Banana Split Submission Jiu Jitsu: The Ultimate 2026 Guide

A banana split submission Jiu Jitsu is a technique in which you stretch both legs of your opponent wide apart, typically from the lockdown or a turtle position, causing intense pain for your opponent, giving you a quick submission. To make it more effective, you can use variations such as crotch ripper, twister, and calf slicer transitions. You have many grip options, but the most dominant is the S grip. Common mistakes include failing to secure the lockdown, improper hip positioning, ignoring the opponent’s curl, and muscling instead of creating the angles.

A banana split Jiu-Jitsu is a submission hold that stretches the opponent's inner thighs and groin by spreading their legs wide. This forms a lockdown position, also known as a truck in BJJ.

This position can give you a quick submission or a tap by your opponent because it puts a lot of pressure on them, causing intense pain. But if your opponent is very flexible, then they can bear the pain and will not tap. In such situations, you can transition to another leg lock or a twister to force them to tap out.

It provides you with opportunities to transition into various attacks or dominant positions, particularly related to the leg attacks, because you are pulling one leg of your opponent towards their head by grabbing and controlling it. Meanwhile, you create a splitting motion by extending your own legs.

The common entries to the banana split Jiu Jitsu are given below:

The primary position grapplers use in BJJ to enter the banana split Jiu Jitsu is the lockdown position. It involves splitting your opponent’s legs by pulling their far leg towards your face. For this, you first need to control their legs by using your legs in a figure-four. After this, you transition to the truck position to do the banana split.

The second entry commonly used by grapplers to enter the banana split Jiu Jitsu is from the leg riding or truck position. In this technique, you need to transition to the truck after controlling your opponent’s back and then control their far leg by sitting back. Then extend your legs and at the same time, pull your opponent’s far leg by trapping their foot towards your face and create the split.

You can create the banana split position from the side control or kesa gatame if your opponent tries to defend against your technique. One way your opponent might use to defend against the banana split is by pushing away your hips. You need to take advantage of such situations and use their momentum against them.

For this, get your knee under your opponent’s leg by grabbing their leg to create the space. Move your foot across to firmly dominate the position, then pull your knee back. You will do this just as you did the foot entanglement.

The fourth entry to the banana split BJJ is from the guard pass. Observe when your opponent starts pushing away while you are passing the guard with double underhooks. Wrap your opponent’s leg, and move your foot close to their hip as soon as your opponent does this. For creating the banana split, move your other foot near their knee. 

The fifth way to force your opponent into the banana split position is the turtle position. Set yourself in the truck position with your opponent by moving to the side. Trap your opponent’s heel and pull their knee to your face to set up the banana split position.

There are various entry points to the banana split position, but the most common are from the lockdown and the guard position. So from these two positions, you can force your opponent into the banana split position by following the steps given below:

First, set up the lockdown position and then execute the banana split according to these steps:

For a banana split, the first step is to establish the lockdown position on your opponent by trapping one leg of your opponent with both legs. The most common way grapplers use is to trap their opponent's right leg. Cross your legs across their shin to make the trap tighter and put more pressure on them.

Now, with your legs trapping your opponent’s one leg, extend their leg and bring it closer to their ear. You just need to try to straighten their leg. This will break their posture and unbalance them.

In this stage, your opponent will start fighting you and defending against you, trapping their leg. As they do this, release your lockdown to decrease your pressure slightly. Now, get your one leg under your opponent’s other leg, which you have not trapped.

Now, moving on, have them place their free leg on your shoulder.

Now, since you released the lockdown slightly in the previous step, set it up on that leg again, but more strongly. Also, get a gable grip on their other leg, which you have not trapped (left in our example). Wrap it with your arm and control it strongly.

This step is to do the banana split position by extending both legs. Make a curve with your back (pull your body backwards), then pull their trapped right leg towards your chest. Also, get your shoulder near their inner thigh.

The last step involves forcing your opponent to tap out. You can do this by moving or stretching both legs away from each other (in opposite directions). This will cause intense pain and pressure, forcing them to tap.

First, observe when your opponent gets into the turtle position, and then execute the banana split BJJ according to these steps:

You have two options for this. You can wait for the opportunity for your opponent to get themselves in the turtle position or force them to turtle. Either way, if they are in turtle, insert your one hook over their shin through their far leg and ensure your foot is outside, not trapped in.

Force your opponent to get themselves flat out by putting the pressure on them by placing your back across their back.

Get your arm under their opposite hip. Take the arm closest to your opponent’s head. Now, with that arm, secure their far leg.

