Octopus Guard Counter Back Take
Transition
When your opponent establishes octopus guard (underhook from bottom with leg entanglement to off-balance you), the counter back take exploits their committed underhook angle to circle behind them and establish back control. This transition punishes the bottom player's forward commitment and exposed back by using their own grip attachment against them.
Quick Reference
Key principles
- · Use the opponent's deep underhook commitment as an anchor point to redirect your hips behind them.
- · Control the far-side hip or belt to prevent them from turning into you as you circle.
- · Keep heavy chest pressure to flatten their angle before transitioning, denying them the ability to follow your movement.
- · Anticipate them trying to re-guard by securing a hook before they can hip escape back to center.
Execution
- 1 Recognize the octopus guard entry and immediately sprawl your hips back to kill their upward angle and momentum.
- 2 Use your free hand to cross-grip their far hip or belt line while pressuring your chest into their underhooking shoulder.
- 3 Walk your legs toward their head side, circling around their underhook rather than pulling away from it.
- 4 As your angle clears past their shoulder line, insert your near-side hook and secure a seatbelt grip across their back.
- 5 Settle your weight, insert the second hook, and establish full back control.
Common mistakes
- × Pulling away from the underhook instead of circling around it, which resets the guard player to a strong position.
- × Failing to control the far hip, allowing the bottom player to turn and follow you into a scramble or re-guard.
- × Rushing to insert both hooks before securing the seatbelt, resulting in the opponent shaking you off and escaping to turtle or half guard.
Do it from
Positions and situations where the Octopus Guard Counter Back Take shows up.
Octopus Guard Top
Where it lands
The position you end up in.
Back Control Top
