Turtle Position
Turtle is the position where the bottom player is on their knees and elbows, shelled up, with the top player on top or beside them. It is a crossroads: the top player hunts the back or a breakdown, while the bottom player works to escape or recover guard.
Attacking the turtle
From the top, the seatbelt and a hook turn turtle into a back take, while breakdowns and the clock choke pressure the bottom player to give up position. The turtle is often the fastest doorway to the back in the whole game.
Escaping the turtle
From the bottom, turtle is not a place to stall, it is a place to move. Granby rolls, sit-outs, and standing up recover guard or reverse the position before the top player can lock in the seatbelt and hooks.
Community flows for Turtle Position
- Modern Back Attack System, Vol 2: Back Takes from Turtle — Two roads off the third position: ride the roll if they spin, or penetrate the knee and fish the leg if they tuck. Both funnel into the c-step lift, the…
- Turtle Guard Controls — Dominant control from turtle guard. Positional reversals and escapes that transition to superior positions rather than immediate submissions, with…
- Craig Jones Power Ride — Craig Jones' power ride broken into its core components. Lower body positional controls, upper body manipulation tools, & turtle exploitation techs.
- Cage Turtle Escapes — Exploding out of turtle when youre pinned against the cage! Creating space, reading your opponent's grips & control, then transitioning to dominant positions…
- Turtle Position Attacks — Exploiting turtle through biomechanical principles! Leverage, pressure points, & angular control.
- Back Control — Every position as a stepping stone to the back. Turtle, truck, crucifix, & Peruvian control all mapped toward getting behind your opponent & finishing
- Collar and Sleeve Turtle Recovery — Gi-based pathways from turtle back to dominant positions or standing.
- The Front Headlock Defense Playbook — Instruction on defending against the front headlock position & its associated submissions. It details proper hand fighting techniques, positional escapes, &…
- The Inverted Turtle Breakdown — Modern turtle defense & back attack sequences from the bottom position. You'll counter common attacks like the Makaomi roll, defend against leg entanglements…
- The Inverted Turtle Playbook — How to systematically dismantle the turtle position using MODERN sport BJJ concepts
- The Turtle Experiment: Deconstructing Back Control Transitions — Explores the 'what if' scenarios when attacking from the turtle position, focusing on how different upper body grips dictate your pathways to back control
- Turtle Escapes — Escaping turtle against underhooks, seatbelts, & bodylocks! Responses to common controls that get you BACK to guard or into better positions.
Frequently asked questions
Is the turtle position bad in BJJ?
It is a defensive position, but not a lost one. It becomes dangerous only if you stall there and let the top player attack the back; used as a transition, it is a legitimate way to recover.
How do I attack someone in turtle?
Establish the seatbelt, bring in a hook to take the back, or use breakdowns and the clock choke to force them to flatten or turn into you.
How do I escape the turtle position?
Keep moving. Granby rolls, sit-outs, and standing up recover guard or reverse position. The mistake is staying static and letting the top player set up the back.
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