14th-17thJune, 2010

Technique

The mount position

After working on transitioning to the mount position we have now looked at establishing the mount.  We looked at this from two perspectives:

1.  Securing the mount

After successfully transitioning is is imperative that you keep what you have worked so hard to gain., we therefore worked through the following steps:

a) Secure.  Ensure you secure the position. you may well find that you are slightly low on your opponents body or even slightly off to one side.  Securing your base by applying downwards hip pressure, ensure that at this early stage you have four points of balance on the floor and centre yourself along your opponent.

b) Lock. Again at this early stage you are more susceptible to be thrown/bridged off, reversed or put back into half/full/open guard.  Again you may well find yourself lower down on your opponents body, locking the feet behind or under your opponents body can give you that stability. As can grape-vining your opponents legs.

2. Maintaining the mount

After successfully securing the position you will of course face resistance from your opponent, at this stage you must:

a) Ride your opponent vs bucking and bridging.

b) Break his grips vs knee pushes to replace guard.

c) Under-hook and pummel vs attempts to stop you moving higher up your opponents body.

3. Establishing the optimum position

a) Position.  This should be high up your opponents body, knees ideally thrust into your opponents armpits.

b) Pressure

i) Downwards - Hip pressure to give you control and to inhibit your opponents attempts to escape.

ii) Inwards - Squeeze your knees together to tighten your base and further restrict your opponents escape attempts.  Ensure your feet your tucked as close as possible to your opponents ribs, should the opportunity arise to lock your feet under your opponents body, then take it.

c) Anchors.  Your legs will give you two anchors, you may switch between two and four anchors, i..e. your hands, arms on the floor depending on your opponents attempts to escape and your own submission attempts.  However, many anchors you are utilising, you should remain in balance and in control.