Control Point Hierarchy

Control Point Hierarchy is a medium complexity BJJ principle applicable at the Intermediate level. Develop over Beginner to Advanced.

Principle ID: Application Level: Intermediate Complexity: Medium Development Timeline: Beginner to Advanced

What is Control Point Hierarchy?

Control Point Hierarchy is a systematic framework for understanding and applying positional dominance in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This concept organizes the progression of control from minimal contact to complete submission control, providing practitioners with a clear roadmap for advancing position and maintaining dominance. The hierarchy recognizes that certain control points provide greater positional advantage and submission opportunities than others, allowing practitioners to prioritize their efforts and make strategic decisions during live rolling and competition.

The fundamental principle underlying Control Point Hierarchy is that not all control points are created equal. A practitioner who controls the opponent’s head and one arm from side control has significantly more control than one who merely has chest-to-chest pressure. By understanding which control points matter most in each position, practitioners can efficiently advance their position while preventing opponents from escaping or countering. This systematic approach transforms grappling from random scrambling into intelligent, progressive control.

Mastery of Control Point Hierarchy requires understanding both the offensive and defensive implications of each control point. Offensively, practitioners learn to recognize which control points unlock specific attacks and position advancements. Defensively, they understand which control points must be defended at all costs to prevent submission or positional advancement. This dual understanding creates a chess-like approach to grappling where every grip, frame, and position has strategic significance within the broader hierarchy of control.

Core Components

• Control points have hierarchical value - certain grips and positions provide exponentially more control than others
• Progressive control advancement - systematically upgrade control points rather than attempting to skip levels
• Multiple simultaneous control points create compound dominance that exceeds the sum of individual controls
• Head control typically represents the highest-value control point across most positions
• Hip control enables mobility management and submission setup in both top and bottom positions
• Arm control opens submission pathways while limiting opponent’s defensive capabilities
• Control point density matters - concentrating multiple controls on fewer body parts creates greater dominance than dispersed control
• Defensive priority inverts the hierarchy - preventing high-value control points becomes paramount
• Control point transitions follow predictable patterns that can be anticipated and countered

Component Skills

Control Point Recognition: The ability to instantly identify which control points are currently established and which are available for acquisition. This includes recognizing partial control, contested control, and opportunities to upgrade existing control to higher-value positions.

Progressive Control Acquisition: Systematically advancing from lower-value to higher-value control points without losing established controls. This requires maintaining current control while extending to capture additional control points, creating cumulative dominance through layered control.

Control Point Consolidation: The ability to stabilize and strengthen control points before attempting advancement. This involves recognizing when control is tenuous and requires reinforcement versus when it is solid enough to support further progression toward submission or superior position.

Multi-Point Control Coordination: Managing multiple simultaneous control points to create compound effects. This includes understanding how head control, hip control, and limb control work synergistically to create total positional dominance that prevents escape while enabling submission attacks.

Hierarchical Defense Priority: Understanding which control points to defend first when facing multiple threats. This requires immediate recognition of which controls, if established by the opponent, would lead to the most dangerous outcomes, allowing intelligent allocation of defensive resources.

Control Point Transition Timing: Recognizing optimal moments to transition between control points based on opponent reactions and energy expenditure. This includes capitalizing on opponent mistakes, exhaustion, or predictable defensive patterns to upgrade control while minimizing risk of losing established position.

Position-Specific Control Mapping: Understanding how the control point hierarchy manifests differently across various positions. The highest-value control points in mount differ from those in back control or side control, requiring position-specific knowledge of hierarchical priorities.

Control Density Optimization: Concentrating multiple control points on strategic body parts rather than dispersing control across many areas. This includes understanding that three control points on the head and shoulders creates more dominance than six dispersed control points across the entire body.

