The New York to Invisible Collar transition represents a critical advancement within the 10th Planet Rubber Guard system, moving from the foundational New York control into one of the most dangerous attacking positions in no-gi grappling. This transition involves releasing the shin grip while maintaining the overhook, then swimming the free hand behind the opponent’s head to establish deep collar-style control on the neck without requiring a gi collar.
Strategically, this transition capitalizes on moments when the opponent focuses on defending the overhook or attempting to restore posture. The hand swim to the back of the head must be explosive yet controlled, threading between the opponent’s shoulder and your own leg while maintaining constant pressure through the overhook. The resulting Invisible Collar position creates immediate choking threats and opens pathways to gogoplata, omoplata, and triangle attacks.
The biomechanics of this transition exploit a fundamental weakness in the opponent’s defensive structure. When trapped in New York, opponents typically focus their defensive attention on the overhook and the shin across their back. The hand controlling the shin appears to be a critical anchor, so when it releases and immediately attacks the neck, opponents often react too slowly to prevent the collar grip establishment. This misdirection is central to the technique’s high success rate at advanced levels.
From Position: New York (Bottom) Success Rate: 58%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Invisible Collar | 65% |
| Failure | New York | 25% |
| Counter | Closed Guard | 10% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Maintain overhook pressure throughout the transition - never… | Recognize the shin grip release as the critical defensive tr… |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Maintain overhook pressure throughout the transition - never release the arm control
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The hand swim must be explosive and direct - hesitation allows defensive hand fighting
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Pull the head down immediately upon grip establishment to load their weight forward
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Hip angle adjustment follows the hand swim to maximize control leverage
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Timing the release of shin grip when opponent is focused elsewhere increases success by 40%
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The collar grip should cup the back of the skull, not simply grab the neck
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Core engagement must increase as the shin releases to prevent opponent driving forward
Execution Steps
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Secure overhook: Ensure your overhook is deep around the opponent’s tricep with your shoulder tight against their arm…
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Load opponent forward: Use your shin grip and overhook to pull the opponent’s weight forward and down toward your chest. Th…
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Release shin grip: Release your grip on your own shin while maintaining leg position through hip flexor engagement. You…
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Swim hand to neck: Immediately swim your free hand between the opponent’s shoulder and your own thigh, threading it beh…
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Establish collar grip: Cup the back of the opponent’s skull with your palm, fingers wrapping around toward the ear on the o…
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Consolidate Invisible Collar: Adjust your hip angle toward the overhook side while pulling the head down with the collar grip. Bot…
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Begin attack selection: From Invisible Collar, assess opponent’s reactions. If they drive forward, progress to gogoplata set…
Common Mistakes
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Releasing overhook tension while swimming hand to collar position
- Consequence: Opponent immediately extracts arm and postures up, escaping both New York and preventing Invisible Collar establishment
- Correction: Actively tighten overhook pressure during the hand swim. The overhook should feel tighter during transition, not looser.
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Swimming hand in front of opponent’s face instead of behind their head
- Consequence: Hand gets trapped against opponent’s shoulder or face, unable to reach collar position while creating space for opponent to posture
- Correction: Thread hand between opponent’s shoulder and your own thigh, keeping the path behind their ear and around the back of their skull
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Losing leg position when shin grip releases due to insufficient hip flexibility
- Consequence: Leg slides down opponent’s back, losing the rubber guard structure and returning to basic closed guard
- Correction: Engage hip flexors actively before releasing shin grip. Practice holding leg position without hand assistance to develop necessary hip strength.
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Recognize the shin grip release as the critical defensive trigger - this is your window to act
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Protect the back of your head with your free hand to deny the swimming hand its target
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Use the momentary loss of shin control to attempt posture recovery before new control establishes
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Maintain elbow discipline on the trapped arm to prevent the overhook from deepening during the transition
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Drive your weight forward and low to deny the bottom player the space needed for the hand swim path
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Accept that returning to New York (failure for attacker) is a defensive success - do not overcommit to full escape
Recognition Cues
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Bottom player’s shin-gripping hand releases contact with their ankle or lower leg while their leg remains across your back through muscular effort alone
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You feel the bottom player’s free hand begin threading between your shoulder and their thigh, moving in a circular path toward the back of your head
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Bottom player’s overhook pressure noticeably increases as they compensate for releasing the shin grip, signaling the transition is imminent
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Bottom player’s hips begin rotating toward the overhook side, adjusting angle to accommodate the collar grip position
Defensive Options
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Block the hand swim by posting your free hand against the bottom player’s wrist or forearm before it reaches behind your head - When: Immediately upon recognizing the shin grip release - you have a 1-2 second window before the hand reaches collar position
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Explosive posture recovery by driving hips back and chest upward the moment shin grip releases, using the brief loss of control to break the broken-posture cycle - When: When you feel the shin grip release and before the collar grip can establish - the brief window where one control point has been abandoned
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Drive forward aggressively into the bottom player’s chest, flattening their hips and denying them the space and angle needed to complete the hand swim arc - When: When you feel the transition beginning but cannot free your hand quickly enough to block - use forward pressure as an alternative disruption method
Position Integration
The New York to Invisible Collar transition occupies a central position in 10th Planet’s Rubber Guard progression system. It represents the natural evolution from the foundational New York control (which establishes overhook and leg position) into an advanced attacking configuration. Within the broader rubber guard decision tree, this transition opens when opponents focus on defending the overhook or attempt passive defense. Successfully reaching Invisible Collar dramatically increases submission threat density, with immediate access to gogoplata, omoplata, and various choke configurations. The transition integrates seamlessly with alternative pathways - failed attempts naturally chain into triangle, armbar, or return to Mission Control. Understanding this transition is essential for any practitioner developing a comprehensive rubber guard game, as it connects the entry-level controls to the finishing positions.