The Back Control to Crucifix transition represents a critical advancement in back attack systems, converting standard rear mount dominance into an even more controlling and submission-rich position. This transition capitalizes on the opponent’s defensive hand fighting and arm positioning, transforming their defensive frames into liabilities. When executed properly, the crucifix provides superior control over both of the opponent’s arms while maintaining back exposure, creating a near-inescapable submission platform. The transition typically occurs when the bottom player attempts to defend the rear naked choke by gripping their own collar or creating defensive frames with their arms. Understanding this positional flow is essential for any serious back attack specialist, as it represents the logical evolution from basic back control to a more sophisticated control position that dramatically increases submission percentages while minimizing escape opportunities.
Starting Position: Back Control Ending Position: Crucifix Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Key Principles
- Maintain at least one hook throughout the transition to preserve back control
- Use opponent’s defensive arm positioning as the entry mechanism
- Control the near-side arm first before attempting to trap the far arm
- Keep chest pressure on opponent’s upper back to prevent forward escape
- Transition weight distribution smoothly from bilateral hooks to asymmetric control
- Isolate arms before securing body position to prevent defensive recovery
- Maintain connection to opponent’s back throughout the entire sequence
Prerequisites
- Established back control with at least one hook inserted
- Opponent’s arms are defensive and exposed (not tucked tight to body)
- Seatbelt grip or harness control actively maintained
- Opponent attempting to defend choke by hand fighting or gripping own collar
- Sufficient space between opponent’s elbow and ribcage to insert knee
- Control of opponent’s posture preventing them from turning into you
- Base established to prevent being rolled during transition
Execution Steps
- Secure the choking arm: From back control with seatbelt grip, thread your choking-side hand deep across opponent’s neck while maintaining your other hook. The choking hand should be palm-down with your forearm cutting across the front of their throat, establishing the foundation for rear naked choke threat that will force defensive reactions. (Timing: Execute when opponent is not actively turning or escaping)
- Bait the defensive grip: Apply moderate pressure with your choking arm to force opponent to commit both hands to defending their neck. They will typically grab your choking wrist with both hands or grip their own collar defensively, which exposes both arms away from their body and creates the window for crucifix entry. (Timing: Wait for both opponent’s hands to elevate toward neck defense)
- Remove the top hook: Extract your top-side hook (same side as your choking arm) while maintaining bottom hook deeply inserted. This hook removal is critical - your knee will replace this hook’s function by coming over the top of opponent’s trapped arm. Keep your chest pressure tight to their back during this adjustment. (Timing: Remove hook smoothly when opponent is focused on hand fighting)
- Thread the knee over trapped arm: Bring your top-side knee over and across the opponent’s near-side arm (same side as your choking arm), inserting your shin across their upper back while your knee comes to the mat on the far side of their body. Your shin should pin their arm to their own body, with your knee creating a wedge that prevents arm extraction. (Timing: Move knee over immediately after hook removal)
- Secure the second arm: Release your bottom-side underhook and reach across to control opponent’s far-side wrist or forearm. Pull this arm across their body while your shin pressure maintains control of the near arm. You are now controlling both arms - one pinned under your shin, one controlled by your grip. (Timing: Grip far arm before opponent recognizes the transition)
- Complete crucifix position: Pull the far arm underneath your bottom-side armpit while maintaining shin pressure on near arm. Your bottom hook remains inserted for stability. Both opponent’s arms are now immobilized - near arm trapped under your leg, far arm controlled under your armpit. Adjust your body angle to face more toward opponent’s head for optimal submission angles. (Timing: Finalize position with controlled pressure, no rushing)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent tucks arms tight to body defensively (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Maintain back control and use alternative attacks like body triangle or gift wrap. Wait for opponent to extend arms when defending choke attempts, then re-enter crucifix sequence.
- Opponent rolls toward you during transition (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Keep bottom hook deeply inserted and use it to prevent the roll. If they do roll, maintain connection and transition to mounted crucifix or standard mount rather than losing position entirely.
- Opponent pulls trapped arm free during knee insertion (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Immediately return to standard back control with both hooks. Re-establish seatbelt grip and restart the sequence when opponent commits hands to neck defense again.
