Electric Chair Bottom is an advanced attacking position from the lockdown half guard system, primarily associated with Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu methodology. This position combines the lockdown leg configuration with specific grips and body positioning to create a powerful sweeping mechanism and submission threat simultaneously. The practitioner on bottom uses the lockdown to trap one of the opponent’s legs while securing an underhook and specific grips that allow them to extend the opponent’s trapped leg, creating intense pressure on the knee, hip, and groin.
The position is characterized by its dual-threat nature: it functions as both a high-percentage sweep to reverse position and a legitimate submission threat through the banana split/electric chair submission. The bottom practitioner maintains active offensive pressure while the top player is forced into defensive postures, making this a position-reversal technique within the half guard hierarchy. Success in this position requires precise lockdown mechanics, proper grip sequencing, and understanding of the biomechanical leverage that makes the position effective.
Electric Chair Bottom represents a systematic approach to bottom half guard where the practitioner doesn’t merely defend but actively hunts for dominant position reversals and submissions. It exemplifies the 10th Planet philosophy of creating attacking sequences from traditionally defensive positions, forcing opponents to respect submission threats while setting up sweeps and transitions.
Position Definition
- Bottom practitioner’s legs configured in lockdown position with figure-four leg entanglement trapping opponent’s near leg, heel pulling down on opponent’s thigh while instep hooks behind opponent’s calf
- Bottom practitioner maintains deep underhook on opponent’s far side, with underhooking arm reaching across opponent’s back and gripping their far lat or belt region for maximum extension control
- Bottom practitioner’s free hand controls opponent’s near ankle or foot, pulling it toward their own hip to create the splitting action that defines the electric chair mechanism
- Opponent’s trapped leg is extended and split away from their body, creating pressure through the groin, hip flexor, and knee while limiting their base and mobility
- Bottom practitioner’s hips are angled and positioned to maximize leverage on the lockdown while creating space to extend opponent’s trapped leg outward
Prerequisites
- Established lockdown half guard position with figure-four leg configuration secure
- Deep underhook control on opponent’s far side with arm reaching across their back
- Opponent’s weight committed forward or positioned where their trapped leg can be controlled
- Understanding of lockdown maintenance and hip extension mechanics
- Ability to grip and control opponent’s near ankle or foot
- Proper hip positioning to create splitting angle on opponent’s trapped leg
Key Defensive Principles
- Maintain constant tension on the lockdown to prevent opponent from extracting their leg and establish baseline control
- Secure deep underhook that reaches across opponent’s back to their far side, maximizing extension and preventing them from posturing away
- Control opponent’s near ankle with precision, pulling it toward your hip to create the splitting mechanism that defines the position
- Angle your hips and body to create maximum leverage on the trapped leg, positioning yourself at approximately 45 degrees to your opponent
- Coordinate lockdown extension with ankle control and underhook pressure to create simultaneous threats of sweep and submission
- Keep opponent’s weight distributed forward and off-balance to prevent them from establishing defensive base or extracting their leg
- Maintain active offensive pressure throughout, never allowing opponent to settle or establish counters to your control
Available Escapes
Old School Sweep → Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 45%
- Intermediate: 60%
- Advanced: 75%
Electric Chair Submission → Won by Submission
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Transition to Truck → Truck
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 40%
- Intermediate: 55%
- Advanced: 70%
Lockdown Sweeps → Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Deep Half Entry → Deep Half Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 50%
- Intermediate: 65%
- Advanced: 80%
Transition to Omoplata → Omoplata Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent maintains heavy forward pressure and low posture defending the electric chair:
- Execute Old School Sweep → Mount (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Transition to Truck → Truck (Probability: 60%)
Else if opponent postures up and attempts to extract their trapped leg:
- Execute Electric Chair Submission → Won by Submission (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Deep Half Entry → Deep Half Guard (Probability: 65%)
Else if opponent posts their far arm to defend underhook:
- Execute Transition to Omoplata → Omoplata Control (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Lockdown Sweeps → Side Control (Probability: 45%)
Else if opponent attempts to windshield wiper their leg free:
- Execute Truck Entry → Truck (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Deep Half Entry → Deep Half Guard (Probability: 55%)
Escape and Survival Paths
Direct electric chair submission path
Electric Chair Bottom → Electric Chair Submission → Won by Submission
Truck transition to twister path
Electric Chair Bottom → Truck → Twister Control → Twister → Won by Submission
Deep half to leg lock path
Electric Chair Bottom → Deep Half Guard → Ashi Garami → Heel Hook → Won by Submission
Sweep to mount submission path
Electric Chair Bottom → Old School Sweep → Mount → Armbar from Mount → Won by Submission
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 45% | 40% | 25% |
| Intermediate | 60% | 55% | 40% |
| Advanced | 75% | 70% | 55% |
Average Time in Position: 30-90 seconds before sweep or transition
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
The electric chair represents a sophisticated application of leverage principles within the half guard system, combining leg entanglement mechanics with strategic grip configurations to create simultaneous threats across multiple vectors. The position’s effectiveness derives from its ability to compromise the opponent’s base through lockdown control while simultaneously attacking their structural integrity via the splitting mechanism. What makes this position particularly valuable from a systematic perspective is its integration of position control with submission threat—the opponent cannot simply defend one aspect without exposing themselves to the other. The biomechanical principle at work involves creating perpendicular force on the trapped leg while maintaining rotational control through the underhook, forcing the opponent into increasingly disadvantageous positions regardless of their defensive choice. Practitioners must understand that the lockdown itself is not merely a holding mechanism but an active control system that generates offensive pressure when combined with proper hip extension and grip sequencing.
Gordon Ryan
In competition, electric chair bottom is one of the highest percentage attacking positions from bottom half guard when executed with proper timing and control. The key to making this work at the highest levels is understanding that it’s not just about getting to the position—it’s about controlling the grips and maintaining constant pressure so your opponent never gets comfortable. I’ve finished multiple high-level black belts with the electric chair submission because once you have the position locked in correctly, they’re basically choosing between getting swept or getting submitted. The split they face is real: defend the sweep and get your leg torn apart, or defend the submission and get reversed. What separates advanced practitioners is the ability to maintain lockdown control while seamlessly transitioning between sweep and submission threats based on the opponent’s defensive reactions. In my experience, the most effective approach is to threaten the submission first to get their weight moving forward, then capitalize on that reaction with the sweep. The position also sets up the entire truck game beautifully when opponents try to windshield wiper their leg free.
Eddie Bravo
The electric chair is the crown jewel of the lockdown system and represents everything we’re about at 10th Planet—taking traditionally defensive positions and turning them into high-percentage attacking sequences. This isn’t just a sweep or just a submission; it’s a complete position that forces your opponent into a no-win dilemma. When you lock in that electric chair correctly with the deep underhook, the lockdown cranked tight, and that ankle controlled perfectly, your opponent is basically screwed either way they move. The beauty of the electric chair is how it flows into the entire rubber guard and truck system—if they defend the chair, you can transition to old school sweep, if they try to extract their leg you go to the truck and hunt the twister. We’ve built an entire systematic approach around this position because it exemplifies the 10th Planet philosophy: constant pressure, multiple threats, and making your opponent choose which way they want to lose. What most people miss is that the lockdown has to be active, not passive—you’re constantly extending through it, creating that pressure that makes the electric chair submission a legitimate threat while setting up all your sweeps and transitions.