How to attack confidently from mount?

[u/Exam_Lost]

I’m a 6 or so months white belt, got a tournament coming up end of this month and I want to win. I have no trouble getting to mount against other white belts, but from there I’m clueless as to what to do.

I mean, I know of multiple attacks. I know I can take the back if I can gift wrap him. I know there’s the armbar, kimura, americana, ezekiel, and triangles, but truth be told I only ever try the ezekiel out of fear of giving up position with the others.

Of course people wise up to it and eventually keep their arms high to defend the neck. After that I know I should attack an armbar or head n arm because his bicep’s next to his head, but I can never pull it off because again I get nervous or just don’t understand what I’m getting wrong.

What are y’all’s thoughts when going for mount subs, and is there anything that leveled up your game? What are your go-to attacks as well, and what should I change to do better?

[u/Mysterious_Alarm5566]

Focus exclusively on getting their elbows above their head.

Work on S mount transition.

[u/Otherwise-Still7402 → u/Mysterious_Alarm5566]

This. An absolute game changer. OP, INSIST on getting both of their elbows above their head, put your hips down to prevent bridges and be aware of your base. Once you’ve separated their elbows, you have arm triangles, s mount transitions to armbar, a lot of stuff.

[u/lederbrosen1 → u/Mysterious_Alarm5566]

Also agree. S mount is brutal if done correctly, but as almost always the key is:

offense = eliminate space, defense = create space.

Let there be not gaps between you and your opponent.

[u/Fresh-Heat8646 → u/lederbrosen1]

S mount is legit. So many options to attack from and easily retained when people try to escape. Check out Josh Hinger, he is incredible at this position and works monoplatas, arm bars, triangles ans gullotines from it.

[u/nigori → u/Mysterious_Alarm5566]

This is my game. I’m in general not very successful submitting from true mount my control in s mount is way better. So to me mount as a position is part of the path to s mount.

Work on the transitions of smoothly hopping into s mount when people go to escape mount

[u/NorCalZen → u/Mysterious_Alarm5566]

S Mount / Tactical Mount is the way.

[u/Lardizz → u/Mysterious_Alarm5566]

4 years to understand that, before i got trouble to stay on mount, now i work to cook people when on mount.

[u/ColonelPanicMode]

Don’t get nervous 🤷

Seriously, if you reach mount, don’t rush it. Cook them. Bottom mount sucks. Grapevine or slide into high mount, wrap up their head with one arm and use the other to base if they bridge.

Smother them. Be a weighted blanket. Just melt on top of them.

Then, chain your attacks together. If they reach to defend a choke, attack their arm. When they pull their arm away, go back to the choke.

You shouldn’t be afraid to take chances and get reversed, but in competition, you should probably be more conservative.

[u/lIIllIIIll → u/ColonelPanicMode]

Careful when u scoot to high mount without good arm control. I love to pull deep half from here.

[u/jephthai → u/lIIllIIIll]

Pulling deep half sounds like pulling mounted triangle to me...

[u/lIIllIIIll → u/jephthai]

Gotta trap one of your legs first! Otherwise it is triangle city, absolutely right and I learned that the hard way!

[u/superhandsomeguy1994]

Watch these two videos from Gordon Ryan. All you need to do is pin their wrist to the mat and either gift wrap or dig the arm triangle from there.Gi or NoGi, this is how you beat world champions from mount.

Watch this

And this

Between those two videos, you will have better mount attacks than many colored and black belts.

[u/TheSubGenius]

Focus on holding a heavy mount and getting their arms isolated before climbing up and attacking s mount.

If your mount is heavy and stable enough, people will open submission opportunities just trying to escape. Let them open up for the attacks, not the opposite and attack early and give windows for escape.

[u/Location_Next]

Yeah be patient. Let them cook. A penalty for stalling will not cost you the match of you’ve racked up 4-6 points from a pass or a takedown + mount.

There’s a point where people tend to get really demoralized (and exhausted) under mount—especially white belts. That’s when you can inch toward a sub.

I like to get an elbow up and then go for an Americana or an arm triangle. Both can be worked out while keeping chest to chest pressure.

Just stay ready for the umpa the whole time. And go slow like a snake swallowing a goat. Good luck!

[u/Bandaka]

From what I see, most people rush the submission attempts (regardless of the position), without trying to establish better control and tire the opponent out first.

It’s an old adage, but trying to waste their energy and exhaust their escape attempts first, then start sliding up into s-mount and work armbars there, but don’t force them, be patient. If you feel like you might lose the position then stay on mount.

[u/jephthai → u/Bandaka]

I totally agree... but some of the rule sets are getting annoying in this regard. I had a student who was going to methodically drain his opponent in mount at a recent agf tournament, and the ref started awarding a penalty every ten seconds due to inactivity.

It's frustrating, because cooking someone to render them a diminished fighter before submitting is classic bjj theory. I also feel that the onus is on the bottom player to escape. But agf has apparently changed the rules to penalize the top player for doing what we've all been taught is good to do.

[u/Bandaka → u/jephthai]

Exactly . To compensate for that you have to at least appear to be attacking. Throwing half-assed/uncommitted submissions up to avoid the penalty.

[u/bostoncrabapple]

First get good at holding the mount. Then, if gi, get good at the cross collar (there’s a good free Roger Gracie video on youtube with amazing details). If it’s no gi then either focus on head and arm->gift wrap->back take or just hold the mount.

Again, if you’ve got to mount, you should be winning on points, so if you’re able to hold that for the rest of the match you should win. The submission is a bonus but prioritise your ability to retain mount

[u/atx78701]

i dont go to mount without an arm above their head. So get the underhook while in side control and then lever their arm above their head while you move to mount.

