The transition to Truck is a fundamental movement within the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system and modern no-gi grappling. When an opponent assumes the turtle position, the Truck offers a devastating alternative to traditional back takes, providing access to the Twister submission, various calf slicers, and back control options. The Truck position involves controlling the opponent’s leg while maintaining a specific body configuration that creates the signature “truck” shape - hence the name. This transition is particularly effective because it exploits the turtle position’s inherent vulnerability to leg attacks while the opponent focuses on defending their neck and preventing traditional back takes. The Truck serves as a gateway position within the larger Twister system, allowing the attacker to create multiple submission threats simultaneously. What makes this transition especially valuable is its ability to bypass traditional back defense protocols, as most practitioners are conditioned to defend against seat belt control rather than leg-based attacks from turtle. The success of this transition relies on timing, understanding weight distribution, and the ability to coordinate upper and lower body control simultaneously.
Starting Position: Turtle Ending Position: Truck Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 70%
Key Principles
- Control the far leg while maintaining pressure on the turtle
- Create angles by positioning your body perpendicular to opponent
- Use your leg as a hook to prevent opponent from rolling away
- Maintain constant pressure to prevent opponent from standing or recovering guard
- Coordinate upper body grips with lower body positioning
- Understand the relationship between Truck and other back attack systems
- Recognize timing windows when opponent commits weight forward
Prerequisites
- Opponent in turtle position with head down and hips elevated
- You have side control or are positioned behind/beside the turtle
- Access to opponent’s far leg (leg furthest from you)
- Opponent’s weight is distributed forward onto their hands
- Clear space to insert your leg as a hook
- Upper body control established (collar tie, overhook, or cross face)
- Opponent not actively standing up or explosively moving
Execution Steps
- Establish side position: From turtle, position yourself perpendicular to your opponent’s body, chest to their ribs. Establish a cross face or collar tie with your near arm while maintaining tight chest-to-back pressure. Your hips should be lower than theirs to prevent them from sitting back into you. (Timing: Initial control phase - focus on preventing forward movement)
- Secure the far leg: Reach your far arm under their body and grip their far knee or shin from the inside. This grip is critical - you’re controlling the leg that will become trapped in the Truck. Pull this leg slightly toward you while maintaining upper body control to prevent them from sprawling away. (Timing: Coordinate with opponent’s weight shift - grab when they’re heavy on their hands)
- Insert your leg hook: Thread your near leg (the leg closest to their hips) under their far leg, inserting your shin behind their thigh. Your foot should emerge on the far side of their body. This creates the fundamental structure of the Truck - your leg becomes a barrier preventing their escape. (Timing: Insert smoothly as you pull their leg with your grip)
- Triangle your legs: Bring your far leg over and lock it with your near leg, creating a figure-four or triangle configuration around their trapped leg. Your near foot should be in your far leg’s knee pit. This lockdown-style control immobilizes their leg completely and gives you powerful leverage. (Timing: Lock immediately after insertion - don’t allow them time to extract their leg)
- Adjust body position: Roll slightly onto your side, facing the same direction as your opponent while maintaining the leg triangle. Your upper body should be positioned near their hips, with your chest against their side or lower back. This creates the characteristic Truck position where you’re perpendicular to their body. (Timing: Smooth transition - maintain pressure throughout the positional adjustment)
- Establish Truck control: Secure upper body control by gripping their far arm or controlling their shoulder. Your leg triangle should be locked tight with active pressure pulling their trapped leg away from their body. You’re now in full Truck position with access to Twister, calf slicers, and back takes. (Timing: Final consolidation - ensure all control points are secure before attacking)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent sits back aggressively, trying to sit into you before you secure the leg (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Abandon the Truck entry and transition to back control with seat belt grip. Use their backward momentum to take their back traditionally. Alternatively, switch to a Crab Ride position if they sit partially.
- Opponent stands up explosively before you can triangle your legs (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Maintain your grip on their far leg and use it to trip them back down to turtle, or transition to a single leg takedown if they fully stand. Don’t release the leg grip until you’ve reestablished positional control.
- Opponent rolls forward into you, attempting to crush your leg hook (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow their roll and use the momentum to complete the Truck entry from the opposite angle. Your leg position actually improves as they roll. Alternatively, release and take their back as they roll through.
- Opponent pulls their trapped leg out before you lock the triangle (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Immediately switch to traditional back attack sequences - climb to seat belt control and secure hooks. The failed Truck attempt has already compromised their turtle structure, making back control easier.
