Side Control
Side control is the top pin where you lie perpendicular across the opponent's chest after passing their legs. It is a scoring position and a hub: from a solid pin you can attack submissions or transition to mount and the back.
Browse Side Control flowcharts in ExploreHolding the pin
Good side control is about a crossface and an underhook that flatten the opponent and kill their hips. Once they cannot turn in or bridge you free, you can switch your hips, step over to mount, or hunt the far-side arm without losing the position.
Attacks and transitions
The kimura, the americana, and far-side armbars are the staple submissions, while knee-on-belly and mount are the natural upgrades. Because the opponent's escapes are limited to a few framing and bridging routes, side control maps neatly into a pin, react, and re-pin flowchart.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep someone in side control?
Win the crossface and an underhook to flatten them, keep your hips low and heavy, and stay mobile so you can switch your hips when they bridge or shrimp. Chasing a submission with loose control is the usual reason the pin is lost.
What submissions work from side control?
The kimura and americana shoulder locks, the far-side armbar, and in the gi a range of collar and paper-cutter chokes. They pair well with the threat of advancing to mount.
Where do you go from side control?
To knee-on-belly, mount, or the back as the opponent defends. Side control is best treated as a hub you move through, not a place to stall.
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