Mounted Crucifix
Position
Also known as:
Mounted Crucifix Top
The Mounted Crucifix is a dominant top position where the rider controls one of the bottom player's arms between their legs and the other arm with their hands, leaving the opponent unable to defend. It is typically achieved from mount and offers numerous high-percentage submissions including armlocks and chokes while nearly eliminating the bottom player's defensive options.
Quick Reference
Key principles
- · Trapping one arm between your legs removes half of the opponent's defensive structure.
- · Control the second arm with both hands to fully crucify the opponent, exposing the head and neck.
- · Heavy hip pressure on the chest limits breathing and prevents bridging escapes.
- · Keep your weight distributed forward to prevent the bottom player from creating space to extract their trapped arm.
- · Anticipate the opponent turning toward the trapped arm by maintaining chest-to-chest alignment.
Execution
- 1 From mount, isolate one arm by swimming your leg over it and clamping it tightly between your thighs near the elbow.
- 2 Secure the opponent's free arm with both hands, gripping at the wrist or forearm to pin it to the mat.
- 3 Drop your hips low and heavy, settling your weight onto the opponent's chest to flatten them.
- 4 Adjust your leg clamp so the trapped arm cannot be pulled free, keeping the knee pinched tight.
- 5 Choose your attack—armbar, choke, or transition to back crucifix—while maintaining control of both arms.
Common mistakes
- × Sitting too upright instead of driving weight forward, allowing the bottom player to bridge and roll to escape.
- × Failing to clamp the trapped arm tightly enough with the legs, letting the opponent extract and reframe.
- × Releasing the free arm prematurely to attack a submission before fully stabilizing the position, giving the opponent a hand to defend or escape.
Attacks & transitions
Offense available from Mounted Crucifix.
Armbar From Crucifix
submission
Choke From Crucifix
submission
5 less common
Armbar From Mount
submission
Rear Naked Choke
submission
Straight Armbar
submission
Arm Drag Sweep
sweep
Back Control To Crucifix
transition
Escapes & defense
Getting out of Mounted Crucifix, or shutting it down.
