How to Get the Back Control From the Standing Position in BJJ?

You have different parts of the body, but all such parts bring equal effectiveness and efficiency when you attack a particular part of your opponent’s body. The reason is that they do not all bring the same results whenever you attack them. Some parts are so effective that you become very dominant over your opponent just because of that one attack on such a part. One of the parts of your opponent’s body that can give you a lot of dominance is their back. So you must try to take control of your opponent’s back to help you dominate over them by executing a number of further attacks and techniques. The back control is not an uncommon technique, but it is not easy to execute the back control from the standing position.

The back control in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a dominant position in which you are on the back of your opponent, lying on the ground, usually. Your opponent is facing the mat and cannot face you directly. You are controlling their body and have the opportunity for a number of attacks. The back control is in two forms. One form involves your arm gripping your opponent’s belt after crossing your arms across their upper body, and the second form includes the hooks. It can be underhook or the overhooks. You can get your arms underneath your opponent’s arms. Therefore, the result is that you are very effectively controlling your opponent’s body, and they are not able to make any attacks, even making movements is very difficult for them.

• The back mount has many similarities to the back control, but they are not exactly the same. The back mount is a far better technique than back control, providing more control and efficiency, and more ability to make attacks or transitions to other positions for submissions. If you have taken your opponent in a back mount position, you will have control over their back.

• On the other hand, if you have your opponent in a back control position, then you are not having them in the back mount too. So we can say that the back mount is the advanced form of back control, which provides you more control over your opponent’s body and more opportunities for attacks, taking them to submission.

• Moreover, the back control is a general control, and the back mount is the specific control. In the back mount, you are having control on the back of your opponent, but with no specificity of the hooks, grips, or anything. You can do it, but there is no compulsion. But for a back mount, you should have underhooks or overhooks and the grip on their belt.

The back control is a very effective technique, but the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grapplers often find it very difficult to enter the back control position. But let's make it easy for you because it is very important for you to know the ways to take your opponent into back control while in a standing position:

• The BJJ arm drag technique is a first way to take your opponent into the back control. It doesn’t look like a very effective technique, but it is a very effective one, particularly for setting up back control on your opponent. Whether you are standing or sitting, you can set up your opponent into a back control in both positions with the BJJ arm drag.

• The arm drag is best done with the wrist control method. So, for doing the arm drag, you need to grab the wrist of your opponent. You should be on your left side and must be facing your opponent. It will make it easy for you to control their left wrist. While doing this to make it even easier for you, try to distract your opponent by gripping their collar. This will make them think that you are trying to choke them. So they will not effectively stop you from doing the arm drag.

• Now the second step involves creating the space between your opponent’s arm, which you have grabbed with their wrist, and their torso. For this, you need to move the arm of your opponent that you have grabbed down on the mat and then immediately after this move it to the lateral side. When you move to the side and down, a space will be created between their arm and body. When you have created the space, now make sure to have a grip on the upper arm of your opponent. You should grab the same arm that you have grabbed earlier and not the other one, because you will drag the same arm.

• After grabbing their arm with complete control over them, you should get your one leg between the two legs of your opponent and then pull yourself towards them. At the same time, try to get behind your opponent. Now, once you have got yourself behind your opponent, get your head behind your opponent’s shoulder. Now you are at the back of your opponent, lock their body, and take them to tap out.

• The second technique or tactic to get back control over your opponent is the duck under technique. The common benefit of using this technique for back control is its versatile options. The technique is itself versatile. It is also a very effective technique. The versatility makes the technique even more important for you to learn. You can execute this technique from a number of positions, such as from underhook, collar tie, wrist control, and triceps control.

• The duck under technique can be performed in various forms. You can duck under to the left side or the right side. The most common way to perform it, and it is also the most effective, is using the collar tie. With this, you are also doing either the underhook or triceps control.

• Now, for doing the duck under, decide where you are going after ducking your head. If you are going to the left side after ducking your head under your opponent, then grab your opponent’s triceps using your left arm and do the triceps control. You have two options to choose from. You can do the underhook or the triceps control. Both are effective, so you can choose anyone depending on your comfort level. With your right hand, you will tie the collar tie on your opponent.

