BJJ Graph

Turtle Bottom

Dec 09, 202514 min read

Turtle Bottom (also known as Turtle Position or Referee’s Position) is a defensive position where the bottom practitioner is on their hands and knees with their back exposed to the opponent. While traditionally viewed as a weak position in wrestling due to back exposure, modern BJJ has transformed the turtle into a dynamic guard recovery platform. The turtle position serves as a critical transitional state between being passed and recovering guard, offering numerous defensive options, sweep opportunities, and even submission threats. The key to effective turtle play lies in maintaining a tight defensive structure while actively working to improve position rather than remaining static. Top-level competitors like Marcelo Garcia, Priit Mihkelson, and various 10th Planet practitioners have developed sophisticated turtle-based systems that turn this defensive position into an offensive platform. The position requires excellent awareness of back defense, understanding of weight distribution, and precise timing to execute rolls, stand-ups, and guard recoveries before the opponent can establish dominant control or take the back. Success in turtle bottom depends on maintaining constant motion, fighting grips aggressively, and recognizing the optimal moment to explode into escape sequences based on opponent’s weight commitment and positioning.

Position Definition

  • Bottom practitioner positioned on hands and knees with weight distributed across four points of contact, creating a stable base with rounded back to protect against submissions while maintaining mobility for dynamic movement
  • Head tucked defensively with chin to chest, elbows tight to ribs and knees to prevent underhook penetration and maintain structural integrity against back takes, creating a tight defensive shell
  • Hips elevated off the mat with knees under hips and hands under shoulders, maintaining mobility while preventing opponent from flattening the position and establishing dominant control
  • Top opponent positioned behind or to the side with access to the back, typically attempting to establish hooks, harness control, or force the bottom player flat to the mat for back control or submissions

Prerequisites

  • Guard has been passed or is in process of being passed
  • Ability to maintain rounded defensive posture with chin tucked
  • Understanding of back defense principles and hook prevention
  • Sufficient shoulder and hip mobility to execute rolls and movements
  • Awareness of opponent’s weight distribution and attack vectors

Key Defensive Principles

  • Keep elbows tight to knees to prevent underhook penetration and maintain defensive frames
  • Maintain constant motion and weight shifting to prevent opponent from settling their weight
  • Protect the neck by keeping chin tucked and using shoulder pressure against choking attempts
  • Use circular movement and directional changes to create scrambles and recovery opportunities
  • Never remain static - continuously work toward guard recovery, stand-up, or reversal positions
  • Monitor opponent’s weight distribution to time explosive movements during transitions
  • Create frames with forearms against opponent’s hips and chest to manage distance and pressure

Available Escapes

Granby Roll → Closed Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 25%
  • Intermediate: 40%
  • Advanced: 55%

Technical Standup → Standing Position

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 30%
  • Intermediate: 45%
  • Advanced: 60%

Rolling to Guard → Half Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 35%
  • Intermediate: 50%
  • Advanced: 65%

Deep Half Entry → Deep Half Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 20%
  • Intermediate: 35%
  • Advanced: 50%

Sit Through to Guard → Butterfly Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 30%
  • Intermediate: 45%
  • Advanced: 60%

Peterson Roll → Half Guard

Success Rates:

  • Beginner: 15%
  • Intermediate: 30%
  • Advanced: 45%

Opponent Counters

Counter-Attacks

Decision Making from This Position

If opponent has seatbelt control but no hooks in:

If opponent is attempting front headlock control:

If opponent’s weight is high and forward:

If opponent has one hook in but no harness control:

If opponent is low and heavy with underhooks:

Common Defensive Mistakes

1. Remaining static in turtle without attempting movement or improvement

  • ❌ Consequence: Allows opponent time to establish back control, sink hooks, or secure dominant grips leading to easy back takes or submissions
  • ✅ Correction: Maintain constant motion through weight shifts, directional changes, and active escape attempts - never give opponent time to settle their position

2. Allowing elbows to flare away from knees creating underhook opportunities

  • ❌ Consequence: Opponent easily secures underhooks leading to easy flattening, back takes, or transition to dominant positions like crucifix
  • ✅ Correction: Keep elbows glued to knees throughout all movements, creating a tight defensive shell that prevents penetration of opponent’s arms

3. Lifting head up and exposing neck to choking attacks

  • ❌ Consequence: Vulnerable to guillotines, anacondas, darces, and other front headlock submissions with easy access to the neck
  • ✅ Correction: Maintain chin tucked to chest with rounded upper back, using shoulder pressure against opponent’s chest to protect the neck at all times

4. Attempting to stand up without proper base or timing

  • ❌ Consequence: Easy for opponent to pull back down, establish back control mid-standup, or use momentum against you to secure dominant position
  • ✅ Correction: Only attempt technical standup when opponent’s weight is high, ensure strong posting base, and explode through the movement with proper timing

5. Rolling in predictable patterns or directions

  • ❌ Consequence: Opponent anticipates the movement and follows easily, often ending up in worse position like mounted or back control fully established
  • ✅ Correction: Use feints, change directions mid-roll, and mix timing of movements to create unpredictability and genuine escape opportunities

6. Allowing opponent to control both your hips and shoulders simultaneously

  • ❌ Consequence: Complete loss of mobility and structural integrity, leading to easy flattening, back takes, or transition to submissions
  • ✅ Correction: Fight to maintain separation between hip and shoulder control, using frames and movement to prevent simultaneous control of both areas

Training Drills for Defense

Turtle Escape Gauntlet

Partner starts in turtle bottom while training partner attempts various attacks (back takes, chokes, rolls). Bottom player must successfully escape to guard or standing within 30 seconds. Rotate attacks every round to develop well-rounded defensive awareness and multiple escape routes.

