Simple tip:  If your opponent is about to stack you, start walking back on your shoulders.  This will flatten him out and synch the choke.

You must do this BEFORE he has you stacked.

If your butterfly hooks are stuffed by your opponent who’s head is on your stomach and hands clasped under your back:

1. Take your right hand and put it on his opposite shoulder.
2. Pry his neck upwards by rotating your right elbow upwards, while rotating onto your side and left shoulder.
3. Scoot out your hips and recover guard.

Basic sidemount control theory:

Your opponent cannot regain guard if you control the head and hips.  He especially cannot regain guard if you force his head to the side with your shoulder while controlling the hips.

For these tips, imagine you are sidemount on the opponents right side.

Standard Sidemount Control #1:

1. Left arm under head and gable gripped w/ other hand on opposite side of opponent’s body.
2. Right arm and elbow running down his side with the elbow tight into his hips.
3. Left shoulder should be forced into his jaw forcing him to look toward your left hand as much as possible.
4. Left knee should be in his head.
5. Right knee should be in his hip.
6. Butt should be down as much as possible.
7. Your sternum should be touching his sternum.
8. Your head should be buried and turned to the side in his upper left shoulder.

Standard Sidemount Control #2:

1. Left elbow jammed into the opposite side of his head.
2. Right hand on the ground below his butt preventing him from moving his hips.
3. Right knee jammed into his hip
4. Your sternum should be touching his sternum.
5. Move as one unit.  If he moves away, your whole body follows.  Your left elbow should be glued to his head and your left arm stays in the same rigid position.

Both require good head control.  So a major factor to prevent someone from attaining good side mount control is to control their left bicep from restraining your head.

When I am on the bottom:

• Keep elbows in and put my hands on his hips above me.  Push him towards my head so that I can swing my legs over him.  Get in one hook right away.
• When swinging legs to get out – lock core muscles and swing more in a “J” while rotating back and forth on your sides.

Notes

1. Get a very high mount with your knees under his arm pits if possible.
2. Wrap up an arm with an overhook and slide your knee  towards his head on the same side.
3. Get wrist control of the other arm and push it to the matt.
4. Sneak your other leg up and over the opposite arm.
5. Pull body towards you with overhook and while maintaining wrist control, slide leg under head and cinching the choke.

This is a nice “baiting” move to get it started easily (untried):

Notes

• If the arm is not in a position to turn and put it in front of his face, I can hook it with my right arm spinning across while mounting.
• Once I finish spinning, I will grab the crown to hold the arm above his head.
• Now feed my other arm underneath his neck and grab his armpit to help secure the arm.
• Bump the arm underneath his chin as fast as possible and hug it with the side of your head – your temple to his temple.  Once secured, go to knee-on-belly and squeeze and drive the knee.

Another way to get it (untried):

Notes

• When you push the wrist through your legs, your leg must open up a bit to make space for the hand, then pull your hand out quick.
• Once hand is through, cross your legs across the back maintaining good head control with opposite hand.
• Grab your right ankle with your hand.  This is your new control position.   If I bypass this step and go straight to the triangle, I won’t have the correct angle.
• Now use your other leg to rotate to 2 o’clock and cinch the triangle.

Notes

• Start by getting wrist control like I am going for a kimura.  That will keep him from basing out on his arm and preventing the sweep.
• The sweep actually is off to the side at about 45 degrees – not straight back.
• Throw your opposite arm across his face over his opposite shoulder.
• Try to hip bump really high into his chest – and drive your knee into his armpit.

If unsuccessful, try to come down into omoplata (untried as of yet):

Notes

• If arms are on inside, T-Rex and make space to spin and get a hook in anywhere you can.

Notes

• Must be sitting on shoulder and watching his legs.
• If he gable grips your right leg, you can triangle his arm and get a baby arm-bar.
• Grab toes and sneak foot across belly for mount.