Back Defense Protocol is a intermediate difficulty Defense System system. Integrates 4 components.
System ID: System Type: Defense System Difficulty Level: Intermediate
What is Back Defense Protocol?
The Back Defense Protocol is a comprehensive defensive framework designed to systematically escape from back control, one of the most dominant positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This system prioritizes survival through chin protection and hand fighting, followed by methodical hip escapes and guard recovery. The protocol emphasizes preventing the finish first, then creating space and frames to escape the position entirely. Unlike reactive scrambling, this system teaches practitioners to follow a clear hierarchy of defensive actions: protect the neck, fight the grips, create frames, hip escape, and recover guard or standing position. The framework scales from fundamental survival techniques for beginners to advanced re-guard strategies for experienced practitioners. By mastering this protocol, students develop the confidence and technical skill to remain calm under back control pressure and systematically work their way back to safety.
Core Principles
- Chin protection is the absolute priority - survival before escape
- Hand fighting disrupts choking mechanics and buys time
- Create frames between your body and opponent’s chest
- Hip movement generates space for escape pathways
- Systematic progression from survival to escape to recovery
- Stay connected to the mat to prevent opponent from fully securing hooks
- Never give up both underhooks simultaneously
Key Components
Chin Protection and Grip Fighting (Prevent the submission and buy time to execute escape sequences) The first line of defense involves tucking the chin to throat and using both hands to strip choking grips. This component teaches practitioners to recognize choke threats early and employ proper hand positioning to defend the neck. Advanced variations include two-on-one grip breaks and preemptive hand fighting to prevent grips from being established in the first place.
Frame Creation and Posture Management (Generate and maintain space necessary for hip escape movements) Creating defensive frames between your shoulder and the opponent’s chest prevents them from flattening you out and securing dominant control. This involves maintaining space through proper elbow positioning and using your shoulder as a wedge. The frames must be strong enough to prevent collapse while allowing mobility for hip movement.
Hip Escape Sequences (Create the physical space and angles needed to remove hooks and escape back control) Systematic hip movement patterns that allow you to work from flat on your back to your side, then to your knees or guard. This includes shrimping away from the choking arm, rotating your hips to face the opponent, and using your legs to create additional barriers. The sequence progresses through multiple stages until hooks are cleared and position is escaped.
Guard Recovery Protocols (Complete the escape by returning to a neutral or advantageous position) Once hooks are cleared and space is created, this component teaches the transition back to closed guard, turtle, or standing position. It includes recognizing which recovery option is available based on opponent’s reactions and maintaining defensive frames during the transition to prevent counter-attacks or submission attempts during the escape.
Implementation Sequence
- Immediate Survival: Upon recognizing back control, immediately protect your neck by tucking chin to chest and bringing both hands to defend against any choking attempts. Fight any grips on your collar or around your neck using two-on-one control. Key points:
- Chin stays tight to chest - create no space for forearm insertion
- Both hands fight the choking arm if choke is attempted
- Stay calm and control breathing despite pressure
- Never allow opponent to secure figure-four grip on your neck
- Establish Defensive Frames: Create a frame with your shoulder against the opponent’s chest on the choking side. Your elbow should be inside their hip, preventing them from flattening you completely. Maintain connection to the mat with your shoulder blades. Key points:
- Inside elbow drives into opponent’s hip
- Shoulder wedge prevents chest-to-back connection
- Keep weight on your shoulder, not flat on back
- Maintain frame integrity while preparing hip movement
- Initial Hip Escape: Begin shrimping your hips away from the choking side while maintaining your defensive frames. Work to get your hips perpendicular to the opponent rather than flat on your back. Your goal is to start clearing the first hook. Key points:
- Shrimp away from the danger side (choking arm)
- Use your legs to push against the mat for leverage
- Rotate your body toward the opponent progressively
- Clear the bottom hook first as you turn in
- Hook Removal: As you turn to face the opponent, use your arms to strip their hooks from your hips. Your inside arm blocks the top hook while your outside leg works to step over or clear the bottom hook. Continue rotating until both hooks are removed. Key points:
- Inside arm blocks top hook from re-establishing
- Outside leg steps over bottom hook
- Maintain chin protection throughout transition
- Don’t stop moving until both hooks are cleared
- Guard Recovery: Once hooks are cleared and you’re facing the opponent, immediately establish closed guard by wrapping your legs around their waist, or transition to turtle position if they’re driving forward. If they create distance, work to technical standup or combat base. Key points:
- Close guard immediately if space allows
- Turtle is acceptable if opponent drives forward aggressively
- Maintain hand fighting to prevent re-attack
- Establish grips to secure your recovered position
- Position Consolidation: Secure your recovered position by establishing strong grips, controlling posture, and ensuring all threats are neutralized. Take a moment to reset your gameplan rather than immediately counter-attacking from a defensive mindset. Key points:
- Establish dominant grips in your recovered position
- Control opponent’s posture to prevent immediate re-attack
- Reset mentally before transitioning to offensive game
- Ensure you’ve fully escaped before advancing position
How to Measure Your Progress