- Opponent bridges and turns into guard (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Your bottom hook and shin pressure should prevent this if properly maintained. If they start bridging, increase chest pressure and adjust your weight distribution to keep them flat.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: Why is maintaining the bottom hook critical throughout the back control to crucifix transition? A: The bottom hook serves as your primary anchor and prevents opponent from turning into you during the transition. Removing both hooks simultaneously creates space for opponent to escape or reverse position. The bottom hook maintains back exposure and provides base stability while your top-side leg transitions to the shin-pin configuration. Without this hook, you lose the positional foundation that defines back control and risk complete position loss during the vulnerable transition phase.
Q2: What defensive reaction from the opponent creates the optimal window for initiating the crucifix transition? A: When the opponent commits both hands to defending the rear naked choke by grabbing your choking wrist or their own collar, their arms become extended away from their body and vulnerable to control. This defensive posture is exactly what the crucifix transition exploits - the opponent’s own defensive frames become the mechanism for their entrapment. Without this arm extension, attempting the transition is premature and likely to fail.
Q3: How should your shin be positioned when pinning the opponent’s near-side arm during the crucifix transition? A: Your shin should cross perpendicular to the opponent’s upper arm and shoulder, with the shin bone creating pressure that pins their arm to their own body. Your knee should drive all the way to the mat on the far side of their body, creating a wedge that prevents arm extraction. The shin placement should be high on their arm, close to the shoulder, rather than on their forearm where they have more mechanical advantage to escape.
Q4: What is the most common consequence of rushing to capture the far-side arm before securing the near-side arm properly? A: Rushing to the far arm allows the opponent to recognize the crucifix attempt and pull their far arm away to safety, leaving you with incomplete control and a compromised position. Additionally, focusing on the far arm before securing the near arm with shin pressure means the near arm may slip free during your attempt, resulting in no arms controlled and a failed transition with wasted energy and position degradation.
Q5: How does the crucifix position improve upon standard back control in terms of submission opportunities? A: The crucifix eliminates the opponent’s primary defensive tools - their arms - by controlling both simultaneously in different mechanisms (one under your shin, one under your armpit). In standard back control, the opponent can still use their arms to defend chokes, create frames, and grip defensively. The crucifix removes these options entirely, making chokes, armbars, and shoulder locks significantly easier to complete with minimal defensive interference. This creates a near-perfect submission platform where attack success rates dramatically increase.
Q6: What should you do if the opponent successfully tucks both arms tight to their body, preventing crucifix entry? A: Return to standard back control with both hooks and seatbelt grip, maintaining dominant position rather than forcing a failed transition. Use alternative attacks like body triangle, gift wrap variations, or traditional rear naked choke setups to create reactions. Wait patiently for the opponent to extend their arms when defending your attacks, then re-enter the crucifix sequence when the proper opening appears. Never abandon superior position chasing a specific technique.
Safety Considerations
The back control to crucifix transition involves significant pressure on the opponent’s shoulders, arms, and neck area, requiring controlled execution to prevent injury. When training this transition, communicate clearly with your partner and move through positions deliberately rather than explosively, especially during the shin insertion phase where sudden pressure can stress shoulder joints. The opponent’s arms are placed in vulnerable positions during this transition, particularly the far arm which can be at risk for shoulder or elbow hyperextension if cranked aggressively. Always allow your partner to tap before completing armbars or shoulder locks from crucifix, and release pressure immediately when feeling resistance. When being controlled in crucifix yourself, tap early if you feel joint stress rather than attempting to muscle out of the position. Newer practitioners should drill this transition at slow speeds until mechanics are ingrained, as rushing the movement can result in neck compression or shoulder strain for both parties. Ensure proper mat space when practicing to prevent accidental collisions with other training pairs during the dynamic transition phases.
