When it comes to the best positions in Jiu Jitsu, having someone’s back is arguably one of the most powerful positions. The back offers an arsenal of submission options for the attacking player with relatively few weaknesses (if you don’t cross your feet!).

Additionally, attacking from the back does not require you to give up much control or risk losing the position compared to other offensive positions in BJJ.

In 3x IBJJF World Champion Denilson Pementa’s “Attack the Back: Submissions and Transitions,” Penilson breaks down his Baseball Slide Stack Pass to Back Take as the entry point to his back attack system.

Technique Breakdown: Baseball Slide Stack Pass to Back Take

The Baseball Slide Stack Pass to Back Take is a slick method of taking your opponent’s back from a classic guard pass. Your opponent will most likely expect you to pass to side control, instead, you will catch them by surprise with a back take.

Technique Description 

Attack The BackThis back take is initiated off the stack pass. Begin by gripping your opponent’s Gi behind the knees and driving their knees to their face. You opponent’s hips must be completely elevated with just their upper back and neck on the mat.

Once your opponent is stacked, close any gap between you and your opponent and pinch your knees above their hips and below their armpits, roughly near the bottom ribs, to keep your opponent from escaping. Smash your chest against the hips to lock them into the stack. 

Note that since your opponent is upside down, your knees are below their hips relative to the ground, but above their hips on their torso in terms of the anatomical location.

From here, let go of your opponent’s Gi pants with your left hand and grab their right lapel. Now comes the slick part. Use your right-hand grip on your opponent’s left knee pit and drive their left knee towards the ground on their left side. As you do this, slide your own left knee under your opponent’s left leg and curl your left leg around your opponent’s knee pit. This is going to be your first hook for taking your opponent’s back.

You should now be set up to take the back. Extend your left leg to stretch out your opponent for the back take. With your left hand, release your grip on the pants and reach around in front of your opponent’s neck to grab their left lapel, which is currently controlled by your own right hand. Let go with your right hand once you have an established grip with your left. Weave your right hand in front of your opponent to establish seatbelt control or a choking grip.

While this move may seem complicated, with Denilson Pementa’s detailed breakdown, you will quickly be able to execute this move while drilling. With a bit more practice, you will have no problem catching your opponents with this slick move during live rolling and competition.

Step-by-step breakdown

  1. Start from standing with your opponent playing open guard
  2. Take a grip with each hand on your opponent’s Gi behind your opponent’s knees
  3. Push you opponent’s knees to their chest to stack them
  4. Pinch your opponent’s hips with your knees in the area between their hips and bottom ribs and smash your chest into their hips
  5. With your left hand, let go of the pants and grab your opponent’s right collar with your arm outside their right leg
  6. Push your opponent’s left knee toward the ground with your right hand
  7. Slide your left knee under your opponent’s left leg and hook your calf behind their left knee
  8. Let go of your opponent’s pants and extend your left leg to stretch your opponent out
  9. Replace your left-hand grip on their right lapel with your right hand
  10. Weave your left hand in front of your opponent’s neck to establish back control or attack the choke

Try It Next Time You Roll!

Denilson Pementa’s details on taking the back are world-class and will have you quickly executing this slick technique in live rolling. 

Pamenta’s full back attack system is available for Gold Members of Jiujitsu.com and includes this technique as well as dozens of slick submissions and transitions off the powerful back position. 

February 04, 2021