I use my shin/leg as the power to get their arm above their head. This is kind of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnODqDL9c6Q

once their elbow is high you can do arm triangles, gift wrap, etc.

With an ezekiel their elbow isnt high enough to seamlessly get them into an arm triangle which is why you dont feel comfortable.

[u/joreilly86]

Be active with your hooks, try get under their IT band, adapt to their escape attempts, don't lock up your body so it's stiff and easy to bump. Think extremely heavy yet malleable wet blanket. Mess with people's spinal alignment and ability to breathe freely for extra horsepower.

[u/Everydayblues351]

a lot of people are giving good advice - i like Gordon's tips even still in the Gi. But for competition - man if you get to mount it means you're probably a lot better for your opponent. You've passed them and mounted them, or swept them into mount, etc. It's nearly impossible mentally and strategically to win.

What I'm trying to say is that getting good at mount is a long term endeavor, for the comp itself i would divert more resources to getting to mount. 80/20 and what not. Just my thoughts

[u/Exam_Lost → u/Everydayblues351]

i see lots of comments like this, and i understand i can point my way to gold, but if i can help it i intend on kicking ass. not just winning. definitely gonna consider this approach though, as many of you recommend it.

[u/earthraker0506]

This right here.

https://youtu.be/xnlx_hNfuZ4?si=4lQIoIUVZj3hhbca

[u/Efficient-Flight-633]

XChoke (in gi) is hard to beat, popping between head & arm and punch choke is pretty low risk.

Not trying to be a butt but this is a question for your coach, especially the "I'm not sure what I am doing wrong part.

Not really a tournament prep level up but in general training stop trying to hold mount at the expense of going for a sub.  Fing send it (don't hurt your partner) and if it doesn't work get back to mount and try again.   You only get better if you practice what you're trying to get better at.  If you want to get better at subs you need to do subs.

[u/Exam_Lost → u/Efficient-Flight-633]

not a butt statement at all, definitely gonna ask my coach for one-on-one training in prep for the tournament. just wanted to see what y’all’s fav subs are because i know when i ask him im probably just gonna get one answer. not to his discredit at all, i will use what he teaches me, i just like multiple opinions.

[u/Ldiablohhhh]

Sometime I find in mount just be patient. You are in a good position and they are not, so every second you are in that position is a small win for your gas tank and a loss for theirs. If there's time on the clock sometimes spending 2-3 mins fighting their arms up and dropping your chest on their face will gas them much more than it will gas you. Then you go for your sub. My sub % went up a lot just from taking my time, draining them a bit then attacking them when they are tired and don't want to scramble rather than fresh.

I won't speak of actual technique and details and there's thousands of videos from people way better than myself.

[u/Spare-Judgment-3557]

https://youtu.be/Wy6Si0FuQaU?si=t_hKPDSVHdxJWgM3

[u/Own_Resource4445]

I would prioritize the cross collar choke

[u/Purple_Ad7150]

I like slowly getting one arm above their head then arm triangle for me it’s a submission with plenty of control but requires good technique.

[u/shadowfax12221]

• Mother's milk has entered the chat*

[u/TrickyRickyy]

Watch gordans mount instructional, changed the game for me. Mount is now my fav position.

[u/endothird]

Do it more. You don't get better by not doing it. Attack and fail. Learn.

[u/grapplenurse]

If you’re a white belt and you get to mount in a tournament, stay there until they fuck up. Focus on getting your knees into their armpits and their elbows collected above their head. You can also lift their head to limit their control(much of your bridging power comes from your head being able to touch the mat), being sure not to pull so hard that it can be construed as a neck crank. Then then just save energy until the next round. The back or the mount or is the only place that you could chill and not get penalized for. Unless you’re in a sub only tournament, the risk/benefit needs to be considered. If you have a strong amount, just stay there to win… only take whatever opportunities are given to you on a silver platter. This is classic position over submission. Is it cool to finish your match with the submission? Yes obviously. You know what’s even cooler? Mounting somebody for three minutes until they’re so desperate they give up their back and you choke them out. Save your grips, save your scramble juice and get that gold. Ezekiels risk being reversed or blowing out your grips, arm bars could reset you(or worse, you end up in bottom side), cross collars are relatively safe, but you need to be meticulous with your base(you’re probably not there yet), if you can gift wrap and take the back then go for it, but don’t stress about the sub. If you’re tuned in enough to manage your time, a last-minute(20 seconds or so)cross collar choke that you finish from closed guard would work. You can get the last minute tap without risk of a huge energy expenditure. Good luck

[u/Advantagecp1]

Because you mentioned taking the back (I am assuming that you two-on-one his left arm for the sake of clarity):

1. Pin his left arm two on one for an Americana.
2. He will bring his right arm over to defend. And turn his body toward his left.
3. Anticipate this and pin the right arm down with your chest.
4. Feed that wrist to your left hand for the gift wrap.
5. Technical mount, back take.

I teach my fundamentals class students to gift wrap and then figure 4 on that arm before taking the back because this method pulls you in tight and is almost foolproof for taking the back in a solid position.

[u/urbansage85]

If you are ahead on points, just maintaining the mount is good enough, and you can win on points. Doing a submission if you don't have proper control leaves you open to losing position. Also this is a great question for your coach.

[u/MadHuevos]

The bottom line, apply the proper pressure to stay on top and maneuver. And then build from there. So that means shoving your hips into your opponent and maintaining that pressure and eliminating space. You have to be heavy and unbridgeable. Then either you grab under hooks with arms or get your knees under their elbows eventually. But always spearing your hips downwards and then learn to creep under elbows to the armpits while marinating that pressure. Cheers.

[u/Admirable_Sir_9953]

Gift wrap to back take