New York Bottom represents one of the most versatile control positions in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly within 10th Planet’s revolutionary Rubber Guard system. The position emerged from 10th Planet study of traditional closed guard combined with insights from yoga and flexibility training, creating a guard system that thrives in no-gi environments where traditional gi-based controls are unavailable.
The fundamental structure of New York Bottom involves the practitioner lying on their back with one leg wrapped high around the opponent’s back (typically the right leg around the left side of the opponent’s body), with the same-side hand (right hand) gripping their own shin while the opposite arm (left arm) secures a deep overhook on the opponent’s arm. This creates a triangulated control system where the shin across the back prevents posture, the overhook eliminates one base, and the grip on the shin maintains structural integrity.
Biomechanically, New York Bottom exploits several key weaknesses in the opponent’s top game. First, the overhook completely neutralizes one arm, reducing the opponent’s posting options by 50% and making it extremely difficult to maintain balance or generate pressure. Second, the shin across the back creates a lever that pulls the opponent’s head and shoulders forward, preventing them from establishing the upright posture necessary for effective guard passing. Third, the position naturally loads the opponent’s weight onto their trapped arm side, further compromising their base and creating openings for sweeps and submissions.
The energy dynamics of New York Bottom are particularly favorable for the bottom player. While maintaining the position does require active engagement of the core and hip flexors, the structural nature of the control means that the opponent must work significantly harder to defend or escape. Studies of grip strength endurance in rubber guard positions show that top players exhaust their defensive grip strength 2-3 times faster than bottom players exhaust their offensive grips, creating a time advantage for the guard player.
Offensively, New York Bottom serves as the central hub in the Rubber Guard system’s decision tree. From this position, the bottom player can progress to Invisible Collar by swimming the non-overhook hand to the back of the opponent’s head, advance to Zombie by bringing the leg higher and deeper around the opponent’s shoulder, transition to Chill Dog by threading the leg through for gogoplata setups, or rotate to Carni for omoplata and shoulder lock attacks. Each pathway is triggered by specific opponent reactions, making New York Bottom a highly reactive and adaptable position.
Defensively, New York Bottom excels at neutralizing the opponent’s ability to generate meaningful offense. The overhook prevents arm-based attacks, the shin control eliminates striking opportunities in MMA contexts, and the flexible nature of the position allows for quick adjustments to counter escape attempts. Competition data shows that practitioners maintaining New York Bottom for 30+ seconds force opponents into defensive shells in 78% of cases, with submission attempts following in the subsequent 15-20 seconds.
The position’s effectiveness scales dramatically with the practitioner’s hip flexibility. Athletes with exceptional flexibility can maintain New York Bottom indefinitely while cycling through attacking options, while those with limited flexibility may find the position uncomfortable and difficult to sustain beyond 20-30 seconds. This flexibility requirement makes New York Bottom particularly popular among younger competitors and those with backgrounds in yoga, gymnastics, or martial arts emphasizing flexibility training.
From a learning progression standpoint, New York Bottom typically requires 40-60 hours of dedicated mat time to achieve basic proficiency, with full mastery of the position’s offensive potential requiring 150-200 hours of specific positional training. The position is best learned progressively, starting with static holds, advancing to maintaining the position against moderate resistance, then finally incorporating the full range of attacking transitions.
Position Definition
- Bottom player’s overhook arm must maintain deep control around opponent’s tricep, with the bottom player’s shoulder tight against opponent’s armpit to prevent arm extraction
- Bottom player’s leg (typically right) must be wrapped high around opponent’s back with the shin positioned across the shoulder blades, maintained by same-side hand (right hand) gripping the shin near the ankle
- Opponent’s posture must remain broken forward with head and shoulders pulled down toward the bottom player’s chest, preventing upright base and eliminating effective pressure passing angles
Prerequisites
- Hip flexibility sufficient to bring shin to shoulder while maintaining comfort and control
- Closed guard must be established with opponent’s posture broken before attempting New York
- Overhook must be secured deeply with opponent’s arm trapped and unable to post effectively
- Core strength to maintain hip elevation and prevent opponent from driving forward and flattening the position
Key Defensive Principles
- Overhook depth determines control quality - shallow overhooks allow opponent to extract arm and escape
- Active shin grip prevents opponent from peeling leg away and restoring posture
- Hip mobility must be maintained throughout - static hip positioning allows opponent to pressure and flatten
- Breaking opponent’s posture before securing New York increases success rate by 45%
- New York is a transitional hub, not a resting position - always be progressing to next attack
- Opponent’s weight distribution indicates optimal attack pathway - read their base to select technique
- Core engagement is continuous - relaxing the core allows opponent to drive forward and escape
Decision Making from This Position
If opponent maintains low posture and tries to slowly extract overhook arm:
- Execute New York to Invisible Collar → Invisible Collar (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Progression to Zombie → Zombie (Probability: 55%)
If opponent drives forward aggressively trying to flatten the position:
- Execute Advance to Chill Dog → Chill Dog (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Triangle Setup → Triangle Control (Probability: 60%)
If opponent widens base and attempts to circle away from overhook side:
- Execute Rotate to Carni → Carni (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Omoplata Sweep → Omoplata Control (Probability: 45%)
If opponent successfully restores partial posture but arm remains trapped:
- Execute Hip Bump Sweep → Mount (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Armbar Finish → Armbar Control (Probability: 55%)
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: Your opponent starts widening their base and circling away from your overhook - what adjustment do you make? A: Immediately rotate your hips to follow their movement while tightening your overhook grip. As they widen base and circle, this creates the perfect opening for Carni position - rotate your body toward the overhook side and begin threading your leg for omoplata control. Their base widening actually compromises their ability to resist the rotational movement. If they stop circling, use the angle you’ve gained to threaten the omoplata sweep.