Now roll on your back by lifting your opponent’s knee using their legs and pulling them over. Enter the truck position. You have controlled both their legs, with one of them grabbed by your arms and the other one trapped in your leg knockdown.

To finish the banana split, pull your opponent’s free leg toward your chest by using the gable grip or S-grip from the truck position. Force the split and cause them pain by pushing your legs out.

The following are some common variations of the Jiu Jitsu banana split, which you use to get dominant over your opponent:

The crotch ripper is a similar verson but it is more intense and causes a lot of pain and pressure on the opponent. In this variation, the grappler applies more torque and pressure to their opponent's groin and pushes their knee from a truck position in the opposite direction. 

How Is It Different From Standard Banana Split?

It is different from the standard banana split in such a way that the grappler pushes their opponent’s knee in the opposite direction compared to the standard version, in which the opponent’s leg is pushed downwards. This difference creates torque rather than just pressure, which is more effective at forcing them to tap out.

Another variation of the banana split BJJ is the twister, which you can do by rotating your opponent’s body and grabbing their ankle from the same leg riding position, which you secure in the standard banana split version.

The third variation involves crushing your opponent’s calf muscle, which is known as the calf slicer transition. For this, drive your shin towards your opponent’s calf and trap it.

This is not a common variation and involves forcing your opponent into a banana split from the dominant top position.

This is a variation of the classic banana split in which you are doing everything the same as you do in the classic one, but with a rare naked choke and then forcing your opponent’s legs into a banana split.

The grips are a very important element of a banana split position. If you cannot ensure a dominant and powerful grip, then your opponent can escape from your trap, and you will become vulnerable to submissions. You should improve your grip strength by following these tips. Important grips are:

• The first grip is the gable grip, or ball and socket grip, which is the palm to palm grip. In this, you clasp your hands together, ensuring a domiantn control over your opponent’s leg.
• Another one is the S grip, which is the most recommended for finishing the banana split position. You use your fingers and thumb across your opponent’s thigh, which is in your lockdown. It provides tighter control and a superior range of motion that is why it is considered more effective than the S grip.

The technique becomes easy once you understand the basics clearly; otherwise, you will make mistakes during execution. The following are some common mistakes which grapplers make during the banana split BJJ execution:

The first and most important thing in the banana split Jiu Jitsu is to establish the lockdown, i.e., trapping your opponent’s leg with both legs. Grapplers do not complete this step and go for the split, which allows the opponent to escape their leg.

To force the split wide apart, you need to get your leg deep underneath your opponent’s hips because, without it, you will not be able to create the leverage for the split. Controlling their hips is necessary to prevent them from sitting up or turning towards you.

If your opponent curls their leg in, you should switch to the crotch ripper variation instead of sticking to the classic version, because otherwise, you will not be able to finish the straight split motion. You should try to create the torque rather than just the pressure by pushing their knee in the opposite direction.

One rule you should always obey during the banana split BJJ transition is to keep your head outside of your opponent’s hip; otherwise, your opponent will be able to scramble and retain balance when you try to finish the split.

You should focus on the technique rather than just using the force to separate your opponent’s legs. Create a better angle by adjusting your hips. This will cause you to gas out or lose your dominant position.

The following are the important considerations or elements during the banana split submission Jiu Jitsu:

• The main entries to the banana split submission are from turtle by securing a cross-body ride, from lockdown or half guard by turning them into an electric chair position, or from top position by using a twist side control.
• Your main goal is to separate your opponent’s legs and move them in opposite directions, forcing a tap by causing intense pain.
• You can use many grips during a banana split submission Jiu Jitsu, but the most dominant, stronger, and effective one is the S grip.
• Your arms to leg ratio must be such that your two limbs are controlling one limb of your opponent.
• To finish the banana split BJJ, bridge your hips, maximize pressure, extend your legs, pull your opponent’s leg towards your head, create an angle with your hips, and if your opponent is defending or countering this, switch to the crotch ripper variation.

Yes, in most cases, the banana split submission is legal in BJJ, but here is the exception:

• It is illegal for kids aged 4-12 in IBJJF tournaments.

• It is illegal in beginner division matches at ADCC events.

• It is illegal for kids under 18 in the grappling industry.

• If you transition the banana split BJJ to a twisting knee attack, then it is illegal, and the attack will be disqualified.

• Yes, the banana split submission hold is also legal and used in UFC, MMA, and wrestling as well as in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But this is less common in other combat sports because they require a specific grappling position.
• It is often referred to as a Suloev Stretch in MMA. It has a lot of submission potential and is used famously by Aljamain Sterling and Zabit Magomedsharipov in UFC events.