Knee on Belly
Knee on belly is a mobile top pin where you drive a knee into the bottom player's stomach with your other foot posted, staying tall and light on your feet. It scores points, pressures the ribs, and threatens submissions while staying hard to escape.
Mobile pressure
Unlike a flat pin, knee on belly keeps you up and mobile, so when the bottom player bridges or turns you can ride the movement and switch sides instead of getting bumped off. The knee in the stomach makes stalling there genuinely uncomfortable.
A platform for attacks
From knee on belly the far arm is exposed for armbars and the collar for chokes in the gi, and you can step over to mount when they turn in. It works best as a dynamic hub between side control, mount, and submissions.
Community flows for Knee on Belly
- Knee on Belly Game — Breaking them down from knee on belly. Every reaction they give you is a direct path to a submission or dominant position.
- Half Guard Passing Concepts — Passing the half guard from the top. Pressure, leverage, & positional control to get to side control & knee on belly. Rooted in base, posture, & progressive…
- Mount Control and Transitions — Dominant positions from mount and knee on belly. Control positions and submission opportunities connected into seamless transitions.
- Submission Hunting — Finding the fastest path to the tap from mount, back mount, side control, and knee on belly. Chaining attacks and exploiting openings.
- Mount Control Concepts — Conceptual hierarchy of mount control. Progressing through layers of dominant control to reach submission opportunities
- Pressure Passing Submissions — Crushing pressure from side control and knee on belly, then capitalizing on reactions to secure chokes and armbars.
- Kata Gatame from Every Position — Hunt the kata gatame from mount, side control, & knee on belly. Every path leads to the neck, then weight, then the finish.
- Float Passing to Knee-on-belly Training — A float passing system that TRANSITIONS from reverse de la Riva to headquarters position & then to knee-on-belly, hand weight distribution & leg mechanics.
- Shoulder Blade Pinning — Jon Thomas explains chest pressure & shoulder blade pins to hold side control, north-south, reverse side control, & mount, & how those same pins feed directly…
Frequently asked questions
How many points is knee on belly worth?
Under IBJJF rules an established knee on belly is worth 2 points. It must be controlled with your knee on the torso and your other foot off the mat or posted.
How do I keep knee on belly when they bridge?
Stay tall and light, keep your posted foot wide for base, and ride the bridge by switching sides or stepping to mount rather than fighting to stay still.
What submissions come from knee on belly?
Far-side armbars, collar chokes in the gi, and baseball-bat style chokes, plus the constant threat of stepping over to mount when they defend.
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