Octopus Back Take

Transition · Half Guard

From half guard when he has won the underhook, this takes you from bottom to his back through the octopus guard. The moment is before his crossface pins your head, while his head and chest stay high. Reach your far arm over his back, elbow as far around as you can, and clamp his far lat or hip; sit up beside him fast, your head outside and higher than his. Hug tight, keep your hips close to his and come up on your knees, facing his hips rather than his head. Push his near leg back, lift your hip, slide your leg out of the half guard and cut the corner behind him. A pinned head kills the octopus before it starts, and a loose hug lets him turn back in. If he sprawls back, take the single leg; if he turns in to face you, back to half guard.

How to do it

  1. When they have the underhook on you, do not stay flat: reach your arm over their back, across to clamp their far lat or hip.
  2. Sit up beside them fast, before they settle the crossface, with your head on the outside and higher than theirs.
  3. Hug their back tightly, keep your hips close to theirs and come up on your knees.
  4. Lift your hip, slide the leg out from the half guard and spin behind them to follow them to the back.

Key details

  • Sit up fast, before they settle the crossface: once it is in, you are stuck underneath.
  • Your head ends higher than theirs and on the outside, so it is out of guillotine range and above their shoulder.
  • Thread your arm across their back and clamp their far lat or hip, hugging tightly so they cannot turn to you.
  • Keep your hips close to theirs; then lift your hip, slide the leg out and spin behind them.
  • Face their hips, not their head: push their near leg or shin back toward their hips and cut the corner around it. Facing the head, you end in a scramble or a front headlock instead of the back.

Common mistakes

  • Staying flat on the back. — They crossface you and you are stuck underneath. — Sit up the moment they take the underhook.
  • Keeping the head low. — Your neck is under their chest, ready for a guillotine. — Bring your head up beside their shoulder.
  • A loose hug on the back. — They turn back in and square up. — Hug tight and drive your shoulder into them.

How to drill it

Octopus entries, 8 each side.

What comes next

  • Wrestle-Up Single Leg
  • Half Guard

Where it comes from

  • Octopus Guard Sweep
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