Related Principles

• Positional Hierarchy (Complementary): Control Point Hierarchy operates within Positional Hierarchy - while positional hierarchy ranks positions themselves, control point hierarchy determines dominance within each position
• Position-Over-Submission Approach (Prerequisite): Control Point Hierarchy extends the position-over-submission philosophy by providing the systematic framework for achieving positional dominance before attempting submissions
• Control Maintenance (Extension): Control Maintenance focuses on sustaining established control, while Control Point Hierarchy provides the strategic framework for determining which controls to establish and upgrade
• Pressure Application (Complementary): Pressure Application provides the mechanical means to enforce control points identified as high-value within the hierarchy
• Frame Management (Alternative): From the defensive perspective, Frame Management represents the inverse of Control Point Hierarchy, focusing on preventing opponent control point acquisition
• Submission Control Position (Advanced form): Submission Control Position represents the apex of the Control Point Hierarchy where sufficient control points have been acquired to safely attempt finishing techniques
• Guard Retention (Complementary): Guard Retention from bottom applies hierarchical understanding to prevent opponent’s control point acquisition during guard passing attempts
• Transition Management (Extension): Transition Management governs how practitioners move between positions while maintaining established control points identified by the hierarchy
• Base Maintenance (Prerequisite): Base Maintenance provides the foundational stability required to establish and maintain control points without being swept or reversed

Application Contexts

Mount: In mount, the hierarchy prioritizes head control (gable grip, palm-to-palm, or cross-collar grips), followed by hip control (high mount positioning), then arm isolation. Each control point incrementally increases submission opportunities while decreasing escape potential.

Back Control: Back control hierarchy emphasizes seatbelt control (arm across chest), then second hook establishment, then head control for finishing. The progression from single hook to double hooks to head isolation represents clear hierarchical advancement toward submission.

Side Control: Side control hierarchy begins with chest pressure and hip connection, advances to head control (crossface or underhook), then far arm control. This progression systematically eliminates escape routes while opening submission pathways.

Knee on Belly: Knee on belly prioritizes far arm control to prevent opponent turning away, combined with near arm control or collar grip. The hierarchy recognizes that controlling the far arm is more valuable than simply maintaining knee pressure.

North-South: North-south hierarchy emphasizes head control and shoulder pressure, then transitions to arm control or kimura grips. The progression recognizes that head control prevents escape before submission control can be safely established.

Closed Guard: From bottom closed guard, hierarchy inverts - preventing opponent’s posture control and head control becomes paramount. Progressive control acquisition focuses on breaking posture, controlling sleeves or wrists, then advancing to head or back control.

Half Guard: Half guard hierarchy prioritizes underhook control as the highest value, followed by head control or whizzer defense. The underhook represents the gateway to sweeps and back takes, making it the primary control point objective.

Turtle: When attacking turtle, hierarchy prioritizes seatbelt control or far arm control, then transitions to back control or front headlock. Each control point represents progressive dominance and submission opportunity escalation.

Technical Mount: Technical mount emphasizes arm triangle control points or direct arm control, with the trapped arm representing the highest-value control. This position demonstrates how control density creates submission opportunities from partial positions.

Crucifix: Crucifix represents near-perfect control point hierarchy execution with both arms controlled and back control established. This position illustrates the apex of hierarchical control where submissions become extremely high percentage.

S Mount: S-mount hierarchy prioritizes the trapped near arm, then transitions to head control for armbar finishing. The position demonstrates how upgrading from standard mount to S-mount represents hierarchical advancement.

Kesa Gatame: Kesa Gatame emphasizes head control combined with far arm control, with the hierarchy recognizing that controlling both simultaneously creates submission opportunities while preventing escape routes.

Deep Half Guard: From deep half guard bottom, the hierarchy prioritizes securing the lockdown or outside leg hook, then establishing shoulder control or underhook to enable sweeps and back takes from this unconventional position.

X-Guard: X-guard hierarchy focuses on establishing both hooks on the same leg, then controlling opponent’s sleeve or collar to break posture. This creates the control density needed for powerful sweeps and transitions.

Ashi Garami: Ashi garami positions prioritize controlling the trapped leg at multiple points (ankle, knee, hip), then establishing upper body control through grips. The hierarchical leg control enables leg lock attacks while preventing escapes.

