The Truck Entry is a fundamental transition in modern no-gi grappling that transforms defensive turtle position into an offensive attacking platform. This technique involves establishing a leg hook control while securing the opponent’s upper body, creating the distinctive Truck configuration where the opponent’s back is exposed and multiple submission pathways become available. The position derives its name from the 10th Planet system where Eddie Bravo systematized these entries as gateways to the Twister and other spine-locking submissions. The Truck Entry capitalizes on the turtle position’s inherent vulnerability - while turtle protects against many traditional attacks, it exposes the legs and hips to creative entries. Modern competitors have elevated this transition into a high-percentage system, particularly in no-gi competition where the absence of gi grips makes traditional back-taking methods less reliable. The entry requires precise timing and spatial awareness to thread your leg hook while maintaining control of the opponent’s upper body, creating a locked structure that prevents escape while opening submission opportunities.
Starting Position: Turtle Ending Position: Truck Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Key Principles
- Maintain constant pressure on turtle to prevent opponent from returning to guard
- Establish leg hook control before attempting upper body isolation
- Create perpendicular angle to opponent’s spine for optimal control
- Use near-side arm control to prevent opponent from rolling through
- Thread your leg deep under opponent’s far hip for maximum leverage
- Keep your chest tight to opponent’s back throughout the entry
- Anticipate opponent’s defensive roll and follow the motion
Prerequisites
- Opponent in turtle position with weight on hands and knees
- You positioned on opponent’s side or back with chest pressure applied
- Control of opponent’s near-side arm or shoulder to prevent escape
- Space created under opponent’s hips to thread leg hook
- Your hips mobile and ready to adjust angle
- Base established on your posting hand to maintain balance during entry
Execution Steps
- Establish side control on turtle: Position yourself perpendicular to your opponent’s spine while they are in turtle. Place your chest across their back with your weight distributed to prevent them from returning to guard or standing up. Control their near-side arm with your hand, gripping the wrist or triceps. (Timing: Initial control phase)
- Create space under hips: Use your near-side hand to lift or shift the opponent’s far hip slightly upward while maintaining chest pressure. This creates the necessary space to thread your leg underneath. Keep constant pressure so they cannot flatten or escape forward. (Timing: Preparation phase)
- Thread leg hook under far hip: Swing your inside leg (the leg closer to opponent’s hips) underneath their body, threading it across and under their far hip. Your shin should pass completely under their torso with your foot emerging on their opposite side. Keep your knee bent to maintain the hook. (Timing: Entry phase)
- Establish butterfly hook: Once your foot emerges on the far side, curl it upward to create a butterfly-style hook against the inside of their far thigh. Pull this hook toward you while maintaining pressure with your chest on their back. This begins to off-balance them. (Timing: Control establishment)
- Secure upper body control: With your arms, secure control of the opponent’s upper body by wrapping around their far shoulder and head, or establishing a seatbelt grip. Your near arm should thread under their near armpit while your far arm goes over their far shoulder, meeting your hands in a lock. (Timing: Consolidation phase)
- Roll to Truck position: Using your leg hook as the primary driver, pull your hooked leg toward your body while simultaneously rolling toward your back. This forces the opponent to roll with you, ending with them on their side while you control their back with your leg hooked deep under their hips. Your chest should be against their back with their spine exposed. (Timing: Completion phase)
- Lock down the position: Secure your free leg over the opponent’s near hip or thigh to prevent their escape. Maintain tight upper body control while keeping your hooked leg deep. Your opponent should be trapped on their side with limited mobility, setting up submissions like the Twister, Calf Slicer, or back take transitions. (Timing: Position maintenance)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent sits back toward guard before leg hook is established (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Follow their movement and transition to leg drag position or standing guard pass. Alternatively, use their backward motion to switch to a front headlock attack.
- Opponent rolls forward over their shoulder as you enter (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Maintain your leg hook and follow the roll, allowing it to complete while keeping connection. This often delivers them directly into Truck position if you stay attached.
- Opponent flattens their hips to mat preventing leg threading (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Switch to alternative turtle attacks such as Crucifix entry, or use your positioning to force them onto their side by applying shoulder pressure and pulling their far arm.
