Omoplata Control

Position
Also known as:
Omoplata Control Top

Omoplata Control is a dominant position where the bottom player has their legs threaded over the opponent's shoulder, isolating one arm with the hips and legs while controlling the opponent's posture and base. It serves as a versatile launching pad for numerous submissions, sweeps, and back takes, making it one of the most offensive transitional positions in guard play.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Your hips must be perpendicular to the opponent's spine, with your top leg heavy across their back to flatten their posture.
  • · Control the opponent's far-side hip or belt to prevent them from rolling forward to escape.
  • · Keep the trapped arm tight against your hip crease—any space allows them to posture or pull the arm free.
  • · Anticipate the forward roll escape by gripping their waist or pants and scooting your hips closer.
  • · Maintain an upright or slightly forward torso to maximize pressure and enable quick transitions to submissions or sweeps.

Execution

  1. 1 Swing your legs through to position your top leg across the opponent's back and your bottom leg under their trapped arm, angling your body perpendicular to theirs.
  2. 2 Sit up immediately and secure a grip on their far-side hip, belt, or waistband to kill their ability to roll or posture.
  3. 3 Clamp your knees together and scoot your hips as close to their shoulder as possible, keeping the trapped arm pinned in your hip crease.
  4. 4 Control their posture by driving your top leg downward across their back while maintaining an upright seated position.
  5. 5 From this stabilized position, assess their reactions to choose your next attack: finish the omoplata, transition to a sweep, or move to an alternative submission.

Common mistakes

  • × Lying flat on your back instead of sitting up, which gives the opponent space to posture, stack, or roll out of the position.
  • × Neglecting the far-hip grip, allowing the opponent to somersault forward and escape before you can finish or transition.
  • × Positioning hips too far from the opponent's shoulder, reducing leverage on the arm and making all subsequent attacks weaker.

Attacks & transitions

Offense available from Omoplata Control.

Omoplata submission Omoplata Sweep sweep Omoplata To Back transition
10 less common
Armbar From Guard submission Rolling Back Take transition Rolling Omoplata submission Transition To Omoplata transition Triangle Setup transition Baratoplata submission Carni submission Monoplata From Guard submission Rolling Armbar submission Tarikoplata submission

How you get here

Techniques that land in Omoplata Control.

Omoplata From Guard submission Spider Guard To Omoplata transition Triangle To Omoplata transition