• Now you need to disrupt the balance of your opponent. You can do this in two ways. The first way is to use your frame for pulling them down. The second way is to move them down using your right arm. Both are very effective and give the same result. They will try to push back against you. If they do so, move them down and slightly change your level.

• Now step yourself back with your having your left leg as the lead leg. Get your head behind your opponent by taking it under your opponent’s arm. Now your head is behind your opponent’s shoulder, and you are at their back with proper back control.

• The throw by technique is the third most effective technique to take the back of your opponent under your control. This technique is performed as a counter attack to your opponent when they are applying the collar tie to you.

• If your opponent is applying the collar tie with their right hand, it means that their left leg is the lead leg and the right leg is behind because they are making their right hand the lead hand.

• So when your opponent is doing the collar tie, you have to do a counter attack with a throw by technique. They can do the collar tie with their right hand or left hand. So if they are doing it with their right hand, curl your left arm, and if they are doing it with their left hand, curl your right arm. So suppose that they are doing it with your right hand. Now get your left leg onto the left side and your left forearm to the side of your opponent under their right triceps because they are doing the collar tie with their right hand.

• Now throw your opponent’s arm to the right side. Do this by first bringing their right arm over your head. You will do this with your left arm as you have grabbed their right arm with your left arm.

• Now, as you have already secured your opponent’s collar tie with your right hand, pull them down on their back and take their back.

• The fourth technique or tactic to bring your opponent into a back control position is by doing the snap down and front head lock one after the other. You will be doing both these positions. At first, you will do the snap down technique, and secondly, you will make the front headlock position against your opponent, and finally, you will have the back control against your opponent.

• So, firstly, you will apply the snap down against your opponent. It is the favorite technique of the wrestlers, and you can apply the same technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu too. It is not common in BJJ as the grapplers mostly focus on the ground based techniques and fighting. It is usually done from the collar tie of the opponent. Wrestlers train this technique a lot during their training, so they are very expert in executing this technique, as this is their favourite move in the art. So if you encounter any wrestler, then get ready to experience the snap down to the mat. It is the greatest and most effective way to disrupt the balance and posture of your opponent and throw them to the ground.

• So now, at first, you have to do the snap down technique. For performing the snap down technique, you have to do the collar tie. For doing the collar tie, do not grab them from behind your opponent’s neck. Instead, grab the back of their head, which is the crown part. Now move your left arm under your opponent’s triceps or for underhooks and move your left leg at the front, making them a lead leg. Now move your right leg backwards. Don’t move too much.

• At the same time, with your left hand, move their head down towards the mat. You must do this step quickly to avoid giving your opponent a response time. The more time you give to them, the more the chances for you to get your snap down technique. Now try to move your chest behind the head of your opponent. After this step, complete the snap down technique by quickly dropping your weight on your opponent. This will make sure that your opponent cannot get up due to your weight on them.

• Now, after completing the snap down technique, you have to move your opponent to the front headlock position. With your head, block the shoulder of your opponent and pull the trapped arms of your opponent in front of their face. Now, you are ready to take their back. Just move slightly to the left and take your opponent in the back control.

The last technique to get the back control on your opponent is the Russian two on one. If your opponent tries a collar tie on you, shrug it away with your shoulder and, using a c-grip, grab the wrist of your opponent with your right hand. Now grab the biceps of your opponent with your other hand (right hand). Put your weight on your opponent to apply pressure on them. Now slide the arm of your opponent forward and take the back of your opponent.

The back control is not an uncommon position or technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but getting the back of your opponent while in a standing position is not very common. It is a very good and effective technique helping you to submit your opponent or transition to various other positions. So you must learn how to control your opponent with their back while you are standing facing your opponent.

The back control in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a dominant position in which you are on the back of your opponent, lying on the ground, usually. Your opponent is facing the mat and cannot face you directly. You are controlling their body and have the opportunity for a number of attacks.

The back control is a general control, and the back mount is the specific control. In the back mount, you are having control on the back of your opponent, but with no specificity of the hooks, grips, or anything. You can do it, but there is no compulsion. But for a back mount, you should have underhooks or overhooks and the grip on their belt.

The following are the ways to get back control of your opponent in a standing position:

• BJJ Arm Drag

• Duck Under to Back Take

• Throw By Technique

• Snap Down And Front Headlock

• Russian Two On One