- Opponent grabs your leg and attempts to straighten it to escape the triangle (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Tighten your triangle immediately and extend their trapped leg while pulling them. Their grip on your leg actually prevents them from defending the more dangerous Twister attack. Transition directly to submission.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary leg configuration that defines the Truck position? A: The Truck requires a triangle or figure-four lock with your legs around the opponent’s leg, with your near leg inserted under and through their far leg, and your far leg locking over the top. This creates a leg triangle similar to a lockdown but around a single leg while your body is positioned perpendicular to your opponent. The triangle must be tight with active pressure pulling their leg away from their body.
Q2: Why is perpendicular body positioning essential for the Truck, and what happens if you remain parallel to your opponent? A: Perpendicular positioning creates the proper leverage angles for all Truck submissions, particularly the Twister and calf slicers. It also prevents the opponent from sitting back into you or standing up effectively. If you remain parallel (alongside them), you lose the mechanical advantage for submissions, they can more easily defend by turning into you or standing, and you cannot create the proper spine compression needed for the Twister. The perpendicular angle is what makes the Truck geometry work.
Q3: When is the optimal timing to insert your leg hook during the Truck entry sequence? A: The optimal timing is when the opponent’s weight is forward on their hands in turtle, making them heavy on the front and unable to quickly sit back. You should have already secured a grip on their far leg and be pulling it toward you. The insertion happens as part of a coordinated movement - grip control first, then leg insertion while their weight is committed forward. Attempting entry when they’re already sitting back on their knees will likely fail as they can easily defend or stand.
Q4: How should you respond if your opponent stands up explosively before you complete the leg triangle in the Truck entry? A: Maintain your grip on their far leg at all costs and use it to either trip them back down to turtle with a technical sweep, or if they fully stand, transition to a single leg takedown setup. The leg grip gives you positional control even if the Truck entry fails. Alternatively, if they’re partially standing, you can switch to a single leg X-guard entry or use the momentum to take their back. Never simply release the leg without a plan, as that wastes all your setup work.
Q5: What is the relationship between the Truck position and the larger Twister system, and what other positions can you transition to from Truck? A: The Truck serves as a central hub within the Twister system - it’s the gateway position that provides access to multiple high-percentage submissions and positions. From Truck, you can transition to: Twister Control (for the Twister submission), various calf slicer finishes, back control with hooks, Twister Side Control, or even return to traditional back attacks. The Truck is valuable because it creates a submission dilemma - if opponent defends the leg attacks, you can take the back; if they defend the back, you can attack the legs. Understanding these connections makes the Truck exponentially more dangerous than treating it as an isolated position.
Q6: What are the three primary control points you must maintain throughout the Truck transition to prevent escape? A: First, the far leg grip with your reaching arm controls their mobility and prevents them from extracting their leg. Second, the leg triangle lock created by your own legs immobilizes their trapped leg and creates the structural foundation. Third, upper body control through a collar tie, cross face, or shoulder grip prevents explosive movement and standing. These three control points work together - losing any one makes the position significantly weaker. Advanced practitioners maintain all three simultaneously during the entire transition sequence.
Safety Considerations
When practicing the Truck transition, ensure controlled execution to avoid knee injuries to both yourself and your training partner. The leg triangle configuration can create significant torque on the knee joint, so apply pressure gradually and release immediately when partner taps. During drilling, communicate clearly about resistance levels to prevent sudden explosive movements that could cause injury during the leg insertion phase. Be particularly careful when rolling or adjusting position while your legs are triangled, as awkward weight distribution can strain your own knee ligaments. Never force the leg triangle if the angle is wrong - reset and try again rather than cranking it into place. Partners in turtle should tap early if they feel knee pressure during the entry to prevent injury before the position is fully established. The transition itself is relatively safe when executed properly, but the subsequent submissions (Twister and calf slicers) require additional safety awareness and should only be practiced with experienced partners who understand the dangers.
