North-South
Position · Side Control
You lie on top head to toe with him, chest on his chest, your head over his belly and your hips low, knees wide on the mat by his head or legs stretched back. Your arms wrap under his arms or around his shoulders, his head is between your arms under your chest. A heavy pin between side control on one side and the other: his arms and neck are right under you. If he turns belly-down, the North-South Choke; if he pushes your hips, the Armbar from North-South; if his elbow comes off his body, the Kimura; if he comes up to his knees, follow into the turtle. He wants to push your hips, turn to one side and recover guard; keep your hips heavy and low and circle with him rather than letting him turn under you.
How to do it
- From side control, walk around their head keeping your chest heavy on theirs. Do not lift your chest to move; the chest slides over their upper body as your legs walk.
- Settle with your head towards their hips and your chest on their chest. Keep your weight forward over their upper body, not sitting back towards their legs.
- Slide your arms under their armpits or grip the belt, so your arms are inside theirs. Trapping or underhooking the arms stops them framing on your hips.
- Keep your knees wide and back and your hips low. Wide knees away from their head stop them pushing your hips and turning.
- From here attack the kimura, the north-south choke or the armbar. The arms and the neck are right under you.
Key details
- Chest on chest the whole time. Your chest weight is what pins them; once it lifts, they turn in.
- Knees wide and hips low stop them turning. A wide low base follows their shrimp without lifting the chest.
- Control the arms: they are your targets. The same arms that frame are the ones you attack.
- Keep your weight forward over their upper body; sitting back toward the legs loses control.
- Trap or underhook the arms so they cannot frame. Without frames they have no space to turn or bring a knee in.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the chest to walk around. — They turn in and recover guard. — Keep your chest heavy as you walk.
- Knees close to their head. — They push your hips and escape. — Knees wide and back.
- Arms outside theirs. — They frame on your hips and turn. — Slide your arms under their armpits.
If they defend
- They turn to their side. → Follow back to side control.
- They turn to their knees. → Take the front headlock.
How to drill it
Side control to north-south and back, 10 transitions; then hold north-south 3 × 1 minute.
What comes next
Where it comes from