Chapter 1: Effective BJJ Back Survival Techniques

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu positions hold significant importance for all grapplers, whether beginners or experienced fighters. To put it simply, all BJJ fighters strive to maintain dominant controlling positions to prevent the chance of getting submitted by their opponents. According to John Danaher ad other fighters and instructors of BJJ and MMA, BJJ back mount is one of the most powerful and secure BJJ positions. If your opponent attacks your back he has ample opportunities to attempt submission techniques, leave the back position, and transition to other advantageous positions.

The dominant back mount is also called the rear mount, back control, or back attack position.

The BJJ Back survival is a multi-level training course. A BJJ practitioner can start learning the back survival techniques at the white belt level but will only develop a strong base after years of practice. So you can expect to pull off at least one BJJ back survival technique with precision at the purple belt level. Deep knowledge of the back survival concepts and mastery comes at the brown and black belt levels.

The power of the BJJ rear mount is evident from this chart. This data is based on the IBJJF competitions and reflects that the back or rear mount is the best possible position if a BJJ athlete wants to secure a successful submission finish.

The BJJ back mount is great for all types of BJJ submission techniques, but athletes prefer to go for these three techniques for finish:

1. Armbar
2. Rear-naked choke (RNC)
3. Triangle

The BJJ back control has allowed many fighters to make history with their remarkable submission wins from the back.

To survive back attacks, don’t just defend submission attempts but adopt a protective stance. The “Back Attack Survival Posture” is the best back defense and allows you to block your opponents’ attacks effectively.

Once you attain the Back Survival Posture use the Hand Fighting Technique. This technique is useful because when in the back control position your opponent can only attack with one arm and you can take advantage of this small vulnerability. If he uses both arms then he would not be able to maintain the back control. To be successful at this defense strategy, it is of utmost importance to keep your hands relaxed. With relaxed hands, you can block all submission attempts of your opponents, especially chokes and joint-locks. Also, make sure that your arms are close to the body. Wait for the attack and then fight it. If you extend your arms to reach your opponent’s hands before he attacks, your elbows will move away from your body and will be a vulnerable target of arm attacks.

Here are four easy ways to defend against back attacks with your hands from the Back Survival Posture.

1. Place one hand on the inside of the gi collar and put the other hand over it (on the outside).

2. If your opponent attacks with the right hand, raise the hand covering the inside of the gi collar to block the attack. Note: Always wait for the attack, don’t reach toward your opponent.

3. If your opponent attacks with the left hand use the hand placed outside the gi collar to block the attack.

4. Return to the original Back Survival Posture if your opponent is not attacking.

Hand fighting is an effective method to counter back attacks successfully. This is especially true if you are fighting at the lower belt levels. However, with higher belt levels come deeper BJJ knowledge and a sharper skill set. Therefore, you may encounter opponents who can easily block your defense moves due to their predictability. In such circumstances, surprise your opponent with the “Scoop Technique.” Many elite BJJ athletes confirm that this is the best survival posture against back attacks.

To attain the scoop position simply slide down. Keep your hands relaxed and in the same protective position. By moving down, you would easily deprive your opponent of the angle required to set up the back attack. Consequently, he won’t be able to dominate you.

Here is a quick demonstration of the Scoop Position attained to block a choke attempt.

As seen in the image, the combatant A in the blue gi is in the scoop position. His elbows are protected and safe from the attack. This in turn keeps his lower body and arms safe from attacks. As a result, the combatant B in the gray gi is completely helpless and has no areas for attack.

Moreover, the combatant A has crossed his arms to block all attempts for neck control and chokes. If the combatant A slides further down, he would eliminate all chances of neck attacks using gi grips. If combatant B grabs the gi collar of combatant A, combatant A can counter this attack by lifting his neck and removing the angle needed to secure the neck attack.

1. To get into the Scoop position, you first need to attain the Back Attack Survival Position. Then place one hand on the inside of your gi collar and the other hand over it.

2. Once you attain the back attack survival posture, hide or secure your elbows by drawing your arms close to your chest. This will protect you from chokes and neck attacks. Now open your base and slowly slide downwards.

3. Pick up the pace and move away from your opponent faster than before. Continue to slide down bringing your upper body close to the mat.

A quick tip: As you get away from your opponent, keep your legs away from your body. Otherwise, your opponent may dominate you again.

Most BJ combatants tend to grab a hook off them in case of a back attack. To push or pull a hook, the combatants turn around to escape the back attack. This is not a wise move in a competitive environment especially if you are confronting an experienced jiu-jitsu athlete. The move would leave your neck vulnerable to a choke because your arm would be extended towards your opponent’s hook.

The BJJ bridge is a supine grappling posture. The combatant performs this move lying down face up. In BJJ bridge posture, the combatant lifts his pelvis off the ground; his shoulders and feet support the body weight. Many BJJ combatants perform the BJJ bridge to survive the back attack. This is a difficult position and quite disadvantageous at times. To bridge the combatant moves backward scooting his hips to the side. As a result, his opponent can control him easily because his upper back comes in contact with his opponent’s upper chest. If the opponent has both underhooks in place, then the combatant cannot escape his back attack easily.

If you bridge into your opponent as described above, he would dominate you completely. Desperate to escape, many athletes try to pull their opponent off their back by grabbing their arm in a move similar to a shoulder throw. This is a good strategy to remove your opponent from your back. It requires a lot of strength and technique. A stronger opponent will use your move to transition into a submission choke.

If your opponent has gained neck control, transitioning to the side is a fatal move. If you turn towards the wrong side it increases the chance of getting choked. If you turn towards the correct side, then you have a chance to survive the back attack against an inexperienced opponent. The veteran jiu-jitsu athlete will immediately pull you toward the wrong side and place the choke.

The main neck defense strategy during a back attack involves grabbing your own gi lapels. In BJJ this is called the “Rigid Neck Defense.” This may seem like a good defense, but this survival position has many limitations. By grabbing your gi, you immobilize yourself and become dependent on your opponents’ moves.

A frequently practiced neck defense involves placing your hand on the back of your neck and crossing your other hand to your shoulder. This position will effectively protect one side of your neck from attacks.

However, there are two problems with this back attack survival strategy:

1. On the one hand, this posture would prevent some collar chokes, but on the other, it would expose your body to multiple controls.

2. Your opponent can control you through over-and-under-grips.

3. Your opponent can successfully attempt an Ezekiel choke from the back.

• Start your BJJ mount survival practice from the white belt level and train with an experienced practitioner. In the beginning, you will be crushed easily, but by the time you reach the BJJ purple belt level, back attack survival techniques will come naturally to you.
• When you are back-mounted, draw your limbs in. Never reach out toward your opponent’s attacking arm. An open elbow or arm can be fatal. As discussed above, armbars are the most frequently secured submissions from the mount position.
• When defending the BJJ back mount, you have to frustrate your opponent by limiting your movements. Keep your movements fluid and preserve the energy required to transition to a better position.
• Don’t panic. Aggressive moves to get out of the back control can lead to flawed instincts and you will end up doing the common errors described above.

The back mount is a powerful BJJ position and gives a practitioner ample opportunities to secure submission and win the fight. However, it is also the easiest BJJ submission position to recover from. Practice the survival techniques mentioned above and make sure you are conscious of the common errors and flawed instincts during training and competitions to survive the back attack successfully.