Decision Framework

1. Assess current control point status in your position: Identify which control points you currently hold, which are contested, and which are available for acquisition. Recognize gaps in your control that opponent might exploit for escape or counter-attack.
2. Determine highest-value available control point for your position: Based on position-specific hierarchy (head control in side control, underhook in half guard, seatbelt in back control), identify the single most valuable control point currently accessible to you.
3. Evaluate whether current control is sufficient to pursue upgrade: Determine if your existing control points are stable enough to support attempting acquisition of higher-value control. If current control is tenuous, consolidate before advancing.
4. Execute control point acquisition while maintaining existing controls: Systematically work to establish the identified high-value control point without sacrificing controls you already hold. Use base, pressure, and grip fighting to progressively upgrade control.
5. Recognize opponent’s defensive priorities and create reactions: When opponent defends your primary control point objective, recognize which alternative control points become available through their defensive commitment. Use feints to create control opportunities.
6. Assess when sufficient control density exists for submission attempts: Determine whether you have established enough high-value control points to safely attempt submissions. Recognize that premature submission attempts from insufficient control lead to position loss.
7. Monitor opponent’s control point acquisition attempts: Continuously assess whether opponent is working to establish their own control points. Prioritize defending high-value control points they’re pursuing before they achieve full establishment.
8. Decide between maintaining current hierarchy level or position advancement: Evaluate whether to continue upgrading control within current position or to transition to a higher position in the positional hierarchy. Sometimes maintaining dominant control in current position is superior to advancing to weaker control in higher position.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Attempting to establish multiple control points simultaneously without securing any individual control first
  • Consequence: Results in weak, easily broken control where opponent can escape because no single control point is properly established. Creates scrambles where neither practitioner has clear control.
  • Correction: Focus on establishing one high-value control point completely before attempting to add secondary controls. Build control progressively rather than attempting to establish everything at once.
• Mistake: Pursuing submission attempts before achieving sufficient control point density
  • Consequence: Opponent easily defends or escapes submission attempts because foundational control is inadequate. Often results in losing dominant position entirely while chasing low-percentage submissions.
  • Correction: Follow position-over-submission principle by systematically establishing required control points before attempting finishes. Recognize specific control prerequisites for each submission type.
• Mistake: Treating all control points as equally valuable within a position
  • Consequence: Wastes energy and creates opportunities for opponent by fighting for low-value controls while neglecting high-value controls. Results in apparent control that lacks practical dominance.
  • Correction: Study position-specific control hierarchies to understand which grips and controls matter most. Prioritize efforts toward high-value controls and willingly sacrifice low-value controls when necessary.
• Mistake: Failing to recognize when control points are contested versus fully established
  • Consequence: Prematurely advancing to next level of control while current control remains contested, allowing opponent to break free or reverse position during the transition.
  • Correction: Consolidate contested control points before attempting advancement. Use pressure, base adjustment, and grip fighting to convert contested controls into fully established controls before progression.
• Mistake: Ignoring defensive control point hierarchy when bottom or defensive
  • Consequence: Expends energy defending low-value control points while allowing opponent to establish critical controls. Results in progressive dominance by opponent leading to submission or pin.
  • Correction: Understand inverted hierarchy from defensive perspective - prioritize preventing head control, underhooks, and other high-value controls even if it means conceding less important control points.
• Mistake: Dispersing control across many body parts instead of concentrating control density
  • Consequence: Creates appearance of control without actual dominance, as opponent can escape by defeating any single weak control point. Lacks the compound effect of concentrated control.
  • Correction: Concentrate multiple control points on strategic body parts (head and one arm, both arms, hips and one arm). Recognize that three controls on two body parts exceeds six controls dispersed across six body parts.
• Mistake: Maintaining static control without progressive advancement through hierarchy
  • Consequence: Stalls in positions without advancing toward submission or superior position. Allows opponent time to develop escapes, burns energy maintaining position without productive advancement.
  • Correction: Continuously work to upgrade control points even from dominant positions. View each position as temporary waypoint in progressive control advancement rather than final destination.

Training Methods

Positional Sparring with Control Point Constraints (Focus: Develops recognition of which control points unlock advancement and how to systematically pursue them under resistance. Builds defensive awareness of critical control points to defend.) Practice specific positions (mount, side control, back control) where each partner focuses explicitly on acquiring/denying specific control points within the hierarchy. Reset whenever key control point is lost or gained.

