Bottom of Mount
Position · Mount
He sits astride your torso, knees on the mat beside your ribs, hips on your belly or chest. Keep your elbows tight inside his knees and your hands in front of your neck, feet flat near your hips ready to bridge — the elbows are what stop him climbing higher. If he leans forward and posts a hand high, trap that arm and the same-side foot and bridge over your shoulder for the Upa. If his knees are low and his feet wide, push his knee and drag his foot back into Foot Drag to Half Guard. If he lifts his hips and leaves a gap by your hip, frame on his hip and shrimp into the Elbow-Knee Escape. He wants to climb high, isolate an arm for an armbar or settle a choke; never push his chest with straight arms.
How to do it
- Keep your elbows tight to your ribs and inside their knees, arms bent. Elbows inside their knees stop them sliding their knees up towards your armpits.
- Use your hands as frames at the neck or on their hips: when they lean forward, keep the hands near your neck; when they sit up, frame on their hips to stop them climbing higher.
- Keep your feet flat on the mat, close to your hips, knees up. Feet near the hips give you a strong bridge and room to shrimp.
- Turn slightly to one side, onto a shoulder blade, elbows still in. On your side your arms are harder to isolate and your hips are ready to move.
- Escape when they move: if they come forward, trap one arm and the foot on the same side and bridge over that shoulder (upa); if they sit up, frame on the hip and use the elbow-knee escape.
Key details
- Elbows in: no arms for them. An elbow away from your ribs is the start of an armbar or americana.
- Feet close to the hips for a strong bridge: with straight legs the bridge has no power.
- Upa when they come forward, elbow-knee when they sit up: leaning forward their base is in front and the bridge throws them over it; sitting up their hips are high and there is room to bring the knee in.
Common mistakes
- Pushing on their chest with straight arms. — A straight arm away from your body is easy for them to take for an armbar. — Keep the elbows in and frame on their hips.
- Turning to your belly to escape. — Your back faces them and they take the back with hooks. — Stay on your back or side and escape with upa or elbow-knee.
- Legs flat and straight on the mat. — Without feet on the mat you cannot bridge or move the hips. — Bring the feet close to your hips, knees up.
If they defend
- They go high on the chest. → Push the knee down and bridge.
- They attack the neck. → Trap the arm and go upa.
How to drill it
Partner holds mount, 3 × 1 minute: you escape, they keep the mount.
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