The Mount- What am I doing wrong?

[bjjrookie]

Hi,

I am very light (120lbs) and everytime I mount someone heavier than me, I don't stay there long. They either push me off or upa me. What tips do you have on controlling in the mount? and what submissions should I go for? Thanks

[MrPoopy]

Probly need to ask your instructor for some tips.

Just try and spread out your base if you get upa'd up. Keep your knees up in his armpits to make his upa less effective and also make his elbow escapes a lot harder to do. He'll also not be able to sit up if your in his armpits.

If he does manage to turn up onto his side, take the side mount.

[Sean Dempsey]

Originally posted by bjjrookie
They either push me off or upa me. What tips do you have on controlling in the mount? and what submissions should I go for?

If they go to upa, pop up on your feet and let them go, and usually you can almost go for an armbar from there, or, let them upa you and them you've got them in your guard, which might be better for you.

As far as them pushing you off... if they are pushing, it means they are extending their arms. Next time, grab and arm and swing a leg over and lay sit back into an armbar.

ask your instructor. Unless your like a bluebelt, you just have to get used to sucking for a while before you get better. I still suck.

[smith&wesson]

Go for an armbar. It's really simple and forces tapping out.

[Sean Dempsey]

also, if they are upa'ing you, why do you let them trap a foot and an arm? if they don't have 1 foot trapped and 1 or both hands, how are they upa'ing you?

How do you avoid getting upa'd? like Pedro says "don't let!"

[bjjrookie]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Sean, I am still a white belt and is the smallest in my class. Maybe I should join the kids class. LOL. For some people, the mount is there favorite position. For me, since I am not as big as the others, I dont really care much about it. When I roll with some of the guys and I mount them. My knee doesnt even touch the ground. I am basically squating on their chest. Thanks

[Kilo5518]

The reason you are having problems is a few things. At 120 most fighters will have weight and leverage on you. This can be overcome with experience, which you don't have. The mount is an extremely hard position to hold with an equally skilled opponent, if you are not raining blows down on him.

In regular randori with no strikes, I prefer the side mount or four corner position. I have submitted a lot of guys in their half guard also. The mount can be defended but it takes a lot of skill in areas that are very subtle like weight shifting and constant movement. It is like riding a bronco. Of course this becomes a lot easier if you drop a few elbows on the guy, but most don't treat our training buddies that way.

If you insist on getting into the mount, the above advice you received is good. I would also suggest that you don't sit right on the middle of the opponent, if you feel him trying to go one way, shift your weight the other way and stick out your leg for support. If he pushes up swim inside his arms and get your base again. If he pushes on your leg to shrimp to guard, scoop it off. If he is just squirming and not trying to aggressively roll you, grapevine you legs and drive your pelvis into his body while pushing one of your forearms down on his chest. Don't stay static here because you may get rolled but it is a good position to frustrate him in between things. It will help if you work on your submissions from here too. If he is fighting off your submissions he will have a hard time reversing you.

Good luck

[gregimotis]

You may have to learn to use side control and guard instead of mount in the long run, But you will definitly get better at controlling mount with practice, so don't quit on it.

A lot of controlling mount is not so much technique as it is practice - so just get on there and do the best you can and before long it'll be harder for those guys.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I hear you bro. I've been rolled by less advanced guys so many times. I'm 5'10", 150, so most guys are stronger than me, strong enough to get an arm and trap a foot and then roll me. I've been getting better though, I don't get rolled nearly as easily as I used to. You feel a better base and balance the more times you try it. You could try just training with you starting in the mount and train hard for ten minutes at a time with someone, that might help. Ask your instructor for comments too, but you have to practice that position a lot to improve.

[grubbogoppoly]

You need to get her drunk before

[gaittec]

HeelHook is correct: Also consider my post below.

[Mr. Heel Hook]

What I would suggest is keeping more of your weight down over their head. I know you are light, but it's not the weight that counts really. It's your position and ground balance. Keep your arms out ahead of you for balance, at about a 120 degree angle, with your palms flat . Let them buck you a few times while staying low. You have to let them tire out if even only a little. What I like to do a lot (and I am light as well) is place an elbow on their trap muscle and use it to pin them (so to speak) to dig a knee farther up into their protected sides (which I will assume they are doing. Elbows tight to the side while grabbing their lapels). This works a lot.

If being bumped and you feel as though you are going to go, let it happen...to a degree. You want to sit up and have the person go on his side. Pinch him between your legs, your calf over his chest and your back knee in his back. This is a very powerful position in a match (and even more powerful in a fight). Keep him tight here until you can go for a submission. Many people have told you to go for the arm bar. This is a good position to go for it but don't rush it. Establish your position first. Aside from the arm bar, I would suggest learn the chokes from here. They are powerful and don't run the risk of failure and losing position like an arm bar might. Thing is, you have to attack with chokes and threat of the arm bar. This position, as great as it is, is easy to escape as well (if you know how). So you have to mix them up to keep the person adjusting to defend the attacks rather than concentrating on an escape.

[gaittec]

I would suggest that you look at the mount as a transition position. Use it to move from one side to another, high side mount, or north /south or knee on belly, etc. and get subs on the way when they are available.

Be ready to transition at any time, from one controling position to others, and make it part of your game. Holding on to a dominant position when you have to struggle won't help you. But, moving from one dominate position to another keeps you a step ahead of heavier opponents. As you gain experience with this game, you will have subs literally open up for you regularly even while in transition.

Notice, I'm talking about the top game here. Get your escapes down good from underneath positions. But, don't try to make the bottom game your bread and butter. Your going to get crushed a lot if you do.

The Heilo choke from mount:
To give you one good sub from mount, instead of the standard cross choke, try it the way Heilo does. A smaller person can keep position better this way. Put your right fist (nuckels down)on the mat on the right side of the guys neck while holding his collar close to the neck in your fist with a thumb-in grip. Post your left hand out to the left side and have your head and balance half way between your hands. Now shift your weight more to your left knee and down toward your hips some as you grab his left collar on the center of his chest. To apply the choke, move your right elbow toward his left arm pit as you bring your left elbow down toward your left knee.