The Back Position: Where Real Control Starts
Getting to someone’s back is one of the strongest positions you can have in Jiu-Jitsu. You’re behind them, where they can’t see you and have limited ways to fight back. But just getting to the back isn’t enough—you need to know how to hold the position and finish the fight.
A big mistake beginners make is trying to hold on tightly with their arms. This uses up a lot of energy and limits your ability to attack. Instead, think of your legs as the seatbelt that keeps your opponent in place, and your hands as the weapons you use to finish the fight.
1. Let Your Legs Do the Holding
When you’re on someone’s back, you want to keep them from turning, twisting, or escaping. Your legs are the best tool for that. You should be sitting behind your opponent with your chest against their back, and your legs wrapped around their body in what we call hooks.
What are Hooks?
Hooks are when you place the tops of your feet (or your heels) inside your opponent’s inner thighs, one on each side. Think of it like wrapping your legs around their waist, then tucking your feet in to control their hips.
- With proper hooks, your opponent won’t be able to turn and face you.
- You can also use a body triangle, where you lock one leg behind the knee of the other leg across their belly. This creates tight pressure and limits their breathing and movement.
Important: Don’t cross your feet behind their back unless you’re doing a body triangle. If your opponent knows what they’re doing, they can trap your crossed feet and apply pressure to hurt your ankles.
2. Use Your Legs to Trap Their Arms
Now that your legs are helping you stay behind them, you can also use them to trap your opponent’s arms. This takes away their ability to block your attacks.
Two Ways to Trap the Arms:
- Far-side trap: Take your leg that’s on the opposite side of their arm, stretch it across their body, and trap their wrist or elbow against their belly.
- Near-side trap: Step over their wrist on the same side and pin it under your leg.
If you trap even one arm, your opponent now only has one hand to defend against chokes. If you trap both arms, they have no way to defend—this sets up the straight jacket system.
3. Let Your Hands Do the Submitting
Once your legs are holding the body and trapping the arms, your hands can focus on finishing the fight.
Here’s what your hands should be doing:
- Clear the neck: If your opponent is trying to block your choke by tucking their chin or grabbing your hands, you’ll need to peel their hands away first.
- Go for a submission: Your main goal from the back is to submit your opponent, usually with a rear naked choke (RNC), or if you’re wearing a gi, a lapel choke like the baseball bat choke.
- Stay busy: If they’re defending, use your hands to remove their grips or switch attacks. Never just hang on with your arms.
If your legs are doing the hard work of keeping your opponent in place, your hands can stay fresh and ready to attack.
4. What Is the Straight Jacket System?
The straight jacket system is a smart way of controlling your opponent’s arms so they can’t defend. It was made popular by John Danaher and his team, and it works well for beginners too.
Here’s How It Works:
- Use your leg to trap one of your opponent’s arms.
- Then, use your hand to pull and trap the other arm under your own arm or against their chest.
- Now, your opponent has no hands left to protect their neck.
You now have two free hands while your opponent has none. This gives you a massive advantage to finish the fight without resistance.
5. How to Finish Once You’re in Control
Once your opponent can’t move and can’t defend, it’s time to go for the submission.
Most Common Finishes from the Back:
- Rear Naked Choke (RNC):
- Slide one arm under their chin.
- Grab your own bicep with the other hand.
- Place that hand behind their head and squeeze.
- If the chin is down, work to lift it gently or go for a neck crank variation.
- Baseball Bat Choke (with gi):
- Pull the lapel across their neck like a scarf.
- Feed it to your opposite hand.
- Use your second hand like a bat grip and twist for the choke.
- Armbar:
- Trap one arm across your body.
- Swing your leg over their head and fall back while keeping the arm tight.
- Extend the hips to finish.
These submissions are much easier when your opponent’s arms are already trapped and they can’t stop you.
6. Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid
- Using your hands to just hold on: You’ll get tired fast, and you won’t be able to finish.
- Loose leg control: If your hooks aren’t tight or you let your opponent escape your legs, they’ll turn into you and escape.
- Going for the choke too soon: If your opponent’s hands are still free, they’ll block your attacks. Always control the arms first.
Final Thought
Back control isn’t just about climbing on someone’s back. It’s about knowing how to stay there, how to trap their arms, and how to finish the match. Think of your legs like a seatbelt that locks everything in place. Your hands are your tools to submit.
Train this often. Practice trapping the arms, keeping your hooks, and finishing clean. It’s one of the most reliable ways to win in Jiu-Jitsu.
Legs hold the position.
Hands finish the fight.
That’s how you win from the back.