In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), the ultimate goal is to gain control over an opponent while neutralizing their ability to escape or counterattack. While many positions offer strong advantages, two stand out as the most dominant: Mount and Back Control. The debate over which is superior has raged for years, but both provide immense control and high-percentage submission opportunities.
Why Control Matters in BJJ
Before diving into these positions, it’s important to understand why control is key. In BJJ, positional hierarchy dictates that the more dominant your position, the less energy you need to expend to maintain it—and the easier it is to submit your opponent. Dominant positions also prevent an opponent from launching effective attacks, making them a staple of high-level competition and self-defense.
Mount: The King of Control
Overview
The mount position is achieved when you are sitting on top of your opponent’s torso with their back flat on the mat. This position allows for heavy pressure, strong control, and a variety of attacks while limiting your opponent’s ability to escape.
Why Mount is Dominant
1. Total Upper Body Control – With a low mount (hips heavy), the opponent’s arms are trapped, making it difficult for them to push or escape.
2. Submission Opportunities – From mount, you have access to armbars, triangles, mounted guillotines, and the ultra-powerful cross-collar choke.
3. Striking Advantage – In self-defense or MMA, mount allows for devastating ground-and-pound.
4. Difficult to Escape – A well-applied mount is exhausting to escape, especially if you constantly advance your position.
Weaknesses of Mount
• Bridge and Roll Escape – If you don’t maintain good base, a strong opponent can bridge and reverse you.
• Knee Escapes – A skilled grappler can work their way back to half guard if you don’t apply pressure correctly.
Back Control: The Ultimate Finishing Position
Overview
Back control is achieved when you take your opponent’s back, securing their torso with your legs (hooks or body triangle) and controlling their upper body with seatbelt grips. This position is regarded as the highest-percentage submission position in all of BJJ and MMA.
Why Back Control is Dominant
1. Opponent’s Limbs Are Neutralized – Unlike mount, where the opponent can still use their arms and legs for escapes, back control severely limits their movement.
2. High-Percentage Submissions – The rear-naked choke (RNC) is the most successful submission in all of grappling and MMA. Other options include the bow and arrow choke, arm traps for armbars, and lapel chokes.
3. Hard to Escape – If you maintain control with your legs and grip, your opponent has very few escape options.
4. No Risk of Being Reversed – Unlike mount, where you can be bridged or swept, back control offers zero chance of reversal—your opponent can only escape, not turn the tables on you.
Weaknesses of Back Control
• Requires Grip Strength – Maintaining seatbelt control for long periods can be tiring, especially against a strong opponent.
• Escape Potential if Not Secured – If you lose one hook or fail to control their head positioning, a skilled grappler can escape to turtle or recover guard.
Which Position is More Dominant?
The argument between mount and back control comes down to context:
• For Self-Defense & MMA → Mount is more dominant because it allows for heavy strikes while still offering submission threats.
• For Sport Jiu-Jitsu → Back control is the best because it provides near-unbreakable control and the highest percentage of submission finishes.
At the highest levels of BJJ, back control is generally considered the superior finishing position due to its high submission rate and lack of reversal threats. However, mount remains a powerful position in both gi and no-gi, especially when it comes to pressure and control.
Both mount and back control are dominant in their own right, but back control has a slight edge due to its finishing potential and lack of counterattacks. Regardless, mastering both positions is essential for any grappler looking to dominate in BJJ.
What’s your favorite dominant position in Jiu-Jitsu?
Mine is the Mount!!
Let me know in the comments!
