Side Control (Bottom)

Question 1

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Escape side control via half guard to full guard (basic version using bottom leg first)

Answer 1

1. From inside side control the first priority should be to get your back OFF the mat. Frame using your forearm against your opponent’s throat (hold their shoulder for grip) and your other hand cupping against their bicep to prevent cross-face. Shrimp/hip escape to turn into your opponent and turn on your side. Option: Bridge up towards the side your opponent is on. When you bring your back down to the mat, leave your frame high to create space between you and your opponent.
2. Try and worm your bottom leg between you and your opponent to get them into half guard.
3. Once half guard is retained, work your upper knee into the space between you to force their hips back and create space.
4. Once space is created, pull your bottom leg out of half guard and shoot your hips in to get your opponent into your full guard.

Question 2

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Escape side control to your opponent’s back (iffy)

Answer 2

1. From inside side control the first priority should be to get your back OFF the mat. Frame using your forearm against your opponent’s throat (hold their shoulder for grip) and your other hand cupping against their bicep to prevent cross-face. Shrimp/hip escape to turn into your opponent and turn on your side.
2. Try and worm your bottom leg between you and your opponent to get them into half guard.
3. Once half guard is retained, try and work yourself into essentially the fetal position UNDER your opponent (don’t leave your head above their shoulders as it opens you up to cross-face or submission attempts).
4. Work your way out the ‘back door’ between their arm and leg and climb to their back if possible.

Options: When climbing to their back, use your climbing hand to hook their arm pit and keep your chest pressed against their shoulder to prevent them from pushing their elbow into you and preventing you from climbing. Use your bottom hand to either post and push yourself up or trap their near hand via a sleeve grip and push yourself up using that same grip.

Question 3

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Escape side control to your opponent’s back using bridge

Answer 3

1. From inside side control, get your frame in place. Put your palm (on the hand closest to your opponent) against your cheek to defend your neck from the cross face. Put your other hand on your opponent’s shoulder and press the blade of your forearm into their throat.
2. With your frame in place, plant your feet on the floor near your butt and bridge up towards your opponent.
3. In one motion (a) turn the hand on your cheek so your palm faces your opponent’s shoulder/bicep to prevent the cross face, (b) shoot your other arm under your opponent’s to get an underhook and grab the back of their gi (or belt, whatever you can get), and (c) drop your back to the floor and shrimp down and out, pointing your butt away from your opponent and ducking down to force your body into the ‘escape hole’ you’ve created with your underhook.
4. Continuing to push yourself through the ‘escape hole’/push your opponent above your head until you’ve popped out, switch your base so your hips face the floor rather than your opponent.
5. Immediately transition to the back in whatever capacity you can

Question 4

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Reverse side control (if your opponent defends your attempt to escape side control to their back using bridge)

Answer 4

1. From inside side control, get your frame in place. Put your palm (on the hand closest to your opponent) against your cheek to defend your neck from the cross face. Put your other hand on your opponent’s shoulder and press the blade of your forearm into their throat.
2. With your frame in place, plant your feet on the floor near your butt and bridge up towards your opponent.
3. In one motion (a) turn the hand on your cheek so your palm faces your opponent’s shoulder/bicep to prevent the cross face, (b) shoot your other arm under your opponent’s to get an underhook and grab the back of their gi (or belt, whatever you can get), and (c) drop your back to the floor and shrimp down and out, pointing your butt away from your opponent and ducking down to force your body into the ‘escape hole’ you’ve created with your underhook.
4. While attempting to get through the ‘escape hole’, your opponent may catch you in a head lock to prevent you from escaping all the way. In that case, abandon the back take attempt and instead try and get them into your own side control. Switch your base so your hips face the floor rather than your opponent.
5. Drop your knee closest to your opponent over their nearest calf to pin them in place.
6. Reach your hand (the one furthest away from your opponent) underneath your opponent to grab their knee on the far side. If you can reach, let go of your grip on their back/belt grab their ankle on the same leg.
7. PULL that leg towards you hard while driving your shoulder into your opponent to topple them over. If necessary, plant your far foot on the ground and use that to push.
8. Once your opponent is toppled, smash their legs with heavy top pressure and either get into side control on the same side, or walk your legs around to get into side control from the back side.

