What Is Side Control in BJJ?

Understanding Side Control

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, side control (also called side mount or cross-side) is one of the fundamental dominant positions. You achieve side control when you pass your opponent's guard and end up beside them with your chest pressing down on theirs. Your hips are on the mat, your body lies perpendicular to theirs, and your weight is distributed to make it extremely difficult for them to move.

Side control is worth 3 points in IBJJF competition (awarded for the guard pass that leads to it). It is a position of control and a launchpad for transitions to even more dominant positions like mount, knee on belly, or back control. For the person on bottom, being stuck in side control is suffocating and exhausting because they must carry their opponent's weight while having limited movement options.

Side Control Variations

There are several variations of side control, each with different grips and weight distribution. Understanding these variations helps you maintain the position and attack from different angles:

• Standard side control - Your near arm goes under your opponent's head (crossface grip), and your far arm controls their far hip or underhooks their far arm. Your chest presses down on their chest, and your hips stay low to the mat. This is the most commonly taught version and provides excellent control.
• Kesa gatame (scarf hold) - Borrowed from Judo, you sit on your hip facing your opponent's head, wrapping one arm around their head and the other gripping their near arm. This variation is extremely heavy and difficult to escape but leaves your back somewhat exposed.
• Reverse kesa gatame - You face toward your opponent's legs instead of their head, wrapping their far arm while controlling their hip. This opens up kimura and americana attacks on the far arm.
• North-south - You shift your body so that you are lying chest-to-chest with your head facing the opposite direction of your opponent. This is a strong pinning position and sets up north-south chokes and kimura attacks.
• Knee on belly - A variation where you place one knee on your opponent's stomach while keeping the other foot on the ground for base. This is worth 2 additional points in competition and creates intense pressure that often forces reactions you can exploit.

Attacks from Side Control

Side control offers a wide range of submission opportunities. The key is using pressure to force reactions, then capitalizing on your opponent's escape attempts:

• Kimura - When your opponent frames against you with their far arm, you can grip their wrist and thread your other arm under their elbow to create a figure-four shoulder lock. The kimura is one of the most versatile submissions in BJJ and can be attacked from nearly every side control variation.
• Americana - Similar to the kimura but executed by painting your opponent's arm to the mat in the opposite direction. This targets the shoulder joint and is particularly effective when your opponent keeps their elbows tight to their body.
• Arm triangle (head and arm choke) - You trap your opponent's arm beside their head and squeeze your arms together to compress the carotid arteries. This is a high-percentage choke that works in both Gi and No-Gi.
• Paper cutter choke - A Gi-specific choke where you grip the far lapel and use a slicing motion across the throat. It is sneaky and can catch experienced practitioners off guard.
• Transition to mount - Side control is the most common position from which to transition to mount. You step your knee over your opponent's body and settle into full mount, gaining 4 points and an even more dominant position.

Escaping Side Control

Being stuck under side control is a common experience for BJJ beginners. Here are the essential escape concepts:

• Framing - Create frames using your forearms against your opponent's neck and hip. These frames create the space you need to start moving. Without frames, you will be flattened and controlled.
• Shrimping to guard - The most fundamental escape. Use your frames to create space, shrimp your hips away from your opponent, and slide your knee in to re-establish guard. This requires good hip movement and timing.
• Underhook escape - Thread your near arm under your opponent's body to get an underhook, then use it to come up to your knees and either take a single leg or get back to a neutral position.
• Ghost escape - When your opponent is pressuring forward, you turn into them and slide out the back door, coming up behind them. This is more advanced but highly effective.

The most important principle in escaping side control is to start early. The longer you stay flat on your back without framing, the harder it becomes to create the space needed to escape. At Current Jiu Jitsu in Mississauga, students learn side control escapes from their very first class, building the fundamental movement patterns that will serve them throughout their entire Jiu-Jitsu journey.

Side Control Tips for Beginners

Whether you are on top or bottom, here are key principles to remember:

• On top - Keep your hips low, spread your weight, and make your opponent carry you. Control the head with a crossface to prevent them from turning into you. Be patient and wait for reactions before attacking.
• On bottom - Never stop moving. Frame immediately, protect your neck, and work to get on your side facing your opponent. A flat back is a controlled back.

Professor Toma Dragicevic teaches side control as a central position in the Current Jiu Jitsu curriculum because it connects to virtually every other position and technique in BJJ. Mastering side control, both maintaining and escaping it, is a milestone that marks significant progress in your rolling ability.