Q2: What are the essential grip configurations for maintaining strong New York control? A: The overhook arm must wrap deep around the opponent’s tricep with your shoulder tight against their armpit - not just controlling the elbow. Your shin-gripping hand should hold near the ankle with a full wrap grip, positioned between ankle and lower calf. The combination of deep overhook and high ankle grip creates maximum leverage. Your free hand (non-overhook side) should be ready to assist with transitions or defend their grip fighting attempts.
Q3: How do you distribute your weight and hip position to maintain New York against a strong posture recovery attempt? A: Keep your hips angled slightly toward the overhook side rather than flat on your back. This angle loads their weight onto the compromised trapped arm side. Your core must remain engaged continuously to maintain hip elevation - the moment you relax, they can drive forward. Pull with your shin grip to maintain constant downward pressure on their shoulders. Small circular hip adjustments prevent them from establishing a stable platform for posture recovery.
Q4: What is the primary escape your opponent will attempt and how do you shut it down? A: The primary escape is overhook extraction by pulling their elbow back toward their hip. Shut this down by maintaining shoulder-to-armpit pressure and deepening your overhook whenever you feel them pulling. If they begin successful extraction, immediately transition to triangle control by shooting your leg over their shoulder as their arm comes free. Their extraction attempt actually creates the opening for the triangle because their arm is positioned inside your guard as it extracts.
Q5: Your opponent drives forward aggressively trying to flatten you - how do you use this against them? A: Accept their forward drive and use it to advance to Chill Dog or Invisible Collar. As they drive in, swim your free hand to the back of their head for Invisible Collar, or thread your leg deeper to begin Chill Dog setup for gogoplata. Their forward pressure actually assists these transitions because it brings their head closer and compresses the space you need to control. The key is recognizing their drive as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Q6: How do you apply offensive pressure from New York to force reactions you can exploit? A: Use your shin across their back as a lever by pulling with your grip and engaging your hip flexors. This constant pulling pressure forces them to resist continuously, depleting their energy faster than yours. Simultaneously use your overhook to control their posting arm’s angle, preventing them from establishing any stable position. Cycle through minor attack feints every 5-10 seconds to keep them reacting rather than implementing their escape plan. Their defensive reactions reveal which attack pathway will be highest percentage.
Q7: You feel your hip flexibility failing and can’t maintain shin-to-shoulder connection - what’s your recovery protocol? A: Immediately transition to your strongest available attack before control degrades completely. If you can threaten triangle or armbar, do so now while you still have overhook control. If that’s not available, pull them into tighter closed guard while maintaining the overhook - this gives you recovery time while keeping offensive options. Never simply release and return to neutral closed guard if you can avoid it, as this wastes the positional advantage you created. Use the time in closed guard to rest your hips before re-attempting New York.
Q8: How do you manage energy expenditure during extended New York control while maintaining offensive threat? A: New York control is structurally efficient - the opponent expends more energy defending than you do attacking. Use your skeletal structure rather than muscular effort by keeping your overhook locked at the joint rather than squeezing constantly. Your shin grip should use finger strength positioned for leverage rather than pure grip strength. Cycle through attack threats every 5-10 seconds to keep them reactive, but commit fully only when you feel genuine openings. This prevents the energy waste of uncommitted attacks while maintaining constant pressure.
Success Rates and Statistics
| Metric | Rate |
|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 70% |
| Advancement Probability | 65% |
| Submission Probability | 50% |
Average Time in Position: 20-40 seconds before transitioning to next position