Staying by the hips or the upper body in side control (no gi)

[biscuitsbrah]

So before I used to love staying low in side control by the hips so that they couldnt re-guard me with their legs as easily. But recently ive discovered that strong guys will frame my upper body and face and use it to escape, so its much easier to just kill the near side arm by staying close to it or even trapping it into a crucifix. While simultaneously threatening the kimura on the far side arm. So they cant just frame me into re-guarding or bench me off them.

Now that I type this out it seems like simple and basic stuff. Lol. Ive been doing bjj for 5 years and just realized if your control is decent youre much better off staying by the arms and chest than low by the hips and legs in side control

Any thoughts on this?

 

[ChainFlow]

Your new understanding is better.

Staying low by the hip may make the basic shrimp harder, but it enables many other escapes and reversals. The elbow push, framing on the face and rebuilding base, looking for a switch or a funk reversal, etc.

It is important to not let them start getting up on their elbows if you want to keep someone in any upper-body dominant position. It is really hard to keep someone down on their shoulders if you're down by their hips.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Your new understanding is better.

Staying low by the hip may make the basic shrimp harder, but it enables many other escapes and reversals. The elbow push, framing on the face and rebuilding base, looking for a switch or a funk reversal, etc.

It is important to not let them start getting up on their elbows if you want to keep someone in any upper-body dominant position. It is really hard to keep someone down on their shoulders if you're down by their hips.

Ah that makes a lot of sense.
Although in half guard I still stay low on the hips so they don’t take me over. And I feel like I have better control. Only problem is they frame my face and can get the knee shield on me kind of easily.

Should I just keep my hips low while control upper body? Or should I stay low on the hips.

Reason being is the my non trapped leg stays very close to my other leg so they can’t push the knee and put me in full guard. If my non trapped leg gets too high I find that they can shrimp out easier

 

[Alech33]

They both have their place but more often than not being a high is better. If you're not already doing so, dig your shoulder into his head to make him look away from you. Makes it very hard for him to re gaurd while looking away

 

[dmwalking]

So before I used to love staying low in side control by the hips so that they couldnt re-guard me with their legs as easily. But recently ive discovered that strong guys will frame my upper body and face and use it to escape, so its much easier to just kill the near side arm by staying close to it or even trapping it into a crucifix. While simultaneously threatening the kimura on the far side arm. So they cant just frame me into re-guarding or bench me off them.

Now that I type this out it seems like simple and basic stuff. Lol. Ive been doing bjj for 5 years and just realized if your control is decent youre much better off staying by the arms and chest than low by the hips and legs in side control

Any thoughts on this?

I definitely prefer to stay up high by the head. Easier path to mount. Easier access to armlocks. Easier path to north south. I do love reverse kesa as well. It's a good path to the back if you use it right. I believe if you search "marcelo garcia will choke you out," you'll find a video of him using reverse kesa to bait a reaction so he can take the back. Vetty nice.

 

[dmwalking]

They both have their place but more often than not being a high is better. If you're not already doing so, dig your shoulder into his head to make him look away from you. Makes it very hard for him to re gaurd while looking away

Good detail. I also like to crossface to make them look away, then pin their face down with my lat as I overhook the head. Turns into an easy north south choke half the time.

 

[ChainFlow]

I definitely prefer to stay up high by the head. Easier path to mount. Easier access to armlocks. Easier path to north south. I do love reverse kesa as well. It's a good path to the back if you use it right. I believe if you search "marcelo garcia will choke you out," you'll find a video of him using reverse kesa to bait a reaction so he can take the back. Vetty nice.

If you search Marcelo videos, you’ll find a video of him using {literally everything} to bait a reaction to take the back.

Also yes, reverse kesa is fantastic control. Nearly impossible to reguard, back takes, mount entries, kimuras, north south chokes, darces. It’s the primary way I play side control when I’m serious.

 

[Killashaw]

I've been taught to stay to upper body when in side control and always keep the underhook. If in kesa gatame and the opponent gets the underhook I was told to overhook with the same arm and bring my hips down onto his lower torso/by the hips, from where most of the time they shrimp and you can get an easy anaconda or darce.

 

[TheHereticJay]

I love staying upper body in side control and recently have been playing with basically sitting at shoulder level with my hips facing the feet, bottom knee by the solar plexus, top leg out for base and pressure. Leads to leg drags, rolling back takes, leg locks, etc... been working well for me lately.

 

[mataleaos]

If you search Marcelo videos, you’ll find a video of him using {literally everything} to bait a reaction to take the back.

Also yes, reverse kesa is fantastic control. Nearly impossible to reguard, back takes, mount entries, kimuras, north south chokes, darces. It’s the primary way I play side control when I’m serious.

I fancy my self good at escaping bottom positions and reverse kesa is the main top position that makes me go “fuck this is gonna suck.”

 

[biscuitsbrah]

If you search Marcelo videos, you’ll find a video of him using {literally everything} to bait a reaction to take the back.

Also yes, reverse kesa is fantastic control. Nearly impossible to reguard, back takes, mount entries, kimuras, north south chokes, darces. It’s the primary way I play side control when I’m serious.

I fancy my self good at escaping bottom positions and reverse kesa is the main top position that makes me go “fuck this is gonna suck.”

When people get this on me it feels like a strong control position, but why don’t I see it in mma a lot? Especially at the lower weight classes

 

[ChainFlow]

When people get this on me it feels like a strong control position, but why don’t I see it in mma a lot? Especially at the lower weight classes

You do see it a lot as a quick transition to mount. People don't hang out there because you have even less ability to punch the face than in normal side control. You occasionally see people sit there and throw hammerfists to the body for a bit, though.

 

[INTERL0PER]

I'm all about upper body, and bringing that shoulder presh.

Ideally I'll trap their nearside arm in-between my thigh and torso, so basically in my hip. That combined with the shoulder pressure forcing them to look away creates a lot of openings for me. Primarily moving to mount, which is where I prefer to be.

 

[QingTian]

mm... they are all good ways but you have to be able to flow from one way of control to another, at least against someone good.