Back Take
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About This Technique
Technique: Back Take from Closed Guard
The back take is a crucial transition technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, often used to gain control over your opponent. When performed from the closed guard, it allows for a seamless movement onto your opponent's back, providing a substantial advantage in terms of control and submission possibilities.
Position: Closed Guard
Japanese Name: Ushiro-tori
Top or Bottom: Bottom
Detailed Instructions:
Step 1: Establish a Grips and Control
- Start in the Closed Guard: Begin with your legs wrapped around your opponent's waist.
- Grip the Opponent's Lapel and Sleeve: Use your opposite hand to grip either the collar or lapel and the sleeve of the arm you'd like to attack/defend against.
Step 2: Break Your Opponent's Posture
- Control Head Movement: Pull your opponent forward using your grips and elevate your hips slightly to break their posture. This will make it difficult for them to balance and counter your movements.
Step 3: Create an Angle for the Back Take
- Use Hip Escape: Shift your hips to the side of the arm that is controlling your opponent's sleeve, creating an angle and opening up a path to their back.
- Underhook and Hook: As you angle, use your free arm to underhook your opponent's arm closest to your body, and look to insert your same side leg as a hook around their back.
Step 4: Transition to the Back
- Move Entirely onto Their Back: Use the leverage of your hook and underhook to pull yourself around their back.
- Insert Second Hook: As you move around them, use your free leg to secure the second hook. Both legs should now have control.
Step 5: Establish the Back Control
- Secure Seatbelt Grip: With hooks in place, reach across their shoulder with one arm and under their opposite armpit with the other hand, locking your hands together securely (seatbelt position).
- Pull Them to the Ground: Roll your opponent toward the side of the underhooked arm to bring them down to the mat as you establish full back control.
Step 6: Maintain and Advance
- Control with Hooks and Hands: Keep your hooks tight and alternate between grips if necessary. Look to advance to submissions, such as rear-naked choke, once the position is secure.
This back take from the closed guard is an essential skill for both defense and setting up offensive sequences to finish fights or competitions. Practice with a partner to refine these movements and fluidity.
How to Execute
Back Take from Closed Guard in BJJ
Setup
- •Initial Position Details: Begin in the closed guard position. Your opponent is kneeling in front of you, with their posture upright or slightly broken down.
- •Grips and Controls Needed: Secure a cross-collar grip with one hand and a sleeve or wrist grip on the opposite side with your other hand. The cross-collar grip will help control your opponent's posture, while the sleeve grip will manage their arm movement.
Steps
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Break Opponent's Posture: Use your legs to pull your opponent towards you while simultaneously using your cross-collar grip to break their posture. Your goal is to draw their head down and over your chest. Ensure your opponent's posture is compromised before proceeding.
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Create an Angle: Open your guard and place your foot on the mat on the same side as your sleeve grip. Use this foot to shrimp or hip escape out to the side, creating an angle with your body. Your goal is to position your hips slightly off to one side of your opponent.
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Underhook the Leg: As you create the angle, use your arm that was controlling the sleeve to underhook your opponent's leg on the same side. This underhook will help you pivot and maintain control as you transition.
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Bring Opponent's Weight Forward: Use your collar grip to pull your opponent forward, making them base out with their hands. This forward momentum will make it difficult for them to regain posture and provides you the opportunity to move.
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Establish Hook: Swing your outside leg over and around your opponent's back, establishing your first hook. This leg should be positioned across their lower back with your foot hooking inside their thigh.
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Establish Second Hook: Use your underhooked arm to pull yourself into a tighter position. Simultaneously, swing your other leg around your opponent's waist to establish your second hook. Your body should now be positioned on your opponent's back.
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Secure the Back Control: Release the collar grip and use both hands to establish seatbelt control. One arm should go over your opponent's shoulder, while the other goes under their armpit, clasping your hands together in front of their chest.
Key Points
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Important Details to Remember:
- •Always maintain a strong collar grip to control your opponent's posture.
- •Use the underhook effectively to help pivot your hips and create the necessary angle.
- •Ensure both hooks are securely in place before transitioning to the seatbelt grip.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- •Failing to break the opponent's posture initially, which can lead to them regaining control.
- •Not creating enough angle with your hips, making it difficult to take the back.
- •Losing control of the opponent's arm, allowing them to escape or counter the move.
By following these steps and paying attention to the key points, you can effectively transition to back control from the closed guard position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.