escape edges. This makes back control a state with exceptional expected value when analyzed through a game theory lens.

Graph View

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