Position Integration
The Truck transition is a critical component of modern no-gi grappling and the 10th Planet system, serving as a bridge between traditional back attacks and leg-based submissions. Within your overall BJJ game, the Truck provides an alternative path when opponents defend against conventional back takes from turtle. It integrates seamlessly with other turtle attacking sequences - if your traditional back take is defended, you can switch to Truck; if your Truck entry is stuffed, you can return to back control attempts. This creates an attacking loop that’s difficult to defend completely. The Truck also connects your top game to your leg lock system, as successful entries open up the entire lower body submission network including heel hooks, toe holds, and various knee attacks depending on your ruleset. For competitors, the Truck is particularly valuable because many opponents are not well-versed in defending it compared to more common positions, creating knowledge gaps you can exploit. The position also serves as an excellent entry point for learning the biomechanics of leg entanglements, as the leg triangle in Truck shares similarities with configurations in other positions like the Saddle and various Ashi Garami positions. Understanding the Truck improves your overall positional awareness and submission chaining abilities across your entire game.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Truck transition represents a fascinating biomechanical puzzle that exploits the structural vulnerabilities inherent in the turtle position. What makes this transition scientifically sound is the leverage principle it employs - by creating a perpendicular angle to your opponent’s spine while controlling their leg with a triangle configuration, you’ve essentially created a system where their defensive options all lead to submission opportunities. The genius lies in the geometry: the leg triangle functions as a fixed point around which you can rotate and generate torque, similar to how a wrench applies rotational force around a bolt. From a systematic perspective, the Truck entry should be viewed not as an isolated technique but as part of a decision tree - when opponent defends option A (traditional back take), you transition to option B (Truck entry), and both paths lead to dominant positions. The key technical detail most practitioners miss is the importance of the far leg grip before inserting your hook. This grip serves as your anchor point and prevents all explosive escape attempts. Without it, you’re attempting to build a structure without a foundation. The transition also demonstrates the principle of connection - you’re never floating or disconnected from your opponent during the entry sequence. Every movement maintains at least two points of control, which is fundamental to high-percentage grappling. When teaching this, I emphasize that the Truck is not just a position but a problem-solving framework for the turtle situation.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the Truck transition is one of my highest-percentage moves from turtle because most people simply don’t train it enough to defend it properly. Here’s what makes it work at the elite level: timing and commitment. You cannot hesitate during the entry - once you grip that far leg, you need to immediately insert your hook and lock the triangle before they process what’s happening. I look for the Truck specifically when opponents are defending my back take attempts too well. If someone’s really good at preventing the seat belt grip or clearing hooks, the Truck gives me a completely different attack angle that bypasses their entire defensive system. They’ve trained thousands of hours defending back attacks, but maybe only a few hours defending Truck entries. That’s an exploitable gap. The transition also works beautifully in no-gi because there are no grips to slow you down - it’s purely positional, which is my preference. One critical detail I’ve learned through trial and error: you must keep your hips lower than theirs throughout the entry. If your hips rise above theirs, they can sit back into you and nullify everything. Stay low, stay tight, and don’t give them space. From Truck, I have immediate access to calf slicers and the Twister, plus I can always transition to traditional back control if needed. It’s the ultimate position for creating submission dilemmas in high-level matches. When I hit this transition cleanly, the match is essentially over - they’re in a position they don’t understand while I’m in a position I’ve finished people from hundreds of times.
- Eddie Bravo: The Truck transition is the gateway drug to the entire Twister system, man. This is where it all starts. What I love about this entry is that it completely flips the script on traditional BJJ - instead of chasing the back with hooks like everyone expects, you’re going for their legs from a back attack position. It’s that unorthodox approach that makes 10th Planet effective. The transition works because it violates people’s expectations and attacks a leg when they’re defending their upper body. When I developed this sequence, I was thinking about how to create offensive opportunities from positions where people normally just stall or go for basic submissions. The turtle position in traditional BJJ is often a stalemate - top guy tries for the back, bottom guy defends and looks to re-guard. The Truck changes that completely by adding leg attacks to the equation. Now the bottom guy has to defend both areas simultaneously, which is almost impossible if the top guy knows what they’re doing. The key innovation here is using the leg triangle like a lockdown but on a single leg while maintaining back attack positioning. It’s the same concept as the lockdown from half guard but applied in a completely different context. That’s how you innovate - take principles that work in one area and apply them somewhere unexpected. For no-gi especially, this transition is absolutely essential because you don’t have gi grips to slow people down or control them. The Truck gives you that same level of control through pure positioning and leg entanglement. Once you understand this transition, you’ll see Truck opportunities everywhere - failed guard pulls, scrambles, turtle positions, even from standing positions. It’s not just a technique; it’s a whole new way of thinking about back attacks and leg attacks as one integrated system.