transitions

[Orionkeiji]

how do you guys like to transition from side mount to north-south/4-corners? i'd like to be able to flow a little more smoothly into it and i guess i'm looking for the finer details.

also... what do you guys like to do when you have someone on top of you in side mount?

thanks for all the help

[GrendelX]

Slip your thumb into the collar of the gi and push against there throat using your forearm. Bridge to the ceiling hard whith your hips and shrimp. Retain gaurd. No advice for your other question.

[DJColdfusion]

Concerning the transition from side control to north south, it really depends on whether I am trying to set something up or just retain control.

Generally, you just want to maintain control first and foremost. Control should be your #1 goal. Look for submissions after that.

If I am in side control/top:

with my knees down (lets say I'm on my opponent's right side), with my opponent's right arm on my left side, I'll shift my left hand so that it control's my opponent's right elbow and lift his arm as I slide my right leg through into Kuzure-Kesa Gatame (broken kesa gatame)

and then kick my left leg up and over to the left side of my opponent's head, as I swith my right hand from a control position on my opponent's left side to a control position on his right side, so that my hips rotate down and I return to knees down/all fours, while moving my right arm into a control position on my opponent's left side, into north-south position.

[DJColdfusion]

Both of your questions have dozens of answers but the second one is considerably more wide open than the first.

GrendelX's suggestion is a solid answer. You could also bridge, shrimp, and recover guard. You could try a "running escape". You could underhook their body and scoot out the back. Push them into a triangle choke. I've personally had a ton of success lately with hitting a no-gi brabo choke from there.

My most successful response has been to bridge/arch and then shrimp away to open up space so that I can sneak my bottom leg through far enough to recover half-guard. After that I'll either continue on to recover full guard or I'll work on my half-guard game.