Side Control
Side control is the default result of a guard pass. The top player pins the opponent's shoulders and hips with chest pressure and a crossface, then chooses between holding, attacking or moving to mount, knee on belly or the back. The bottom player has to frame, create space and either recover guard or turn to their knees. "100 kilos" is its Brazilian nickname.
70 resources
Also called cross side, 100 kilos, cem quilos, side mount, yoko shiho gatame, side control bottom.
Royce Gracie demonstrating side control. MartialArtsNomad.com. CC BY. Source
Side Control Bottom
You are pinned under side control. Frame, create space and recover guard or get to your knees.
- Escapes The core escapes - frame and shrimp to guard, bridge and turn to the knees, the running escape and the ghost escape. 17
- Guard Recovery Turning space into a guard: knee insertion to half guard, full guard recovery and inverting to recover. 5
- Reversals and Sweeps Bridging and rolling, underhook come-ups and opportunistic reversals when the top player over-commits. 6
- Submission Defence Protecting your arms and neck from americanas, kimuras, arm triangles and north-south chokes while you escape. 4
- Survival Concepts Elbow position, frame structure, breathing and the priorities that stop side control getting worse. 12
Side Control Top
You have passed to side control. Pin, stay heavy, and choose between attacking here and moving to a better position.
- Maintaining Control Crossface and underhook, hip switching to kill frames, and staying heavy as the opponent moves. 11
- Submissions Americana, kimura, arm triangle, paper cutter, baseball bat choke, north-south choke and the armbar from side control. 16
- Transitions Moving to mount, knee on belly, north-south or the back when the opponent gives you a reaction. 7
- Pinning Concepts Weight distribution, connection points and reading the opponent's escape attempts. 6