From the top position in Gogoplata Control, the practitioner faces one of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s most technically challenging defensive situations. The bottom player has established a shin across the throat while securing their own foot behind the defender’s head, creating a submission-control hybrid that severely limits conventional escape options. The top position defender must employ specific strategies to extract themselves from this anatomically compromising position without succumbing to the choke or exposing themselves to alternative attacks.
The defensive challenge stems from the unique mechanics of gogoplata control. Unlike traditional guard positions where the top player can rely on posture and base to create escape opportunities, the shin-across-throat configuration has already compromised posture. Traditional strategies of driving weight forward or pulling away both prove ineffective because the foot-behind-head configuration prevents separation. This forces the top defender to employ more sophisticated extraction mechanics focused on angle changes, systematic head positioning, and careful leg removal.
Initially, the top player must assess the immediate danger level. A fully locked gogoplata with proper shin alignment and deep foot positioning represents a critical threat requiring immediate defensive action. A loosely established position with poor hip elevation from the bottom player provides more time for methodical escape. This assessment determines whether the defender must employ explosive emergency escapes or can work through systematic positional improvements.
The primary defensive objective is removing the shin from the throat while preventing the bottom player from transitioning to alternative attacks. This requires managing multiple threats simultaneously - the gogoplata finish itself, potential triangle transitions if the shin position changes, omoplata attacks if the defender turns the wrong direction, and back exposure if forward rolls are attempted. This multi-threat environment makes defensive decision-making complex and time-sensitive.
Strategically, the top defender must recognize that maintaining calm and avoiding panic is essential. Explosive, uncontrolled movements typically worsen the position by tightening the choke or exposing alternative submission opportunities. Systematic, technically precise movements focused on creating small advantages and building toward complete escape prove more effective than desperate struggling.
The position also provides important lessons about submission defense principles. The gogoplata demonstrates that some submissions cannot be defended through strength or aggression alone. The anatomical configuration creates a mechanical disadvantage that requires technical understanding and precise execution to overcome. This makes it an excellent teaching position for advanced practitioners learning to defend against unconventional attacks.
Position Definition
- Top player’s head is trapped with bottom player’s shin across throat creating direct pressure on trachea, while bottom player’s foot is secured behind top player’s head preventing conventional head extraction through backward movement
- Top player maintains some base with hands posted on mat or controlling bottom player’s hips, though posture is severely compromised by the shin-across-throat position and forward lean is unavoidable due to foot-behind-head configuration
- Top player’s breathing is restricted by shin compression requiring immediate defensive action, with the degree of restriction determining whether explosive emergency escape or systematic technical escape is appropriate response
Prerequisites
- Bottom player has achieved high guard or rubber guard control with top player’s posture broken
- Bottom player possesses sufficient flexibility to thread leg across throat and secure foot behind head
- Top player’s head positioning allows bottom player to establish perpendicular shin alignment across trachea
- Bottom player has elevated hips creating proper angle for shin compression
- Top player’s defensive awareness activated by recognition of submission threat
Key Offensive Principles
- Remain calm and avoid panic-driven movements that tighten the choke or expose additional threats
- Prioritize creating breathing space before attempting full escape from position
- Understand that pulling straight back is ineffective due to foot-behind-head configuration
- Focus on changing angles and removing leg systematically rather than using strength alone
- Recognize that explosive movements often worsen position by exposing back or tightening submission
- Address multiple attack threats simultaneously including gogoplata, triangle, omoplata, and back exposure
- Build escape through incremental improvements rather than single explosive movement
Available Attacks
Head Extraction to Posture → Closed Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 55%
Shin Removal to Pass → Half Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 50%
Leg Extraction Escape → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 10%
- Intermediate: 25%
- Advanced: 45%
Stack Defense → Guard Opening Sequence
