From the bottom position, Gogoplata Control represents an advanced submission-control hybrid that demands exceptional physical attributes and technical precision. The bottom player establishes a shin-across-throat position while securing their own foot behind the opponent’s head, creating a self-contained submission system that simultaneously controls and attacks.
The position typically develops from high guard configurations where the bottom player has achieved significant hip elevation and leg control over the opponent’s posture. The rubber guard system, particularly Mission Control and related variations, provides the most reliable pathway to gogoplata control because these positions already establish the necessary hip flexibility, leg control, and angle management required for successful execution.
Technically, the bottom player must thread their shin across the opponent’s throat while maintaining sufficient control to prevent escape. This requires pulling one’s own foot behind the opponent’s head, which demands significant hamstring flexibility and hip mobility. The shin must be positioned perpendicular to the trachea to maximize compression while the supporting leg maintains base and prevents the opponent from posturing away.
The control phase focuses on maintaining optimal geometry while working toward the finish. The bottom player uses their arms to control the opponent’s head position, pull their own foot deeper behind the head, and maintain hip elevation. Any loss of hip height or shin angle allows the opponent to create space and escape the position. This makes core strength and positional awareness critical to successful execution.
Offensively, the position provides clear pathways to submission finish while maintaining control dominance. The primary attack is the gogoplata choke itself, completed by pulling the foot while driving the shin into the throat. Secondary attacks include transitions to triangle if the shin slips off, omoplata if the opponent turns away, or back control if they attempt to roll through the position.
Defensively, the bottom player faces minimal threats while maintaining proper position. The shin-across-throat configuration prevents the opponent from generating effective strikes or establishing superior control. The primary defensive concern is losing the position through poor angle management or insufficient flexibility, which allows the opponent to extract their head and recover guard or achieve top position.
Strategically, bottom gogoplata control functions as a high-risk, high-reward position. The entry requirements (flexibility, specific positional prerequisites, technical precision) make it lower percentage than more conventional attacks. However, once established, the position provides exceptional control with immediate finishing potential. This makes it ideal for practitioners with the physical attributes to execute it consistently but less valuable for those lacking requisite flexibility.
Position Definition
- Bottom player’s shin is positioned across opponent’s throat with perpendicular alignment to the trachea, creating direct compression on the airway while the tibia contacts the front of the neck and the ankle hooks around the far side of the head
- Bottom player’s foot from the choking leg is secured behind opponent’s head, with the practitioner’s own hands controlling the foot position and pulling it deeper to tighten the shin-across-throat angle while preventing opponent from removing the leg
- Bottom player maintains elevated hips with the pelvis higher than the shoulders, creating the necessary angle for the shin to compress the throat rather than slide off, with core engagement maintaining this hip elevation throughout the control phase
Prerequisites
- Exceptional hip flexibility allowing for leg-behind-head positioning and sustained maintenance
- Hamstring mobility sufficient to pull own foot behind opponent’s head while maintaining shin pressure
- Strong high guard or rubber guard control with opponent’s posture broken and head controlled
- Hip elevation capability to maintain perpendicular shin angle across throat
- Core strength to sustain elevated hip position under opponent’s weight and escape attempts
Key Defensive Principles
- Shin must be perpendicular to trachea with tibia creating direct compression on airway
- Foot-behind-head configuration creates closed system preventing conventional escapes
- Hip elevation is mandatory for maintaining proper shin angle and pressure
- Own hands must control own foot, pulling it deeper while managing opponent’s head position
- Flexibility is non-negotiable prerequisite making this specialist position rather than universal tool
- Position functions as submission attempt and control state simultaneously without separation
- Transitions to triangle, omoplata, or back are available if primary finish is defended
Available Escapes
Gogoplata → Won by Submission
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 50%
Triangle Choke → Triangle Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Transition to Omoplata → Omoplata Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Back Take → Back Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Armbar from Guard → Armbar Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