Progressive Control Drilling (Focus: Ingrains the sequential nature of control advancement and proper mechanics for transitioning between control levels while maintaining previously established controls.) Start from neutral position and systematically work through control point hierarchy with cooperative partner. Example: side control progression from initial chest pressure to crossface to head control to arm isolation to submission position.

Control Point Identification Analysis (Focus: Develops pattern recognition for control point hierarchies and understanding of how elite practitioners systematically build control rather than randomly acquiring grips.) Review footage of high-level matches or personal rolling footage specifically analyzing control point acquisition sequences. Map out which controls practitioners establish and in what order before successful submissions or position advancements.

Hierarchy-Based Position Maintenance (Focus: Builds ability to recognize when control points are threatened and respond appropriately. Develops understanding of which controls are weight-bearing for overall positional control.) Maintain dominant positions (mount, back control, side control) against progressively resistant partners while explicitly verbalizing which control points you’re maintaining. Partner works to break specific controls in hierarchical order.

Inverted Hierarchy Escape Drilling (Focus: Develops defensive understanding of control point hierarchy and strategic allocation of defensive resources toward preventing most dangerous controls first.) From bottom positions, practice escape sequences that prioritize preventing or breaking opponent’s highest-value control points. Example: side control escape beginning with preventing crossface rather than attempting to shrimp immediately.

Control Density Experiments (Focus: Empirically demonstrates superiority of concentrated control density over dispersed control, reinforcing concept that control point selection matters more than control point quantity.) Compare maintenance of position with dispersed control (six different grip/contact points) versus concentrated control (three grips on head and one arm). Test which configuration provides greater actual control against resistance.

Mastery Indicators

Beginner Level:

• Recognizes basic control points (grips, head position, hip position) but does not yet understand hierarchical relationships between them
• Tends to establish random controls based on what feels available rather than systematically pursuing high-value controls
• Frequently loses dominant positions by releasing important controls while pursuing submissions or position changes
• Defends all control points equally without recognizing which controls pose greatest threat

Intermediate Level:

• Understands position-specific control hierarchies (head control priority in side control, underhook priority in half guard)
• Can identify when current control is sufficient for submission attempts versus requiring further consolidation
• Systematically works through control progressions rather than attempting to establish all controls simultaneously
• Recognizes high-value control points to defend when in bottom or defensive positions
• Occasionally still pursues low-percentage submissions from insufficient control but recognizes the error afterward

Advanced Level:

• Fluidly transitions through control point hierarchies across multiple positions during continuous rolling
• Uses control point acquisition timing to capitalize on opponent reactions and energy expenditure
• Demonstrates clear understanding of control density principles by concentrating multiple controls strategically
• Rarely loses dominant positions due to premature submission attempts or control point abandonment
• Can articulate which specific control points are preventing escape when maintaining dominant positions
• Efficiently allocates defensive resources toward preventing highest-value control points when bottom

Expert Level:

• Demonstrates seamless integration of control point hierarchy with positional hierarchy for complete strategic dominance
• Creates control point dilemmas where opponent’s defense of one control opens pathways to alternative high-value controls
• Exhibits position maintenance that appears effortless due to perfect control point selection and minimal necessary control density
• Can maintain dominant control while opponent expends maximum energy attempting escape, demonstrating efficiency through hierarchical understanding
• Teaches control point concepts effectively to others using clear hierarchical frameworks and position-specific applications
• Adapts control point priorities based on opponent’s specific defensive patterns and physical attributes

Related Content

• Positional Hierarchy (Principle) - Parent concept that ranks positions themselves, while Control Point Hierarchy addresses dominance within positions
• Position-Over-Submission Approach (Principle) - Strategic philosophy that Control Point Hierarchy operationalizes through systematic control acquisition
• Control Maintenance (Principle) - Complementary concept focusing on sustaining controls identified as high-value by hierarchy
• Mount (Position) - Premier position where control point hierarchy manifests through head control, high mount, and arm isolation progression
• Back Control (Position) - Highest-value position where seatbelt, hooks, and head control hierarchy determines submission success
• Side Control (Position) - Common position demonstrating hierarchy from chest pressure to crossface to head and arm control
• Pressure Application (Principle) - Mechanical means of enforcing control points identified within hierarchy
• Frame Management (Principle) - Defensive inverse of control point hierarchy focused on preventing opponent’s control acquisition
• Submission Control Position (Principle) - Terminal state of control point hierarchy where sufficient controls enable safe submission attempts
• Half Guard (Position) - Position where underhook control represents apex of hierarchy for bottom player
• Crucifix (Position) - Exemplifies maximum control point density with both arms and back simultaneously controlled
• Transition Management (Principle) - Governs how practitioners move between positions while maintaining established control points

