Old School Top Position is a defensive counter-position used when caught in an opponent’s lockdown from half guard bottom. This position requires the top player to control the opponent’s lockdown attempt while maintaining dominant pressure and working toward a pass or submission. The position is characterized by a whizzer (overhook) on the opponent’s far arm, heavy crossface pressure with the opposite shoulder, and strategic base positioning to neutralize the lockdown’s sweeping power.
The position gained prominence through 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu’s lockdown system, forcing top players to develop specific counters. The Old School Top position represents a critical battleground where the top player must balance maintaining control while preventing the opponent from executing lockdown sweeps like the Electric Chair or Old School Sweep. Success in this position requires understanding hip pressure mechanics, proper weight distribution, and timing for counter-attacks.
From Old School Top, the practitioner can transition to passing positions like side control, mount, or back control, or can attack with submissions including the straight ankle lock, toe hold, or even kimura from the whizzer grip. The position demands patience and systematic pressure application rather than explosive movements, as hasty actions often lead directly into the opponent’s lockdown sweep attempts.
Position Definition
- Top player’s trapped leg is caught in opponent’s lockdown (figure-four leg configuration around the thigh), creating a mechanical connection that must be carefully managed to prevent sweeps
- Whizzer (overhook) control established on opponent’s far arm, with top player’s arm threaded deep under opponent’s armpit and hand gripping own thigh or opponent’s hip to create structural leverage
- Heavy crossface pressure applied with opposite shoulder driving into opponent’s face/jaw, forcing head turn and creating uncomfortable defensive posture that limits mobility
- Top player’s free leg posted wide for base, with knee and foot positioned to create tripod stability and prevent being rolled or swept to the lockdown side
- Chest pressure directed downward and forward into opponent’s torso, using body weight to flatten opponent and reduce space for hip movement critical to lockdown attacks
Prerequisites
- Opponent has established lockdown position from half guard bottom
- Top player’s leg is caught in figure-four lockdown configuration
- Top player recognizes lockdown threat and initiates defensive posture
- Sufficient base established to prevent immediate sweep
- Understanding of whizzer mechanics and crossface pressure principles
Key Offensive Principles
- Establish whizzer immediately upon recognizing lockdown - delay allows opponent to secure better angles for sweeps
- Drive heavy crossface pressure to turn opponent’s head away and limit their vision and breathing comfort
- Keep hips low and weight distributed through chest into opponent’s sternum to flatten their posture
- Post free leg wide with knee out for maximum base - narrow base invites sweeps and rolls
- Maintain patience and avoid explosive movements that feed into opponent’s sweep timing
- Work systematically to free trapped leg through hip pressure and ankle manipulation rather than forceful extraction
- Use whizzer grip to control opponent’s upper body rotation and prevent them from coming up to dogfight position
Available Attacks
Half Guard Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 40%
- Intermediate: 55%
- Advanced: 70%
Knee Slice Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Crossface Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Transition to Mount → Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Back Take Generic → Back Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 50%
Kimura from Half Guard → Kimura Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent maintains tight lockdown and attempts Old School Sweep with underhook:
- Execute Heavy crossface and whizzer pressure → Old School (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Sprawl hips back and post free leg → Old School (Probability: 60%)
If opponent releases lockdown to transition to different guard:
- Execute Knee Slice Pass → Side Control (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Smash Pass → Side Control (Probability: 60%)
If opponent attempts to come up to dogfight position:
- Execute Whizzer control to back take → Back Control (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Sprawl and guillotine attack → Guillotine Control (Probability: 45%)
If opponent extends whizzered arm to create frames:
- Execute Kimura from Half Guard → Kimura Control (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Transition to Mount → Mount (Probability: 40%)
Optimal Submission Paths
Whizzer to Kimura Path
Old School Top → Kimura Control (when opponent extends arm) → Kimura
Leg Attack Opportunity Path
Old School Top → Free trapped leg → Straight Ankle Lock Control (on formerly locked leg) → Straight Ankle Lock
Back Attack Path
Old School Top → Opponent attempts dogfight → Back Take Generic → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke
Passing to Submission Path
Old School Top → Knee Slice Pass → Side Control → Kimura from Side Control
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 45% | 30% | 15% |
| Intermediate | 60% | 45% | 25% |
| Advanced | 75% | 60% | 35% |
Average Time in Position: 45-90 seconds before pass or sweep
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
The Old School Top position represents a critical defensive junction in the half guard passing game, particularly against lockdown-based systems. The mechanical advantage of the lockdown creates a powerful lever system that can generate tremendous sweeping force, so the top player must understand the biomechanical principles of neutralizing this leverage. The whizzer functions not merely as a grip but as a structural frame that prevents the opponent from rotating their torso - rotation being essential for sweep completion. The crossface serves dual purposes: it turns the opponent’s head away, limiting their visual tracking of your movements, and it creates an uncomfortable compression that discourages extended positional battles. Weight distribution is paramount - your chest pressure must create a downward vector that opposes the upward and rotational vectors the opponent seeks to generate with their lockdown. The free leg base is your ultimate insurance policy against sweeps, functioning as a tripod point that provides rotational stability. Systematically, you must think in terms of graduated pressure application - start with position retention, then work toward grip improvements, then capitalize on opponent errors to advance position. Patience is not passive; it is active pressure maintenance while waiting for the correct moment to pass.
Gordon Ryan
Old School Top is one of those positions where competition experience really separates who understands the position from who’s just surviving. I’ve been caught in lockdown plenty of times against high-level 10th Planet guys, and the biggest thing I learned is you cannot be reactive - you have to impose your game immediately. The whizzer has to be deep and tight from the second you feel that lockdown lock in, because if they get even two seconds to adjust their angle, you’re going for a ride on the Old School Sweep. I personally like to use a lot of shoulder pressure on the crossface side - not just laying there, but actively driving through their face to make them uncomfortable and limit their breathing rhythm. That discomfort often forces them to abandon their sweep attempts prematurely. The key to passing from here is recognizing when they’re committed to the lockdown versus when they’re thinking about transitioning - there’s always that micro-moment when the lockdown loosens slightly, and that’s your window to explode into the pass. I also look for the kimura from the whizzer grip constantly because when they start defending the pass, that arm often extends right into the submission. In competition, time management matters - if you’re up on points, holding this position safely is perfectly acceptable strategy, but if you need to advance, you have to be willing to take calculated risks during those transition windows.
Eddie Bravo
As the guy who basically forced everyone to learn Old School Top defense through the lockdown system, I can tell you exactly what makes this position tough for the top guy - it’s all about the battle of angles and timing. The lockdown creates this amazing lever system that turns your leg into a crank, and if the top guy doesn’t immediately establish the right structure with that whizzer and crossface, they’re getting swept or submitted, period. But here’s the thing - even perfect Old School Top defense can be beaten if the bottom guy is slick with transitions between Electric Chair, Old School Sweep, and the dogfight. The top player has to understand they’re not just defending one attack, they’re defending an entire system of interconnected threats. The whizzer is crucial, but it can’t be passive - you have to actively pull that arm tight and use it to control their upper body rotation. One thing I tell my students who get caught on top is to think about creating a ‘dead zone’ with their pressure - you want to make it so uncomfortable that staying in lockdown becomes more exhausting for them than it is for you. Also, leg attacks from this position are super underutilized - when you finally free that trapped leg, you’re in perfect position to attack straight ankle locks or toe holds on that same leg because it’s already isolated and extended. The innovation in this position is still evolving - we’re seeing more calf slices and variations that blur the lines between top and bottom control, which is exactly how jiu-jitsu should evolve.