Duration: 5 rounds of 2 minutes with 30-second rest

Granby Roll Repetitions

Practice granby rolls from turtle position repeatedly, focusing on explosive hip movement, shoulder roll mechanics, and landing in guard recovery position. Start slow to perfect mechanics, then increase speed and add resistance from partner attempting to follow and establish back control.

Duration: 3 sets of 10 repetitions each direction

Turtle to Guard Flow Drill

Starting from turtle, cycle through different guard recovery methods: granby roll to closed guard, sit-through to butterfly, technical standup, deep half entry. Partner provides graduated resistance, increasing pressure as bottom player’s technique improves. Focus on smooth transitions and maintaining defensive integrity.

Duration: 6 minutes continuous flow with partner rotation

Hand Fighting from Turtle

Partner attempts to establish harness control, underhooks, and dominant grips while bottom player actively fights hands, breaks grips, and maintains defensive frames. Emphasize keeping elbows tight while still being able to strip grips and prevent opponent’s controls from setting in.

Duration: 4 rounds of 90 seconds

Escape and Survival Paths

Shortest escape path to safety

Turtle Bottom → Granby Roll → Closed Guard → Triangle Choke → Won by Submission

Aggressive counter-attack path

Turtle Bottom → Peterson Roll → Half Guard → Half Guard Sweeps → Mount → Armbar from Mount → Won by Submission

Standing escape to reset

Turtle Bottom → Technical Standup → Standing Position → Double leg takedown → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Success Rates and Statistics

Skill LevelRetention RateAdvancement ProbabilitySubmission Probability
Beginner20%30%5%
Intermediate35%45%10%
Advanced50%60%15%

Average Time in Position: 10-30 seconds before transition to another position

Expert Analysis

John Danaher

The turtle position represents a critical juncture in the positional hierarchy where the defender must make intelligent decisions under pressure. The mechanical keys to successful turtle defense lie in maintaining structural integrity through proper weight distribution across all four posting points while simultaneously creating dynamic movement to prevent the opponent from establishing stable control. The elbows-to-knees connection is non-negotiable - any gap here provides immediate access for underhooks which cascade into back takes or crushing control positions. What separates competent turtle players from vulnerable ones is the ability to recognize weight distribution patterns in real-time: when the opponent’s weight is high and forward, granby rolls become highly effective; when their weight is low and driving, technical standups or sit-throughs present better options. The turtle should never be viewed as a resting position but rather as a dynamic platform for guard recovery, requiring constant assessment and explosive execution of escape sequences before the opponent can consolidate their attack.

Gordon Ryan

In competition, the turtle is a position you want to minimize time in because judges and referees often view extended turtle time as passivity or stalling, and it signals defensive positioning that can influence scoring decisions. That said, it’s an absolutely essential recovery tool when your guard gets passed - the key is having explosive, practiced movements that you can execute immediately without hesitation. I rely heavily on the technical standup from turtle because it gets me back to standing where I can re-engage on my terms, and most opponents aren’t prepared for the explosive level change. The granby roll works incredibly well when timed correctly, but you need to drill it thousands of times so it becomes reflexive - in competition there’s no time to think, you just react. Against high-level opponents, you’re working with a 2-3 second window before they establish back control, so your turtle game needs to be as automatic as breathing. I also use the turtle offensively sometimes after failed guard retention to bait certain reactions that I can counter, but that’s advanced strategic play that requires reading your opponent’s tendencies.

Eddie Bravo

The turtle in 10th Planet is not just a defensive position, it’s a gateway to some of our most effective positions like the Lockdown, Deep Half, and our various truck entries. We actually encourage going to turtle in certain situations because we’ve developed such a comprehensive system for both defending and attacking from there. The key is having multiple paths programmed - if the granby doesn’t work, you flow immediately to the sit-through; if that’s stuffed, you’re already moving to the technical standup or deep half. It’s all about chains and not getting stuck on one technique. We also use a lot of unusual movements like the ‘electric chair’ entry from turtle and the twister setups that catch people completely off guard because they’re not traditional escapes. The beautiful thing about the turtle in no-gi is how dynamic it can be - without grips slowing everything down, you can generate tremendous momentum with hip movement and create scrambles that favor the person who’s drilled more scenarios. Never just sit in turtle waiting - that’s death. You’ve got to be like a coiled spring ready to explode in multiple directions based on what you feel from your opponent’s pressure.