Taking it back to the old school with a solid mount flow

Do you want to improve your finish rate on top of mount? If so, this is the right place to be.

We’re going to do a deep dive on an effective and basic offensive system for mount. It cycles through the cross choke, armbar and triangle in a flow that makes sense. And I’m going to break it down for you beyond what you can learn just by watching the video.

Watch the Techniques in Action

Deep Dive on the Individual Techniques

The Cross Choke

Several years ago, I learned this variation on the cross choke, and it blew my mind. The elbow position on the first grip changes everything.

  • It shifts your palm to the sky, creating a better connection between the blade of your wrist and their neck.
  • It stabilizes you in the position, so that it will be hard to rock or roll you.
  • It aligns your elbow with the side of your opponent’s rib, and once there, you can make their life a little more miserable.
  • It pulls their head off the deck, creating space for your second grip.

The Armbar

There are a couple of things to note in this variation:

  • The threat of the cross choke gives you opponent incentive to make their arm vulnerable (and it is vulnerable whenever there is space between their elbow and their side).
  • Leaning slightly forward to their head will make the transition to S-Mount quicker and smoother.
  • When you fall back for the armbar, there is always a small opportunity to escape. The size of that opportunity varies depending on skill, but it is better to finish on the top.

The Triangle

Of all the techniques in the series, the triangle from the top will probably be the ones that gives you the most difficulty, but there are some important tidbits to keep in mind.

  • You must elevate the head to create space for your leg to slide under.
  • You must pin the arm so that you can create space so that your leg can go over it.
  • Once your leg is over their shoulder and under their neck, you must angle your body towards that leg to make it easier to lock the triangle.
  • Keep twisting your body so that your head moves towards and past their hips. That will apply an almost corkscrew like pressure to their neck.

Think of the adjustments you make on top in the same way that you think about the adjustments that have to made on the bottom. There is very little different, it just seems so because of your position.

Enjoy and feel free to share with others who would benefit from adding these techniques to their arsenal.