Position Integration
The back control to crucifix transition occupies a critical position in modern back attack systems, representing the logical evolution when standard back control submissions are being effectively defended. This transition integrates into the larger back attack hierarchy by providing an alternative path when rear naked chokes are defended through hand fighting or collar grips. The crucifix serves as both a destination position for submissions and a waypoint toward mounted crucifix or return to standard back control, creating a positional flow that prevents stagnation. Within the Danaher Death Squad and modern no-gi systems, the crucifix is considered one of the highest-value positions due to its dual-arm control mechanism, placing it alongside truck position and inside sankaku in terms of submission efficiency. The transition also connects to gift wrap position, as many practitioners use gift wrap as a preliminary arm trap before completing full crucifix control. Understanding this transition elevates your back attack game from basic choke attempts to a sophisticated system of interconnected positions that systematically remove defensive options. Competition data shows that practitioners who actively hunt for crucifix from back control have significantly higher submission rates than those who rely solely on rear naked choke variations, making this transition essential knowledge for serious competitors.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The crucifix transition from back control represents one of the most mechanically sound advancements in positional hierarchy available in grappling. What makes this transition particularly valuable from a systematic perspective is that it converts the opponent’s intelligent defensive behavior - hand fighting against the rear naked choke - into the very mechanism of their increased entrapment. This is the essence of dilemma-based grappling: creating scenarios where the opponent’s best defensive option actually worsens their position. The biomechanics of the crucifix are fascinating because you’re utilizing three distinct control mechanisms simultaneously: the bottom hook maintains back exposure and prevents rotation, the shin creates perpendicular leverage against one arm preventing extraction, and your grip controls the second arm through direct mechanical advantage. No single control point would be sufficient, but the combination creates a nearly escape-proof configuration. When teaching this transition, I emphasize the critical importance of maintaining at least one hook throughout the entire sequence - this is your anchor to reality. Students who rush to remove both hooks in pursuit of the crucifix often find themselves in scrambles they could have avoided. The transition should feel inevitable, not desperate. Move through each phase with deliberate control, understanding that the quality of your crucifix position is directly proportional to the precision of your transitional mechanics.
- Gordon Ryan: In high-level competition, the crucifix has become one of my most reliable finishing positions because opponents simply cannot defend effectively once both arms are controlled. The transition from back control happens most frequently when I’m attacking the rear naked choke and my opponent makes the mistake of fighting my hands with both of their hands - this is the exact moment I switch my objective from finishing the choke to entering crucifix. Against elite competitors, you have to be opportunistic and recognize these windows instantly because they close quickly. What I’ve found in ADCC and other major competitions is that even world-class grapplers make predictable defensive patterns from back control, and the crucifix punishes these patterns perfectly. The key technical detail that elevated my crucifix game was understanding that you don’t need to rush the position - maintain your bottom hook, secure the first arm with your shin, and only then worry about the second arm. Too many guys try to grab both arms at once and end up with nothing. From crucifix, I have extremely high finishing rates with the straight armbar on the trapped arm because the opponent has no ability to defend or adjust their positioning. This transition should be part of every competitor’s back attack system because it dramatically increases your submission percentage when standard rear naked choke setups are being defended. The position is also psychologically devastating for opponents because they realize both their arms are completely useless and there’s very little they can do to improve their situation.
- Eddie Bravo: The crucifix from back control is one of those positions that fits perfectly into the 10th Planet philosophy of creating absolute control before hunting submissions. What I love about this transition is that it takes an already dominant position - back control - and makes it even more inescapable by removing the opponent’s ability to hand fight or create defensive frames. In our system, we look at the crucifix as part of the Twister Side Control family of positions because they all share the same principle: pin one arm with your leg, control the other arm with your grip, and now you own both their arms while maintaining back exposure. The innovation we’ve added is connecting this to our truck position and electric chair setups, creating a web of interconnected positions where each one flows into the others. When teaching this at 10th Planet, I emphasize using the choke threat as bait - really sell that rear naked choke attempt so the opponent commits both hands to defense, then capitalize on that commitment by trapping those defensive hands. One variation we use a lot is transitioning to mounted crucifix by swinging the leg all the way over rather than keeping the bottom hook, which gives you even more control and opens up different submission angles. The beauty of the crucifix is that it’s not just a finishing position - it’s also a gateway to other attacks. If the armbar isn’t there, you can transition to chokes, if chokes aren’t working you can move to shoulder locks, and if everything is defended you can always return to standard back control. That’s the kind of positional fluidity that makes modern grappling so effective - never getting stuck in one position, always flowing to the next attack.