Dealing with the Modified Mount

If your opponent has mount on you, and you try the upa without sufficiently controlling their leg on the side you are turning towards, they have the opportunity to move to the Modified Mount position.

This discussion assumes you are lying on your L side under the modified mount.

If you are on your L side, their L knee should be behind and under your head, and they are up on their R foot with it connected to the line of your hips. Their L shin is probably back at an angle to your torso to provide base.

This is also called Side Mount or Technical Mount, depending on the academy.

This position can give them opportunities for chokes, armlocks on the top arm, or to take the back.

Your escape from here, as usual, is dictated by what deficits they may have and how they are attempting to control you. Their base and their connections to you.

The concept of “inflating” your body by connecting the top elbow and knee is vital for a couple of these escapes. Chris demonstrates a warmup (discussed below) which you need to practice.

As Chris demonstrated, it is far easier to already be starting your escape as soon as they start moving to the modified mount. Avoid letting them settle if you can.

Their L knee is poorly positioned

If their L knee is not under your head, there is nothing to stop you turning face up and getting your shoulders to the mat. They have achieved nothing by going to modified mount. If they have this simple deficit, they may have others too, which you can use.

No chest connection

Their chest is not connected to and controlling your R (top) tricep.

“Spread your wings” and sit up, driving off the floor with your L elbow, as you push them back and off their base with your R elbow.
Just keep turning towards them, they should find it very difficult to take your back.
You will most likely finish in their guard.

“If it’s stupid but it works, it isn’t stupid” - Marc MacYoung and many others

Base deficit with the R leg

They have connected to your R tricep with their chest, but their base is off because their R knee is pointing out towards your feet. Your R elbow connects to their R hip, your R hand to their R knee. The elbow connection is paramount. Slide your left foot out in front Shift forward into a hip escape frame, driving their R heel forward with your hip as you drive their R knee and hip down opening their hip, They should fall to the dead angle at their R and behind. Keep turning towards them either to guard or to your knees.

Inflation Escape

They have connected to your R tricep with your chest, and this time their knee is slightly internally rotated, towards your head, giving them a decent base. They do not have an underhook or similar control on your R arm. They should now be able to stop you pushing their R knee toward their feet, or knocking their R foot forward with your hip.

You can’t go forward any more … but you can move your hips back, away from the R foot
giving you space to get your R elbow into the crook of their R knee, and to bring your R knee up to touch your R elbow. Here you have “inflated”, effectively making your body about twice as wide.
Slide your L foot out in front, and use it to turn to your R and”shovel” your hips forward as you drive him towards the dead angle to his back and R with your R elbow and knee connection.
Spin to a guard, and perhaps come up.

They have an underhook

Their chest and R leg are properly connected, plus they also have an underhook on your R arm, which will prevent you getting that elbow/knee connection we had for the last escape.

You want to grab and move their R foot with your L hand, but your arm is too long to reach like that. Instead, lift your hips and pull your L elbow under and behind you until it is at your L hip, in prime position to grab his ankle from the rear.
Grab his ankle with your L hand in a C clamp and move your hips back so you can join your R knee and L wrist, behind his foot. This is another form of inflation.
Take your L foot out in front as before, and use it to pull your hips forward, and turn.
Use your L hand and R knee to push their foot forward and up, tipping them to the dead angle to their R and behind.
This will work even if they are using their L hand to push your face down to the L, to set up armbars, etc.

Dealing with the Kimura grip

They will often try to get your L arm in a kimura grip. This is countered by taking your head away from them and turning face up, thus freeing your L elbow. This becomes reflexive after a while. That grip should be hard for them to get in the first place, and should become easy to get back if they do. Some instructors will tell you to never put your back on the ground from here, but it actually provides effective solutions to quite a few problems even if you give points away in the sport.

“Keep your friends close and your elbows closer” - a multitude of Jiu-jitieros

Training

You can perform the Inflation Escape as a solo warmup. Get good at this. Practising the other escapes solo will be worthwhile also. There are many solo drills in Zero Point GJJ that, if mastered, will make your jiu-jitsu more efficient and effective. If you can’t do them well, it may mean you will find jiu-jitsu more difficult. Think of Rickson on the beach in Choke.

Work these escapes with your partner feeding you a modified mount with various deficits and controls.

After some success with that, start with your opponent mounted on your chest, move them onto your hips, and have them move to modified mount in various configurations. Try to feel which escape is most effective as soon as they consolidate the position, then before they consolidate the position. Do both sides with gradually increasing resistance.

You can also practice with other entries to the modified mount, e.g. they are behind you as you are up on your side, stepping over your hips to get the modified mount.

Invisible

You have to be able to feel and test where they have base, or have a deficit. “Mess with their base” is a regular Chris admonishment.

You also need to be able to make effective connections to them to move them effectively, and to the ground to use the hip escape and related frames.

Remember you should not try to force a particular escape, you take the one they give you. Feel, rather than do.

Extras

There are more escapes, not shown, if they get various configurations of the gift wrap from here. At a fundamental level, these involve protecting your neck and getting to a hip escape frame by various means. We can expect these to be demonstrated online at some time in the future.

“1: Be the guy on top.

2: When on top, stay on top.

3: When on bottom, have a guard, no one can pass.

4: Never forget rule 1, often forgotten due to the seductive and rewarding nature of the guard.”

— Chris Haueter

“The mount is three-sixty in space” - Will Feyen quoting Chris Haueter