Survival Time Under Back Control: Measure how long you can maintain defensive position without getting submitted when starting from established back control during positional sparring Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: 30-60 seconds against equal skill opponents
- Intermediate: 2-3 minutes against equal skill opponents
- Advanced: Can survive indefinitely while working escapes against equal skill opponents
- Expert: Can survive and escape against higher belts regularly
Escape Success Rate: Track percentage of back control situations where you successfully return to guard or neutral position during live training Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: 20-30% escape rate against equal skill
- Intermediate: 50-60% escape rate against equal skill
- Advanced: 70-80% escape rate against equal skill
- Expert: 60%+ escape rate against higher skill opponents
Technical Efficiency During Escape: Evaluate whether escapes follow systematic protocol versus random explosive movements. Coach or training partner assessment of technique quality. Proficiency indicators:
- Follows chin protection protocol automatically without thinking
- Creates frames before attempting hip movement
- Executes hip escapes in proper sequence
- Maintains defensive integrity throughout entire escape process
Recovery Position Quality: Assess what position you achieve after escaping back control and how secure that position is Proficiency indicators:
- Beginner: Reaches turtle or open guard but often gets passed immediately
- Intermediate: Establishes closed guard or combat base with basic control
- Advanced: Recovers to closed guard with strong grips and posture control
- Expert: Can choose recovery position strategically and establish immediate advantage
Expert Insights
- John Danaher: The back defense protocol must be understood as a systematic hierarchy where each layer of defense has a specific purpose and must be executed in precise order. The first layer is chin protection - this is non-negotiable and must be maintained regardless of what else is happening. The second layer is grip fighting to prevent the opponent from securing the mechanics of a strangle. Only after these two layers are secure can you begin working on the third layer, which is creating frames to prevent being flattened. The fourth layer is hip movement to clear hooks, and the final layer is guard recovery. Many practitioners fail because they attempt to skip layers or execute them out of order. They try to clear hooks before securing their neck, or they attempt explosive escapes before establishing frames. This is analogous to trying to build the third floor of a building before the foundation is complete. Each defensive layer must be solid before progressing to the next. Additionally, understand that the opponent’s primary goal is to flatten you completely, because a flattened opponent has no hip mobility and therefore no escape potential. Your frames and connection to the mat are what prevent this flattening. The shoulder wedge against their chest is not merely creating space - it’s maintaining your ability to move your hips, which is the engine of all escapes from back control.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, back control is one of the highest percentage finishing positions, which means your back defense has to be absolutely airtight if you want to win matches at high levels. Here’s what I focus on: first, never let them flatten you completely. I’ve tapped black belts and even world champions from back control, and it almost always starts with me successfully flattening them and removing their ability to hip escape. So your number one job is keeping that shoulder wedge and staying on your side. Second, your chin protection needs to be proactive, not reactive. Don’t wait until you feel the forearm sliding under your chin - your chin should already be tucked and your hands should already be fighting grips before they even attempt the choke. Third, and this is crucial for competition, you need to practice your escapes under severe fatigue. Most people can escape back control when they’re fresh, but in the third match of the day when you’re exhausted, can you still execute the technical sequence? That’s what matters. I drill back escapes at the end of hard training sessions specifically for this reason. Finally, understand that getting to turtle during your escape is not a failure - it’s often a necessary step. Too many people try to go directly from back control to closed guard and end up getting submitted or having their back taken again. Sometimes turtle is the smart intermediate position that lets you fully clear the situation before recovering to guard or standing.
- Eddie Bravo: The traditional back escape is solid, but I’ve found that being creative with your defensive movements can really throw off your opponent’s rhythm and timing. In 10th Planet, we emphasize the importance of constant motion and unpredictability even when defending. Instead of just shrimping in one direction repeatedly, we mix up our hip movements - sometimes we’ll even fake an escape in one direction to get them to over-commit, then escape the other way. One thing that’s huge for back defense is developing flexibility in your hips and spine. If you can get really flexible, you can create angles and spaces that someone attacking your back doesn’t expect. The traditional protocol is great for fundamentals, but once you have those down, start experimenting with different timing and rhythm changes. Also, don’t forget about using your legs defensively. A lot of people focus so much on their upper body frames and hand fighting that they forget their legs can be incredibly useful for blocking hooks and creating barriers. We drill a lot of what we call ‘active defensive guard recovery’ where instead of just trying to survive and then escape, you’re constantly setting up your recovery position throughout the entire escape sequence. This means that by the time you clear the second hook, you’re already halfway into your closed guard rather than having to build it from scratch. The mental game is huge too - you can’t panic. I’ve trained guys to literally meditate while someone has their back, just to build that comfort level. If you can stay calm and think clearly under back control, you’ll execute your techniques way better than if you’re freaking out.