BJJ Graph

North-South

Dec 09, 20258 min read

North-South position represents one of the most controlling pin positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, characterized by perpendicular body alignment where the top player’s chest covers the bottom player’s head and chest while facing opposite directions. This position creates immense pressure and control through strategic weight distribution across the opponent’s upper body.

From the top perspective, North-South offers exceptional control with minimal energy expenditure once established. The position allows the top player to distribute their entire body weight across the opponent’s chest and shoulders, creating a crushing pressure that restricts breathing and movement. The head-to-head alignment provides natural control of the opponent’s upper body while the hands can secure underhooks, overhooks, or control the arms directly. While North-South is primarily a control position, it opens pathways to powerful submissions including the North-South choke, Kimura, and various arm attacks.

The strategic value of North-South lies in its ability to maintain control while transitioning between other dominant positions. Skilled practitioners use North-South as a checkpoint position when passing guard or transitioning from side control to mount. The position’s stability makes it ideal for recovering stamina while maintaining offensive pressure, though the perpendicular alignment can make certain transitions more challenging than from parallel positions like side control.

From the bottom perspective, North-South represents a highly disadvantageous position requiring immediate escape efforts. The crushing chest pressure and arm control severely limit mobility options, making this one of the most difficult pins to escape. Bottom players must focus on hip movement, frame creation, and explosive timing to create space and reestablish guard or achieve a reversal.

The position demands different strategic approaches based on whether you’re establishing control from top or fighting to escape from bottom. Understanding both perspectives is essential for complete positional mastery, as the same structural principles that make North-South effective for control also reveal the pathways for escape when you find yourself underneath.

Key Principles

  • North-South control relies on chest-to-chest pressure distributed across opponent’s upper body

  • Head positioning and shoulder pressure are critical for maintaining control from top

  • Bottom player must create frames and hip mobility to generate escape opportunities

  • Perpendicular alignment provides stability but limits certain transition options

  • Arms must be controlled or isolated to prevent bottom player from creating defensive frames

  • Position serves as strategic checkpoint during guard passing and position transitions

  • Submission attacks require precise weight redistribution to maintain control while attacking

Top vs Bottom

 BottomTop
Position TypeDefensiveOffensive/Controlling
Risk LevelHighLow
Energy CostHighLow
TimeShortLong

Key Difference: Perpendicular alignment maximizes pressure

Playing as Bottom

→ Full Bottom Guide

Key Principles

  • Create frames using forearms against opponent’s chest to establish breathing room

  • Generate hip mobility through small shrimping movements to create cumulative space

  • Time explosive escape attempts during opponent’s weight shifts or submission setups

  • Prevent arm isolation by keeping elbows tight and hands fighting for inside position

  • Target opponent’s balance points when they transition or attack submissions

  • Knee insertion between bodies is critical gateway to guard recovery

  • Maintain mental composure under pressure rather than explosive panic movements

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Attempting explosive full-body scrambles under heavy pressure

    • Consequence: Wastes energy, allows opponent to easily reestablish control, and creates submission opportunities
    • ✅ Correction: Focus on small, technical movements that compound over time - shrimp inches at a time rather than explosive escapes

  • ❌ Allowing arms to be trapped flat against body or extended away

    • Consequence: Eliminates framing ability and creates kimura and armbar opportunities for top player
    • ✅ Correction: Keep elbows tight to body with forearms fighting for chest frames and inside position control

  • ❌ Accepting the position and waiting for opponent to move

    • Consequence: Opponent recovers stamina while maintaining control, eventually transitions to mount or secures submission
    • ✅ Correction: Immediately begin systematic escape sequence with hip movement and frame creation before opponent consolidates position

  • ❌ Turning away from opponent toward stomach prematurely

    • Consequence: Exposes back and creates easy path to back control or turtle top for opponent
    • ✅ Correction: Create space and frames first, only turn to turtle when you have mobility and can protect your back

