01/04/2015 - Teaching | Mount | Maintaining Low Mount

Teaching #302
Artemis BJJ (MyGym Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 01/04/2015

There are two basic types of mount to choose from, which I call low and high. Once you've achieved mount, I find that low mount provides the most control. First off, you want to immobilise their hips, as their main method of making space is to bridge up forcefully.

Bring your feet right back, threading them around their legs to establish two hooks: this is known as a grapevine. Alternatively, you can also cross your feet underneath (or just near, depending on your flexibility and leg length) their bum, which has the advantage of making it much harder for them to push your hooks off. Your knees are ideally off the ground, to generate maximum pressure. How far off the ground they are depends on your dimensions: the key is getting loads of hip pressure. Another option, which I learned from Rob Stevens at Gracie Barra Birmingham, is to put the soles of your feet together and then bring your knees right off the floor.

Whichever option you're going for, thrust those hips into them, using your hands for base, where again you have a couple of options. Either have both arms out, or put one under the head (remember, you can always remove it for base if you're really getting thrown hard to that side) while the other goes out wide for base. Try to grip the gi material by their opposite shoulder, or even better, by the opposite armpit. Keep your head on the basing arm side, loading up your weight there. If they're bridging hard, you can switch from side to side, lifting their head slightly and bringing your other arm under, meaning your remaining arm bases out to the other side.

To do the trap and roll/upa escape, they will need to get control of your arm. So, don't let them grab it and crush your arm to their side. Instead, swim your arm through, like Ryron and Rener demonstrate in the third slice of the third lesson in Gracie Combatives. Be sure to do it one at a time, or you may get both arms squashed to your sides.
_____________________

Teaching Notes: I feel fairly happy about this lesson. The detail I emphasised this time, based on previous lessons, is the leg positioning. That's where people tend to have the most trouble. I also made a big point of how important it is to get into a position where you can thrust your hips down, rather than getting bunched up so your bum starts going into the air. That seemed to help, as it looked like everyone was doing a pretty good job of maintaining pressure.

I often consider adding the ezequiel choke here, but for a one hour lesson, I reckon that works better on its own. My plan is to teach it as part of a transition into the high mount. That's because the ezequiel will frequently be blocked, but in the course of blocking the ezequiel, it's really hard to prevent an elbow rising. As soon as that elbow goes up, the person on top can shove their knee underneath, beginning to move into high mount.

So, I'll try going with the ezequiel next time at MyGym (which will be next Wednesday, as the gym is closed on Bank Holidays), to begin that shift to high mount.