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 60%
Angle Change Escape → Turtle
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Hand Control to Extract → Defensive Position
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 55%
Decision Making from This Position
If gogoplata is fully locked with deep foot position and strong shin compression making breathing difficult:
- Execute Emergency Tuck and Roll → Turtle (Probability: 40%)
- Execute Tap for Safety → Lost by Submission (Probability: 60%)
If shin is across throat but foot position behind head is shallow or hip elevation is inconsistent:
- Execute Systematic Head Extraction → Closed Guard (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Angle Change to Remove Pressure → Half Guard (Probability: 50%)
If bottom player attempts to tighten submission by pulling foot deeper behind head:
- Execute Hand Fighting Foot Position → Defensive Position (Probability: 45%)
- Execute Posture Recovery → Closed Guard (Probability: 40%)
If bottom player’s hips drop to mat during control maintenance:
- Execute Immediate Stack Pressure → Guard Opening Sequence (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Head Extraction → Closed Guard (Probability: 60%)
Optimal Submission Paths
Technical Escape to Guard Recovery
Gogoplata Control → Defensive Position → Closed Guard → Guard Recovery
Stack Escape to Pass
Gogoplata Control → Stack Defense → Guard Opening Sequence → Half Guard Pass
Emergency Roll to Turtle
Gogoplata Control → Turtle → Turtle to Guard → Closed Guard
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 30% | 25% | 50% |
| Intermediate | 50% | 40% | 35% |
| Advanced | 70% | 60% | 20% |
Average Time in Position: 15-30 seconds from recognizing danger to complete escape or submission
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
Defending the gogoplata requires understanding that you are facing a submission where the mechanical structure has already been established against you. Unlike defending an armbar where you can prevent the arm from being extended, or a triangle where you can fight the leg positioning, the gogoplata’s shin-across-throat configuration is already in place when you recognize the danger. This means your defensive strategy must focus on systematic deconstruction of the position rather than preventing its establishment. The key insight is that the foot-behind-head position is the structural foundation - without it, the shin cannot be maintained across the throat with sufficient pressure. Therefore, your primary objective is not removing the shin directly, but rather addressing the foot position through careful angle management and hand fighting. The defender must also maintain extraordinary composure because the natural panic response to throat compression will cause explosive movements that typically worsen the position. This makes gogoplata defense an excellent training tool for developing mental discipline under submission pressure.
Gordon Ryan
In competition, being caught in a gogoplata usually means you made earlier positional errors that allowed the bottom player to establish high guard or rubber guard control. By the time the shin is across your throat, you’re in a bad spot that requires immediate technical response. The reality is that most people don’t drill gogoplata defense because they don’t encounter it often, which means when they do face it, they panic and get finished. My approach is to stay extremely calm and work systematically even though you’re getting choked. The biggest mistake is trying to muscle out or pull your head away - that just tightens it. You need to work on the foot position behind your head first, creating small amounts of space through hand fighting and angle changes. If I feel the position is fully locked and I’m running out of air, I’m tapping rather than taking damage. There’s no shame in tapping to a properly executed gogoplata - it’s a legitimate submission when done right. The key is learning from it so you don’t let flexible opponents get to those high guard positions in future matches.
Eddie Bravo
From the top, being in gogoplata control is one of the worst spots in jiu-jitsu because your conventional defense tools don’t work. You can’t posture up, you can’t pull away, and strength won’t save you. This is why I teach it so much - when students understand how devastating it is from the defensive side, they develop healthy respect for rubber guard positions and stop being lazy in people’s guards. The escape mechanics require you to stay calm when you’re being choked, which is incredibly difficult. You’ve got to work the foot behind your head, change angles, and be ready for the transition to triangle or omoplata when you start defending properly. The best defense is obviously not letting flexible people get to Mission Control or New York in the first place. If you’re rolling with someone who has serious flexibility and a developed rubber guard game, you need to shut down their high guard before they get to the gogoplata setup. But if you do get caught, remember that panicking and spazzing will only get you submitted faster. Technical defense and willingness to tap if it’s locked are your only real options.