From the attacker’s perspective, the New York Control entry from Rubber Guard is an incremental upgrade rather than a wholesale repositioning. You already own the trapped arm and broken posture from Rubber Guard; your job is to raise the controlling leg from across the back up onto the shoulder line and deepen the overhook until the New York kinetic chain closes. The single most important attacking concept is that the overhook is the anchor and the leg is the variable - the overhook never loosens while the leg walks upward. You use your free hand to assist the leg-walk and your hips to rotate toward the overhook side, creating the characteristic New York angle that makes the shin-over-shoulder position sustainable.
Timing is everything. The cleanest entry happens when the opponent’s posture is already broken and their head is below their hip line, because raising your leg in that window meets no posture resistance. If you try to walk the leg up against a posturing opponent you simply feed them the space to extract the trapped arm. Read the posture first, commit the leg-walk second, and lock the overhook deep the instant the shin clears the shoulder. Once locked, you are immediately in finishing range for gogoplata, triangle, and omoplata, so the entry should flow without pause into your first submission threat to deny the opponent any chance to defend the new configuration.
From Position: Rubber Guard (Bottom)
Key Attacking Principles
What are the key principles for executing New York Control Entry from Rubber Guard?
- Keep the overhook locked as a constant anchor while the controlling leg walks upward - never trade overhook depth for leg height
- Walk the leg up only when the opponent’s posture is already broken and their head sits below their hip line
- Use your free hand to assist the controlling leg from across the back up onto the shoulder line
- Rotate your hips toward the overhook side to create the New York angle that makes the shin-over-shoulder position sustainable
- Maintain trapped-arm control throughout - the arm must stay deep across your centerline during the leg-walk
- Flow immediately into a gogoplata or triangle threat the instant the entry completes to deny defensive reorganization
- Abort to retained Rubber Guard rather than force the upgrade if the opponent explodes their posture mid-entry
Prerequisites
What do you need before attempting New York Control Entry from Rubber Guard?
- Established Rubber Guard with the opponent’s near arm trapped across your chest
- Opponent’s posture broken with their head below their hip line
- Deep overhook available or already threaded on the trapped-arm side
- Free hand available to assist walking the controlling leg upward
- Sufficient hip and hamstring flexibility to raise the shin over the shoulder line
Execution Steps
How do you execute New York Control Entry from Rubber Guard step by step?
- Confirm the arm trap and broken posture: Verify your controlling leg has the opponent’s near arm pinned across your chest and their head is broken below their hip line. Without this foundation the leg-walk simply gives them room to extract the arm and posture up.
- Thread the overhook deep: On the same side as the controlling leg, thread your arm under the opponent’s trapped arm and shoulder until your hand can clasp behind their shoulder, their neck, or your own shin. Drive the elbow toward the ceiling so the overhook bites and cannot be posted out.
- Establish a free-hand assist grip: Reach your free hand to your controlling shin or ankle so you can actively walk the leg upward. This grip lets you raise the leg with arm strength rather than relying on hip flexors alone, which preserves the position if your flexibility is taxed.
- Walk the controlling leg up onto the shoulder: Using the free-hand assist, slide the controlling shin from across the opponent’s back upward until it rests over their near shoulder and against the side of their neck. Keep the shin in contact with their body throughout so no posting space opens during the climb.
- Rotate hips to the New York angle: As the shin clears the shoulder, rotate your hips toward the overhook side so your body is angled rather than square to the opponent. This angle is what makes the shin-over-shoulder position sustainable and aligns you for the gogoplata and triangle finishes.
- Lock the deep overhook to close the chain: Re-clasp the overhook hand to your own shin or behind the opponent’s shoulder so the trapped arm and controlling leg form a closed kinetic chain. At this point New York Control is established and the opponent cannot easily posture, post, or extract the arm.
- Flow into the first submission threat: Without pausing, shoot the shin across the throat for gogoplata or kick the leg over the head for triangle, depending on the opponent’s defensive reaction. Entering directly into a threat denies them the moment they would need to reorganize against the new configuration.
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | New York Control | 57% |
| Failure | Rubber Guard | 28% |
| Counter | Open Guard | 15% |
Opponent Counters
How might your opponent counter New York Control Entry from Rubber Guard?
- Opponent explodes their posture upward as your leg leaves the back, before the shin reaches the shoulder (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Abandon the upgrade and re-clamp the shin across their back to retain standard Rubber Guard rather than chasing the failed climb → Leads to Rubber Guard
- Opponent drives their head and chest forward to stack you as the leg climbs (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Use the stack momentum to kick the climbing leg fully over the head into a triangle rather than fighting back to a square base → Leads to New York Control
- Opponent rips the trapped arm free during the moment your free hand assists the leg-walk (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Immediately re-pummel for the overhook or release to retain Rubber Guard with the opposite-side controls before they can clear the leg → Leads to Rubber Guard
- Opponent stands and steps back to peel the leg off the shoulder and clear the guard (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Follow them up with active hooks and accept open guard rather than getting flattened, keeping frames to deny the immediate pass → Leads to Open Guard
Safety Considerations
What are the safety concerns for New York Control Entry from Rubber Guard?
This entry demands significant hip, hamstring, and external-rotation flexibility to raise the shin over the shoulder line; attempting it cold or beyond your current range risks hip and hamstring strain, so warm up the hips thoroughly and build range gradually. Because the controlling leg passes near the opponent’s neck and the entry flows directly into gogoplata and triangle threats, drill it with a cooperative partner first and apply finishing pressure slowly. The trapped opponent should tap early to neck and shoulder pressure rather than enduring a stack, and the attacker must release immediately on the tap. Communicate clearly during live drilling, as the leg-walk can cause the top player to post or stack awkwardly.