- Opponent uses their free leg to push your head and create separation (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Keep your head tight to their back and use your free hand to control or trap their defensive leg. Maintain chest pressure to negate their pushing power.
- Opponent attempts to granby roll away from your hook (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow the granby motion while keeping your leg hook engaged. Use their momentum to complete the roll into Truck, or transition to back control if they expose their back during the granby.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary mechanical advantage the leg hook provides in Truck Entry? A: The leg hook acts as a lever under the opponent’s center of mass, allowing you to manipulate their entire body position using your stronger leg muscles rather than arm strength. It creates a structural connection that prevents them from using their base effectively while enabling you to control their rotation and off-balance them toward your desired position. The hook also limits their hip mobility, which is essential for most turtle escapes.
Q2: Why must the leg hook thread completely across the opponent’s centerline rather than stopping halfway? A: A shallow hook allows the opponent to extract their leg by simply pulling it backward or sitting back to guard because you lack the leverage to prevent this escape. Threading completely across the centerline positions your shin and knee on the far side of their body, creating a locked structure where their own body weight and skeletal structure trap your hook in place. This deep position also maximizes your control over their far hip, which is essential for completing the roll to Truck position.
Q3: How should you respond if your opponent rolls forward over their shoulder during your Truck Entry attempt? A: Maintain your leg hook connection and follow their forward roll rather than fighting against it. If you stay attached with your hook engaged, their roll often delivers them directly into Truck position as they complete the rotation. The key is to keep chest pressure and not release your connections - their escape attempt becomes your entry mechanism. This principle of following opponent momentum is fundamental to Truck entries.
Q4: What is the relationship between upper body control timing and successful Truck Entry completion? A: Upper body control must be established before initiating the roll to Truck position. Without seatbelt grip, head control, or arm isolation, the opponent can separate from you during the roll transition, leading to a scramble or their escape. The upper body connection is what binds them to you so that when you roll using your leg hook, they are forced to roll with you into the Truck configuration rather than slipping away.
Q5: Why is Truck Entry particularly effective in no-gi compared to gi grappling? A: In gi grappling, the defender in turtle has numerous gi grips available to create frames and prevent movement, while the attacker also has gi-based control methods like collar and belt grips for traditional back takes. In no-gi, these options are eliminated, making the turtle position more vulnerable to leg-based entries. The Truck Entry exploits this by using leg hooks and body position rather than grips, which cannot be defended against with gi-specific techniques. Additionally, the reduced friction of skin-on-skin contact makes the rolling motion smoother and harder to stop.
Q6: What tactical advantage does Truck position offer compared to traditional back control? A: Truck position opens a different attack system focused on leg locks (particularly Calf Slicer), spine locks (Twister), and alternative back takes, while also maintaining many traditional back attack options. The opponent’s defensive responses to Truck attacks often create openings for transitions that wouldn’t exist from standard back control. The leg hook configuration also limits the opponent’s ability to use certain common back escape methods like the hip escape or sit-through, creating a different problem-solving challenge for them.
Q7: How does the angle of your body relative to opponent’s spine affect Truck Entry success? A: The perpendicular angle (your body forming a ‘T’ with opponent’s spine) provides optimal leverage for threading your leg hook and creates the proper geometry for the subsequent roll. If your angle is too parallel to their spine, you cannot generate the torque needed to rotate them into Truck. If your angle is too acute, you lack the space to thread your leg effectively. The 90-degree perpendicular position maximizes both your control and your ability to manipulate their body into the final Truck structure.
Safety Considerations
Truck Entry is generally a safe transition technique with minimal injury risk during the entry phase itself, though practitioners should be aware of potential knee stress when threading the leg hook under resistance. Ensure your knee is properly warmed up before practicing as the threading motion places rotational stress on the joint. When drilling with partners, communicate clearly about pace and resistance level, especially during the rolling phase where uncontrolled momentum can cause both practitioners to fall awkwardly. The primary safety concerns arise not from the entry itself but from the submissions available from Truck position (Twister, Calf Slicer), so practitioners should be educated about these submission mechanics before training Truck entries at full resistance. Always progress gradually through the training phases outlined above rather than attempting full-speed entries immediately.