  • ❌ Holding breath or hyperventilating under chest pressure

    • Consequence: Causes rapid fatigue, panic, and inability to execute technical escapes effectively
    • ✅ Correction: Establish controlled breathing pattern immediately, exhale during opponent’s pressure and inhale during your movements

  • ❌ Pushing opponent’s head away instead of controlling their chest

    • Consequence: Wastes energy with poor leverage, leaves arms vulnerable to isolation for submissions
    • ✅ Correction: Frame against opponent’s chest and shoulders where you have structural leverage, not their head

  • ❌ Forgetting to protect near-side arm during escape attempts

    • Consequence: Creates easy kimura opportunities as you turn into the attack while escaping
    • ✅ Correction: Keep near arm tight to body or establish cross-face frame while escaping to prevent arm isolation

Playing as Top

→ Full Top Guide

Key Principles

  • Distribute body weight across opponent’s chest and shoulders, not stomach or hips

  • Keep chest pressure constant while hands work for arm control or submissions

  • Maintain low hip position with wide base to prevent bridge and roll escapes

  • Control opponent’s arms before attempting major position transitions or submissions

  • Use shoulder and head pressure to restrict opponent’s head movement and breathing

  • Transition to mount or other positions when opponent creates defensive frames

  • Balance between control maintenance and submission hunting based on opponent’s reactions

Primary Techniques

Common Mistakes

  • ❌ Sitting weight back toward opponent’s hips instead of forward over chest

    • Consequence: Reduces chest pressure effectiveness, makes bridge and roll escapes easier, and loses primary control mechanism
    • ✅ Correction: Keep weight distributed forward over opponent’s chest and shoulders with hips relatively low and base wide

  • ❌ Allowing opponent’s arms to remain free and create defensive frames

    • Consequence: Opponent establishes space for hip escapes, reduces pressure effectiveness, and creates escape opportunities
    • ✅ Correction: Immediately control at least one arm through underhooks or direct control before settling into position

  • ❌ Lifting head and chest up during submission attempts

    • Consequence: Creates space for opponent to hip escape or bridge, loses positional control while hunting submission
    • ✅ Correction: Maintain heavy chest pressure even during submission setups, use shoulder and head pressure to keep opponent pinned

  • ❌ Staying in North-South too long when opponent creates defensive frames

    • Consequence: Wastes energy fighting against established frames, allows opponent to systematically escape over time
    • ✅ Correction: Recognize when opponent establishes frames and transition to mount or side control rather than fighting position

  • ❌ Reaching too far for submissions without securing control first

    • Consequence: Creates balance opportunities for opponent to bridge and roll, exposes your own position to reversals
    • ✅ Correction: Establish secure arm control and base before committing to submission attacks, keep weight distribution stable

  • ❌ Using only upper body pressure without engaging hips and core

    • Consequence: Creates unstable pressure that’s easier to escape, fatigues upper body muscles unnecessarily
    • ✅ Correction: Engage entire core and use hip positioning to drive weight forward, pressure comes from body structure not arm strength

  • ❌ Allowing base to narrow when opponent begins escape attempts

    • Consequence: Makes position vulnerable to bridge and roll escapes, reduces stability during opponent’s explosive movements
    • ✅ Correction: Widen base and lower hips immediately when sensing escape attempts, use sprawl-like posture to prevent rolls

  • Side Control - Common entry position and parallel control alternative

  • Mount - Alternative dominant position accessible via transition

  • Knee on Belly - Alternative control position with different pressure dynamics

  • Kimura Control - Submission control position accessible from North-South

  • Turtle - Common escape result when bottom player turns to knees

  • Closed Guard - Target recovery position for bottom player escapes

  • Kesa Gatame - Alternative scarf hold pin with different control mechanics

  • Reverse Kesa-Gatame - Reverse scarf hold variation with inverted alignment

  • Crucifix - Advanced control position with superior arm isolation