Question 5

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Escape side control and regain guard (if your opponent has you in cross-face)

Answer 5

1. If your opponent has already passed your frame and has you in the cross-face from side control, first prevent them from increasing the pressure by getting your elbow (the one closest to your opponent) into their hips to create a frame.
2. If your own hips are too close to your opponent’s hips, shift away to create a better angle for the bridge.
3. Get an ‘underhook’ around your opponent’s head (press your bicep into their ear/face) and bridge over your shoulder towards your opponent to create space.
4. Once you’ve created some space, shoot your bottom knee in to regain guard.

Question 6

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Escape side control via half guard to full guard (basic version using top leg first)

Answer 6

1. From inside side control, first relieve the cross face pressure on your neck by using your hand closest to your opponent to wrap around their upper shoulder and pull it away a bit. Your face should be looking the opposite direction from your opponent so they are not pressing their shoulder into your throat.
2. Get your second forearm under your opponent’s neck to frame. If they are huddled close and not giving you space, twist your body away from your opponent (bridge slightly if needed) to create space to slide your hand under their face. DO NOT raise your arm above your shoulder and give them the opportunity to americana you.
3. With your frame in place bridge towards your opponent to create space, shrimp out and then use your top leg on your opponent’s hip to give yourself a base to retain full guard. If your opponent changes levels and stands, you can also base your foot on their chest/shoulder. If your opponent is slow, you can also just swivel your hips in without using a foot.

Question 7

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Reverse side control (if opponent is leaning too far over you - for smaller opponents only)

Answer 7

1. If your opponent has you in their side control and is being overzealous with the pressure and leaning their body across the line of your chest, you can reverse the position by first trapping their far arm by overwrapping it with yours.
2. Next, bridge away from your opponent HARD while extending your free arm. You should be using your arm as a lever, pressing it under their close-side arm pit and bringing them with you as you bridge.
3. Make sure to keep your levering arm extended as you flip your opponent to make sure you can use it to base against the floor so they don’t use your momentum to reverse the position again.

Note: this really only works against someone of a similar or smaller weight, so don’t try it on the big boys.

Question 8

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION/SUBMISSION]
Escape side control via corkscrew twist and use arm trap to end in a darce choke

Answer 8

1. If your opponent has you in side control but is giving you some space around your hips, first trap their far side arm by over wrapping it with yours. Use your second hand, which typically you would frame on their hip, to slide under their body so your forearm is bumped up against their far side hip.
2. Corkscrew twist your way out, by walking your feet towards your opponent’s head while pushing your forearm against their far side hip. Even with heavy pressure from them, you should still pop out the other side.
3. As you pop out, extend the arm you used to overwrap theirs and wrap it around their neck too so you can snatch your opponent’s arm/neck in a darce. You do not need to get up off your side. You can roll to put your opponent on their back (roll the opposite direction of your corkscrew twist) and then wrap your upper leg around theirs so they cannot escape. The choke should be NASTY as it is also a crank.

Note: if the darce doesn’t work, this can also just be used to escape via the corkscrew.

Question 9

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION/SUBMISSION]
Escape side control via corkscrew twist and grab neck to end in a guillotine

Answer 9

1. If your opponent has you in side control and is not giving you much space, you must work QUICKLY. Frame their neck and bridge, using your second hand, which typically you would frame on their hip, to slide under their body so your forearm is bumped up against their far side hip. SPEED is key here as you might get your arm trapped between you if you don’t get a move on.
2. Corkscrew twist your way out, by walking your feet towards your opponent’s head while pushing your forearm against their far side hip. Even with heavy pressure from them, you should still pop out the other side.
3. As you pop out, use the hand that was framing against their neck to GRAB the back of their neck as an anchoring point and use it to PULL yourself up and lock in a guillotine from the front.

Note: to finish the guillotine, slide your knee (on the side their head is trapped) forward so your shin is laid against their hips and lean back while wrapping your other leg around their back to prevent escape.

Question 10

[SIDE CONTROL - BOTTOM]
[TRANSITION]
Reverse side control via frame and ‘single-leg’ takedown

Answer 10

1. If your opponent has you in their side control, you can reverse the position by first framing their neck and hips and bridging.
2. As you lower your back down to the floor again, use the leg closest to your opponent as a pendulum to gain momentum. Kick it out so in the same motion you a) drive your body under them, b) twist your body so your chest is now facing the floor, c) use the hand that was framing their neck to wrap around the back of their far thigh, and d) plant your forehead on their far side hip (so they cannot guillotine you).
3. Once you have overwrapped their leg, connect your hands so you have a ‘single leg’ and lift it slightly to keep them off balance. Plant your leg closest to their head on the floor for power and DRIVE forward, putting them on their back/side so you land in side control.