High Mount Transition → High Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 50%
Mission Control Recovery → Mission Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 40%
- Intermediate: 55%
- Advanced: 70%
Rubber Guard Maintenance → Rubber Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 45%
- Intermediate: 60%
- Advanced: 75%
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent maintains static posture and attempts to hand-fight the foot behind their head:
- Execute Gogoplata Finish → Won by Submission (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Triangle Transition → Triangle Control (Probability: 65%)
If opponent attempts to posture up and create distance by extending arms and pushing hips back:
- Execute Hip Elevation Maintenance → Gogoplata Control (Probability: 45%)
- Execute Armbar Attack → Armbar Control (Probability: 60%)
If opponent turns shoulder away from choking shin to escape the throat compression:
- Execute Omoplata Transition → Omoplata Control (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Back Take → Back Control (Probability: 55%)
If opponent attempts forward roll through the position to escape shin pressure:
- Execute Back Control Transition → Back Control (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Mount Recovery → High Mount (Probability: 50%)
Escape and Survival Paths
Rubber Guard to Gogoplata Finish
Closed Guard → Rubber Guard → Mission Control → Gogoplata Control → Won by Submission
Triangle to Gogoplata Transition
Closed Guard → Triangle Setup → Triangle Control → Gogoplata Control → Won by Submission
High Guard to Gogoplata Attack
Closed Guard → High Mount → Gogoplata Control → Won by Submission
Omoplata to Gogoplata Chain
Closed Guard → Omoplata Control → Gogoplata Control → Won by Submission
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 25% | 40% | 20% |
| Intermediate | 45% | 60% | 35% |
| Advanced | 65% | 75% | 55% |
Average Time in Position: 20-45 seconds from control establishment to finish or transition
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
The gogoplata represents a fascinating case study in submission mechanics where the control and the finish are mechanically inseparable. Unlike conventional positions where we establish control and then work toward submission, the gogoplata’s control IS the submission mechanism. The shin-across-throat configuration creates what I call ‘geometric inevitability’ - once proper alignment is achieved with perpendicular shin placement and foot-behind-head security, the opponent’s defensive options become severely limited by anatomical reality. The position demonstrates the principle that submission effectiveness derives not from strength or leverage alone, but from creating situations where the opponent’s anatomy works against their escape efforts. The practitioner’s own foot behind the opponent’s head creates a closed mechanical system that conventional hand-fighting cannot defeat, making this one of the most technically elegant submissions in the art despite its high flexibility requirements.
Gordon Ryan
In competition, the gogoplata is a specialist’s weapon rather than a universal tool. I’ve seen it work at the highest levels, but only for practitioners who have dedicated serious time to developing the necessary flexibility and positional understanding. The reality is that most opponents at elite levels will defend it if they see it coming, which is why it’s most effective as a surprise attack from rubber guard positions they’re already defending. The key competitive advantage isn’t the finish rate - it’s that opponents unfamiliar with the position make critical errors trying to escape. They’ll turn into omoplatas, roll into back takes, or expose arms trying to remove the shin. From a strategic perspective, training the gogoplata makes your rubber guard game more dangerous even if you rarely finish it, because opponents must account for multiple threats simultaneously. That said, if you lack the flexibility to hit it comfortably, your training time is better spent on higher-percentage submissions.
Eddie Bravo
The gogoplata is one of the most beautiful and devastating techniques in the 10th Planet system, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. People see it as this flashy, low-percentage move, but that’s because they’re trying to force it without building the proper foundation. You need to develop your rubber guard system first - Mission Control, New York, all those positions - before the gogoplata becomes high percentage. When you have the flexibility and you’ve put in the mat time, it becomes a legitimate finishing position, not just a highlight reel move. What makes it special in the no-gi context is that it doesn’t rely on any grips - it’s pure positional mechanics and body configuration. The shin creates pressure that hands can’t defend against, and once your foot is behind their head, they’re in a puzzle they can’t solve with strength. I’ve seen it finish matches at every level when executed properly, and it opens up the entire rubber guard game because opponents have to respect multiple threats simultaneously.