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Lockdown Position Bottom | BJJ Position Guide | BJJ Graph

Oct 25, 202511 min read

Lockdown Position Bottom

bjjstatehalf_guardlockdown10th_planet

State Properties

  • State ID: S078
  • Point Value: 0 (Defensive but with offensive potential)
  • Position Type: Defensive/Offensive guard variation
  • Risk Level: Medium
  • Energy Cost: Medium
  • Time Sustainability: Medium to Long

State Description

The Lockdown Position Bottom is a specialized half guard variation popularized by Eddie Bravo and the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, where the bottom player uses a figure-four leg lock around the opponent’s trapped leg to control their mobility and create offensive opportunities. The lockdown involves wrapping your outside leg around the opponent’s trapped leg and hooking your foot with your inside leg, creating a tight locking mechanism that prevents the opponent from establishing a strong base or completing guard passes. This position serves as a launching pad for sweeps, back takes, and unique submissions within the 10th Planet system, including the electric chair, old school sweep, and twister entries.

Visual Description

You are on your back in a half guard bottom position with the opponent’s leg trapped between yours, but instead of a standard half guard configuration, your outside leg is wrapped around their trapped leg from behind with your foot hooking deep under their thigh or calf. Your inside leg then locks over your own ankle or foot, creating a tight figure-four lock that severely restricts their leg mobility and prevents them from extending or extracting their leg. Your upper body typically controls them with an underhook on the near side, pulling them close to prevent crossface control while your free hand works to establish grips or frames. The opponent is positioned on top but with their base compromised by the leg lock, often flattened to their side or struggling to maintain balance, as the lockdown pulls their trapped leg straight and destroys their ability to drive pressure or pass effectively.

Key Principles

  • Create tight figure-four leg lock on trapped leg
  • Pull opponent’s leg straight to disrupt base
  • Fight for underhook control on near side
  • Use lockdown as platform for offensive attacks
  • Control opponent’s upper body with grips
  • Create angles for sweeps and back takes
  • Transition between lockdown variations dynamically

Prerequisites

  • Understanding of half guard fundamentals
  • Familiarity with leg entanglement mechanics
  • Recognition of underhook battle importance
  • Knowledge of 10th Planet system concepts

State Invariants

  • Opponent’s leg trapped in figure-four lockdown
  • Lockdown prevents opponent’s leg extension
  • Bottom player maintains lockdown tension
  • Underhook or grip control on upper body
  • Opponent’s base and mobility compromised

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • John Danaher: “While the lockdown is not part of my primary half guard system, I recognize its value as a control mechanism that can frustrate opponents who rely on pressure passing. The key mechanical principle is the disruption of the opponent’s base through leg control, which creates opportunities for angle creation and off-balancing. However, it requires significant hip flexibility and understanding of the specific techniques that complement the lockdown position.”
  • Gordon Ryan: “I use the lockdown situationally in no-gi competition, primarily as a defensive tool when I need to slow down aggressive passers. The lockdown excels at buying time and creating scrambles when you’re behind on points. The critical factor is combining the lockdown with active upper body control and constant offensive threats, rather than using it as a stalling position.”
  • Eddie Bravo: “The lockdown is the foundation of the 10th Planet half guard system and one of the most effective positions I’ve developed. It transforms half guard from a desperate defensive position into an offensive powerhouse. The lockdown gives you complete control over one of your opponent’s legs, destroying their base and opening up a universe of attacks including the electric chair, old school, and twister. The key is maintaining constant pressure with the lockdown while working your upper body attacks. Many people fail because they just hold the lockdown without attacking, but when used actively, it’s devastatingly effective.”

Common Errors

  • Error: Loose lockdown control
    • Consequence: Allows opponent to extract their leg and pass guard easily, negating the position’s effectiveness.
    • Correction: Squeeze your knees together tightly and pull your ankle towards your body, creating maximum tension on their trapped leg.
  • Error: Insufficient underhook control
    • Consequence: Permits opponent to establish dominant crossface or whizzer, limiting your offensive options.
    • Correction: Fight aggressively for deep underhook on the near side, using it to control their posture and create angles for sweeps.
  • Error: Passive positioning
    • Consequence: Results in getting smashed and controlled without offensive threats, wasting the lockdown’s potential.
    • Correction: Constantly work for sweeps, submissions, and back takes, using the lockdown as a launching pad for attacks rather than a holding pattern.
  • Error: Poor hip mobility
    • Consequence: Reduces sweep effectiveness and limits ability to create angles, making techniques less successful.
    • Correction: Develop hip flexibility through drilling and mobility work, allowing you to bridge and create angles effectively from lockdown.
  • Error: Releasing lockdown too early
    • Consequence: Gives opponent escape opportunity before sweep or submission is completed, losing positional advantage.
    • Correction: Maintain lockdown pressure throughout the entire technique execution, only releasing when you’ve secured the next position.

Training Drills

  • Lockdown Establishment: Practice establishing lockdown from various half guard positions against progressive resistance, focusing on speed and tightness of the lock.
  • Old School Sweep Repetition: Drill the old school sweep sequence repeatedly, developing the bridging motion, grip control, and timing required for high success rates.
  • Electric Chair Progression: Work through the electric chair setup methodically, understanding each step from lockdown control to submission or sweep finish.
  • Lockdown Maintenance Under Pressure: Hold lockdown position against opponent’s pass attempts, developing the ability to maintain control under heavy pressure and crossface attempts.
  • Lockdown Attack Chains: Flow between different lockdown attacks (old school, electric chair, back take) seamlessly, building the ability to transition based on opponent’s reactions.

Decision Tree

If opponent establishes crossface and pressure:

Else if opponent maintains upright posture:

Else if opponent exposes their back:

Else if opponent is stretched out and vulnerable:

Position Metrics

  • Position Retention Rate: Beginner 45%, Intermediate 65%, Advanced 80%
  • Advancement Probability: Beginner 40%, Intermediate 60%, Advanced 75%
  • Escape Probability: Beginner 40%, Intermediate 25%, Advanced 15%
  • Submission Probability: Beginner 20%, Intermediate 35%, Advanced 55%
  • Average Time in Position: 30-90 seconds

Optimal Paths

Primary sweep path: Lockdown Position Bottom → Old School Sweep → Mount → Submission → Won by Submission

Electric chair path: Lockdown Position Bottom → Electric Chair Sweep → Top Position → Back Take → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Back take path: Lockdown Position Bottom → Lockdown to Back Take → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Submission path: Lockdown Position Bottom → Twister Entry → Twister Control → Twister → Won by Submission

Computer Science Analogy

The Lockdown Position Bottom functions as a resource locking mechanism in the BJJ state graph, similar to a mutex in concurrent programming, where one of the opponent’s legs is locked and made unavailable for use in passing or pressure application. This creates a resource contention scenario where the opponent must either break the lock (which requires specific techniques and energy) or operate at reduced efficiency with compromised mobility. The lockdown transforms a potentially disadvantageous state (bottom position) into a controlled state with multiple offensive branching paths.

Graph View

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