The Jiu-Jitsu Mount

The Jiu-Jitsu Mount

The Jiu-Jitsu Mount: The mounted position is, along with the rear mount, the highest scoring position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The reasoning behind this is that in a real fight with blows being thrown it is a devastating position from which to throw fists and elbows into a helpless, pinned opponent. In grappling without strikes, a lot of grapplers prefer rear mount as it does not require strikes to opponent up a defensive opponent (Many also slightly prefer rear mount even in MMA and self defense contexts too, but that’s a different topic and there are many people who would disagree with this opinion). Understand that when you first get into the mounted position and you are looking to establish initial control, you typically begin in a position with your hips over your opponents hips. This creates good stability and let’s you use your arms to post out wide on the floor for base. We preach this at Savarese BJJ Academy (www.njbjj.com). Realize however, that the hip over hip position whilst excellent from a stability viewpoint, will limit the number and type of submissions you can attack from mount. To expand your attacking arsenal from mount and start incorporating your legs into the attacks (armbars and triangles for example), you must now go the extra distance and start progressing up to your opponents chest and shoulders with your hips. In addition you will need ANGLE. Your body must be able to pivot around your opponents shoulders. Gaining the confidence to climb up from hip over hip to hip over chest and begin forming perpendicular angle is the key to going from someone who can hold someone in the mounted position, to becoming an athlete who can finish someone from mounted position. It’s a difficult thing to learn as you have to sacrifice a stable and secure pin for a less stable and less secure alternative, but which enables you to attack far better. Here, our student Andrew Zeppetelli climbs high up on to the chest to get into a devastating mounted position, the result of the position and angle he achieved, and can now go into a very strong submission attack or strikes. Getting to mount is great, but your route to mount mastery must involve moving higher up the torso and getting an angle.