Expert Insights

• John Danaher: Control Point Hierarchy represents one of the most significant conceptual frameworks in systematic jiu-jitsu. The fundamental insight is that grappling control is not binary - you do not simply have control or lack control. Instead, control exists on a spectrum defined by the specific points of contact and constraint you maintain on your opponent’s body. By understanding this hierarchy, you transform grappling from an art of random grip fighting into a systematic science of progressive control acquisition. The hierarchy teaches us that head control typically represents the highest value across most positions because controlling the head controls the body’s orientation and mobility. Similarly, controlling the hips provides mobility management while arm control opens submission pathways. The critical advancement in understanding comes from recognizing that these control points have multiplicative rather than additive effects - establishing head control and one arm control creates exponentially more dominance than the sum of those individual controls. This is the principle of control density, where concentrating multiple controls on fewer body parts generates compound effects that exceed dispersed control across many points. My systematic approach to position advancement always emphasizes this hierarchical progression: establish fundamental control, consolidate that control, then systematically upgrade to higher-value control points before attempting submissions. This patient, progressive methodology may appear slower initially, but it generates far higher success rates because submissions attempted from proper control hierarchies become nearly inevitable rather than speculative.
• Gordon Ryan: In competition, understanding control point hierarchy is the difference between dominating opponents and getting stuck in stalemates. I learned from Danaher that you can’t just randomly grab stuff and hope it works - you need to know exactly which controls open up which attacks and position advancements. When I’m on top in side control, my immediate priority is establishing a crossface or head control, not just laying heavy. That head control is what prevents the hip escape and the turn-in, which are the two fundamental side control escapes. Once I have that locked down, then I work for arm control or transition to mount, but never before the head control is solid. Same thing from back control - the seatbelt is non-negotiable before I even think about going for the choke. I see so many competitors throw on a body triangle or grab a collar grip without securing the seatbelt first, and good opponents immediately escape because the foundational control was never established. The hierarchy teaches you to be patient and systematic, building control progressively rather than gambling on low-percentage attacks from insufficient control. This is how I maintain such high control time in my matches - I’m not doing anything fancy, I’m just religiously following the control point hierarchy for each position. It’s also why my submission rate is so high - by the time I attempt a submission, I’ve stacked so many control points that my opponent has virtually no defensive options remaining. The hierarchy tells you exactly what needs to be in place before you can safely attack, eliminating the guesswork and dramatically increasing your finishing percentage.
• Eddie Bravo: The beautiful thing about understanding control point hierarchy is it gives you a framework for inventing new positions and techniques. Once you understand which controls matter most - head, hips, arms - you can start experimenting with unconventional ways to establish those controls. That’s how positions like the Lockdown Half Guard and the Truck developed - I recognized that the lockdown gave me hip control from bottom half guard, which is high-value in the hierarchy even though it looks completely different from traditional half guard control. The rubber guard system is entirely built on control point hierarchy principles, just applied from closed guard bottom. By controlling the head with my leg and controlling the arm with my hands, I’m establishing two high-value control points simultaneously, which is why the position enables so many attacks despite being unconventional. What I’ve found is that the hierarchy isn’t about specific grips or orthodox positions - it’s about the fundamental control points themselves. You can establish head control with a crossface, with your leg, with a collar grip, with an overhook - the mechanical details vary, but the hierarchical value remains constant. This understanding freed me to experiment with creative control methods that traditional jiu-jitsu might dismiss but that achieve the same hierarchical objectives through different mechanics. The other insight is that understanding the hierarchy helps you create control point dilemmas where defending one high-value control necessarily exposes another. That’s the essence of 10th Planet strategy - force opponents to choose which critical control they’ll give up, then exploit whichever option they choose. It’s chess with the body, and the control point hierarchy gives you the strategic framework to think multiple moves ahead.