Position Integration
Truck Entry serves as a critical gateway technique in modern back attack systems, particularly within the 10th Planet methodology where it functions as the entry point to the entire Twister system. The technique bridges traditional turtle-based attacks (Front Headlock, Crucifix entries) with modern leg entanglement systems, creating a hybrid position that combines elements of both back control and leg control. In contemporary no-gi competition, Truck Entry has become essential for competitors who want to threaten turtle position effectively without relying exclusively on traditional back takes. The position naturally chains with Half Guard systems (particularly Lockdown), as many sequences lead from bottom Half Guard to Old School Sweep to opponent’s turtle recovery to Truck Entry. Understanding Truck Entry also opens pathways to other advanced positions like Twister Side Control and various Crucifix variations, making it a central node in a well-developed back attack game.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Truck Entry represents a fascinating mechanical solution to the turtle position problem. Traditional back attack methods from turtle rely on either arm-based controls or weight distribution to break the opponent’s base, but these approaches become increasingly difficult against skilled defensive grapplers who understand turtle structure. The genius of the Truck Entry lies in its attack vector - by establishing a leg hook under the opponent’s center of mass, you create a lever arm that bypasses their arm-based frames entirely. The mechanical advantage is profound: your leg muscles, which are far stronger than arm muscles, now control their entire body position. The perpendicular angle is not arbitrary but rather the optimal geometry for torque generation, allowing you to rotate their mass around the axis created by your leg hook. What makes this entry systematically sound is its binary nature - either your leg hook is established deeply enough to control them, or it isn’t. There’s minimal gray area, which makes the technique highly teachable and reliable. The position also follows the principle of connection hierarchy: secure the primary control mechanism (leg hook) before attempting the positional transition (roll to Truck). This systematic approach to breaking down the entry into distinct phases - establish side pressure, create space, thread hook, secure upper body, execute roll - ensures consistent execution under pressure.
- Gordon Ryan: I’ve used Truck Entry extensively in ADCC and other major no-gi competitions because it solves a specific problem that modern competitors face: everyone has gotten really good at defending standard back takes from turtle. When someone turtles up nowadays, especially high-level guys, they know exactly how to defend the traditional attacks like seat belt grips and arm-based back takes. But Truck Entry comes from a completely different angle that most people haven’t built as many defensive layers against. In competition, I look for this entry specifically after leg entanglement exchanges or when I sweep someone and they turtle up to recover. The timing is crucial - you want to attack immediately when they establish turtle, before they get comfortable and set their base. One thing I’ve learned is that the leg hook depth is non-negotiable at the elite level. Against world-class opponents, if your hook isn’t completely threaded across their centerline, they will sit back and escape instantly. The other competition-specific detail is using your head position to control their posture during the entry - keeping your head tight to their back prevents them from creating the space needed for most turtle escapes. From Truck, I can threaten the Calf Slicer, which forces a reaction that often opens up the back take or Twister, creating multiple attack pathways from one entry. The position has a high finishing rate because people don’t train it as much as traditional back defense.
- Eddie Bravo: The Truck Entry is absolutely fundamental to the entire 10th Planet system - it’s how we get to some of our highest percentage submissions in competition. I developed and systematized this entry because I saw that traditional gi-based turtle attacks didn’t translate well to no-gi, especially against flexible, mobile opponents who could slip out of conventional back control. The Truck gives you a completely different control structure where you’re attacking the lower body and spine simultaneously, creating problems opponents aren’t used to solving. What’s beautiful about this entry is how it chains with the Lockdown game - you can go from Lockdown Half Guard to Old School Sweep, opponent turtles, you hit Truck Entry, and suddenly you’re in position for the Twister. It’s a seamless system where each position flows into the next. The rolling motion during the entry is something people struggle with at first because it feels like you’re giving up top position, but you have to trust the leg hook connection. Once you commit to the roll, your opponent comes with you if you’ve maintained proper connection. From a teaching perspective, I always emphasize that the Truck isn’t just about the Twister submission, even though that’s the most famous attack - the position opens up Calf Slicers, Banana Splits, various back takes, and even allows you to transition to other leg entanglements. The entry itself is really a gateway to an entire attacking system that gives you options most people aren’t defending effectively. Train this entry until it’s completely automatic from turtle, and you’ll have a massive weapon in no-gi.