Electric Chair Top is the controlling position from top when your opponent has you locked in the Electric Chair lockdown position from half guard bottom. This position represents the top player’s defensive and offensive posture while trapped in the opponent’s lockdown control, where the bottom player is attempting to stretch and off-balance you while setting up the Electric Chair submission or sweeps. The position requires specific defensive awareness to prevent the submission while simultaneously working to escape the lockdown and advance position.
From this position, the top player must balance between defending the Electric Chair submission (which targets the knee and ankle), preventing sweeps like the Old School, and working to extract the trapped leg to pass the guard. Success in this position comes from understanding proper weight distribution, maintaining upper body control, and executing systematic lockdown breaking sequences. While seemingly disadvantageous, experienced practitioners can use this position to set up powerful passing sequences, back takes, and even counter-submissions once the lockdown is neutralized.
The Electric Chair Top position is particularly common in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu competition and no-gi grappling where the lockdown system is heavily utilized. Understanding this position is essential for any practitioner facing lockdown-based half guard players, as improper defense can lead to quick submissions or sweeps. The position demands both technical precision in escape mechanics and strategic patience in timing your counters against an opponent attempting to create the dilemma that defines the lockdown system.
Position Definition
- One leg (usually the inside leg) is trapped between opponent’s legs in the lockdown configuration, with opponent’s shin across your shin/ankle and their foot triangled behind their own knee
- Top player’s hips are typically elevated and pulled toward the opponent’s outside hip due to the lockdown’s stretching mechanism, creating uncomfortable torque on the trapped knee
- Opponent is on their side or back in half guard bottom position with the lockdown engaged, often with an underhook or whizzer controlling your upper body
- Top player’s free leg (outside leg) is usually posted wide for base or actively working to counter the lockdown’s off-balancing effects
- Upper body positioning varies but typically involves crossface pressure, underhook control, or whizzer defense depending on the opponent’s grips and sweep attempts
Prerequisites
- Opponent has secured lockdown control from half guard bottom
- One of your legs is trapped in the lockdown configuration
- Opponent has achieved sufficient hip extension to create the Electric Chair stretch
- You are aware of the submission threat and sweep dangers
- You maintain some upper body control to prevent immediate back take
Key Offensive Principles
- Immediately recognize the lockdown and Electric Chair setup to prevent the submission from being finished
- Keep your weight forward and chest pressure down on opponent to prevent them from creating the optimal angle for the submission
- Control opponent’s upper body with crossface, underhook, or head control to limit their mobility and sweep options
- Work systematically to break the lockdown by addressing the foot triangle first, then extracting your trapped leg
- Maintain wide base with your free leg to counter off-balancing attempts and sweep threats like the Old School
- Stay patient and methodical - rushing the escape often leads to giving up back control or being swept
Available Attacks
Lockdown Break and Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Limp Leg Escape to Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Back Take from Lockdown Defense → Back Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 45%
Knee Slice Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Smash Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Darce from Lockdown Counter → D’arce Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 10%
- Intermediate: 25%
- Advanced: 40%
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent has strong lockdown with underhook and is attempting Electric Chair submission:
- Execute Limp Leg Defense → Defensive Position (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Pressure Forward and Crossface → Electric Chair Top (Probability: 60%)
If opponent releases lockdown pressure to attempt sweep or transition:
- Execute Immediate Leg Extraction → Half Guard (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Knee Slice Pass → Side Control (Probability: 55%)
If opponent attempts Old School sweep by rolling backwards:
- Execute Whizzer Counter → Side Control (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Base Out and Sprawl → Turtle (Probability: 50%)
If opponent exposes back while attempting lockdown attacks:
- Execute Backstep to Back Take → Back Control (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Truck Entry → Truck (Probability: 45%)
Optimal Submission Paths
Shortest defensive escape to neutral
Electric Chair Top → Half Guard → Side Control
Counter-attack to dominant position
Electric Chair Top → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission
Pressure passing after lockdown escape
Electric Chair Top → Half Guard → Side Control → Mount
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 40% | 25% | 5% |
| Intermediate | 55% | 45% | 15% |
| Advanced | 70% | 60% | 25% |
Average Time in Position: 30-90 seconds before escape or submission/sweep
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
The Electric Chair Top position represents a critical juncture in the half guard passing game where systematic understanding separates competent passers from those who simply muscle through. The lockdown creates a mechanical advantage for the bottom player by utilizing the strength of their entire posterior chain against your isolated leg, making brute force extraction both ineffective and dangerous. The key principle is to recognize that the lockdown is a system of connected controls - the foot triangle, hip extension, and upper body manipulation work together to create the submission threat and sweep opportunities. Your escape must therefore be systematic: first neutralize the most dangerous element (the submission threat through proper weight distribution and limp leg mechanics), then methodically dismantle the lockdown structure by addressing the foot triangle, and finally extract your leg once the system is weakened. The common error of attempting immediate leg extraction while the lockdown is fully engaged not only fails but actively assists your opponent by creating the very torque that makes the Electric Chair effective. Instead, use forward pressure, proper angle management, and patience to systematically overcome what is essentially a well-designed trap.
Gordon Ryan
When I’m stuck in someone’s lockdown, my first thought is always ‘how did I let this happen’ because prevention is way easier than escape. But once you’re there, you need to be smart about it. The Electric Chair submission is actually pretty easy to defend if you know what you’re doing - keep your weight forward, don’t let them get perpendicular, and relax that trapped leg. Most people tense up and try to yank their leg out, which is exactly what makes the submission work. I’ve been caught in the lockdown by high-level 10th Planet guys, and the key is not panicking. They want you to react, to give them the Old School sweep or to overcommit to passing. I focus on shutting down their upper body control first - if they can’t control my shoulders and head, they can’t create the angles they need for their attacks. Once I’ve established dominant upper body position with a crossface or by controlling their bottom arm, I work the lockdown break methodically. The limp leg technique is legit - by relaxing the trapped leg, you take away most of the submission threat. From there, it’s about being patient and waiting for them to adjust, and that’s when you extract. Most people who get swept or submitted from here are just being impatient and trying to force things. Stay calm, stay heavy, and work the system.
Eddie Bravo
As the guy who helped popularize the lockdown and Electric Chair, I can tell you exactly what I hate when I’m on bottom - a calm, knowledgeable top player who understands the position. The whole lockdown system is designed to create panic and force reactions. We want you to pull that leg out hard because that’s what makes the Electric Chair work. We want you to sit back because that gives us the Old School. We want you to ignore your upper body defense because that’s how we take the back. But when someone knows what they’re doing on top, it becomes a much harder game. The limp leg defense is probably the most frustrating thing for a lockdown player - when you relax that leg and keep your weight forward, it neutralizes like 70% of what we’re trying to do. From there, if you’re patient and methodical with your escape, you’re probably getting out. The thing is, most people don’t train this position enough from top because they see it as ‘that weird 10th Planet thing,’ so when they encounter it, they don’t know what to do. My advice is to drill this specifically with someone who knows the lockdown system well. Understand all the attacks we can throw at you - the Electric Chair, the Old School, the Dogfight sweep, the back take. Once you know what’s coming, you can stay calm and work your escapes. And honestly, if you shut down the lockdown player’s initial attacks and start passing, a lot of them don’t have a Plan B because they’re so invested in that system.