Taking the Back
Back control is the most dominant position in all of grappling — your opponent cannot see you, cannot easily defend, and the finish is right there. It is no accident that the road to the sport's most common submission runs straight through the back. Here is how to take it, how to keep it, and how to finish.
By the numbers: Back attacks — the rear naked choke and choke-from-the-back complex — were the No. 1 family of finishes across 3,209 elite submissions in our data study. Take the back and you're one step from the tap.
What is back control?
Back control means you are chest-to-back behind your opponent, controlling their upper body with a seatbelt grip (one arm over the shoulder, one under the armpit) and their hips with two hooks (your heels inside their thighs) or a body triangle. It is the safest dominant position — they have almost no offense, and you have the rear naked choke waiting.
How to take the back
- Follow the shoulders. Whenever an opponent turns away from you — escaping mount, defending a pass, turtling — their back is offered. Take the seatbelt first, hooks second.
- Use the gift wrap. Trapping the far arm across their own neck “gift wraps” them and walks you straight to the back.
- Win the inside space. From closed guard, the back-take starts with controlling an arm and getting your chest to their side.
▶ “EASY Back Take From Closed Guard” — Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu (Rickson Gracie black belt).
▶ “Taking The Back — Gift Wrap” — Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu.
How to keep the back and finish
Keep your chest glued to their back and control the shoulders with your seatbelt — the upper hand fighting for the choke, the lower hand blocking their escape. When they defend one side, follow their spine and stay behind them. From there, the finish is the rear naked choke (or the bow-and-arrow in the gi).
Common mistakes
- Chasing the hooks before the seatbelt. Upper-body control comes first; hooks alone get shucked off.
- Crossing your feet in front of them — an invitation to a footlock.
- Letting them turn in. The moment they face you, the back is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Why is back control the best position in BJJ?
Because your opponent cannot see or easily defend you, has almost no offense, and you have the highest-percentage submission — the rear naked choke — immediately available.
How do you take someone's back?
Follow their shoulders whenever they turn away, secure the seatbelt grip first, then insert your hooks or lock a body triangle. The gift wrap is one of the most reliable entries.
How do you keep back control?
Stay chest-to-back, control the shoulders with the seatbelt, and follow their spine when they defend — never let them turn in to face you.
See it on The BJJ Project
Our primary video source for the encyclopedia is The BJJ Project — the channel of Rickson-lineage black belt Chris “Bones” Burns, a friend of the show. Here is back control from both sides — the secrets to keeping it, strong side vs weak side, and the escape:
▶ “Secrets to Back Control in BJJ” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
▶ “Strong Side vs Weak Side in BJJ Back Control” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
▶ “Back Control Escapes — Invisible Details” — The BJJ Project.
Learn from the source: the Rickson lineage
This connection-first approach to the back comes from the Rickson-Gracie school of “invisible jiu-jitsu.” Go even deeper with Chris “Bones” Burns' The BJJ Project and Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu, and hear the philosophy on our podcast with Rickson-lineage black belts Scott Burr and James Driskill.
Part of the BJJ Encyclopedia. Videos are the property of their creators and are embedded from YouTube with credit — please support these instructors. Catch the podcast on YouTube and Spotify.