North South Bottom

North South Bottom is a defensive position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where you are on the bottom while your opponent is controlling you from the North South position. From this position, your primary goals are to stay safe, manage Pressure, and work toward escaping or transitioning into a more favorable position, such as Guard or Turtle Guard.

Key Concepts of North South Bottom

Posture and Defense

  • Maintain good Frames to prevent your opponent from applying crushing pressure or transitioning to submissions.
  • Avoid exposing your arms or neck to prevent attacks like the Kimura, Armbar, or North South Choke.

Breathing and Composure

  • Focus on Breathing to stay calm, especially when the opponent applies heavy Pressure.

Creating Space

Connection and Timing

  • Stay connected to your opponent while timing your movements to counter their transitions or advance to an escape.

Defensive Objectives in North South Bottom

Protect Your Neck and Arms

  • Keep your elbows tight to your body to avoid submissions like the Kimura or North South Choke.
  • Avoid reaching out unnecessarily, which can lead to your arms being isolated.

Frame Effectively

  • Use your forearms and hands to frame against their shoulders or hips to control their pressure.

Stay Mobile

Avoid Being Cooked

  • Prevent the opponent from "cooking" you with heavy Pressure and control by staying active and managing distance.

Escapes from North South Bottom

Hip Escape (Shrimping)

  • Place your hands on their hips or shoulders to create frames.
  • Bridge your hips to generate space and then Shrimp your hips away to recover to Guard.

Roll to Turtle

  • Frame against their shoulder or hip and tuck your arms.
  • Roll to your knees into Turtle Guard while staying protected from attacks.

Bridge and Roll

  • If the opponent is off-balance, bridge explosively and attempt to roll them over, reversing the position.

Elbow Escape

Underhook Escape

Common Mistakes in North South Bottom

Reaching Out

Lack of Activity

  • Staying flat and not attempting escapes allows the opponent to maintain control and apply Pressure.

Panicking Under Pressure

  • Poor Breathing and composure can lead to rushed and ineffective movements.

Poor Frame Placement

  • Misplacing frames (e.g., pushing against the chest instead of hips or shoulders) reduces their effectiveness and wastes energy.

Tips for Surviving and Escaping

Stay Compact

  • Keep your elbows tight and use your knees to shield against pressure.

Use Hip Movement

  • Shrimp and Bridge to create angles and escape opportunities.

Anticipate Transitions

  • Watch for your opponent’s movements and capitalize when they transition to attack or reposition.

Create Discomfort

  • Use your frames to push against their hips or torso to prevent them from settling their weight completely.

Advanced Options

  • If the opponent overcommits their weight, you can transition to sweeps or take advantage of their movement to set up Guard recovery or reversal.

Mastering survival and escapes from North South Bottom is crucial to defending yourself and regaining control during a match. With good Frames, composure, and Hip Movement, you can neutralize your opponent’s attacks and work your way to a more dominant position.

Advancing North South Bottom

Transitions from North South Bottom

Roll to Turtle

  • Frame against the opponent’s hips or shoulders, tuck your arms, and roll to your knees into Turtle Guard while protecting your neck and arms.

Hip Escape to Side Control Bottom

Guard Recovery

  • Frame with your forearms against their shoulders or hips, Shrimp to create space, and slide your legs between you and your opponent to reestablish Guard.

Submissions from North South Bottom

Armbar Counter

  • If your opponent overcommits while isolating your arm, trap their wrist, pivot your hips, and bring your leg over their head to finish the Armbar.

Triangle Choke Setup

  • If the opponent leaves a gap while transitioning, frame against their head, pull your leg over their shoulder, and lock your legs for the Triangle Choke.

Guillotine

Sweeps from North South Bottom

Bridge and Roll

  • Bridge explosively to unbalance the opponent. Use momentum to roll them to the side, allowing you to reverse the position.

Underhook Sweep

  • Gain an underhook on one side, bump your hips into them, and rotate to sweep them over you into a top position like Side Control.

Leg Hook Sweep

  • If you can hook one of their legs while they are transitioning, use your hook and bridge motion to flip them over and take the top position.

Passes from North South Bottom

Reversal to North South Top

  • If the opponent overextends their weight forward, use a strong bridge combined with an arm frame to turn them over and establish your own North South top position.

Transition to Back Control

  • As they shift their weight or posture, roll to your knees and follow their hips to take their back, securing Back Control with hooks.

Escapes from North South Bottom

Shrimp Escape

Elbow Push Escape

Underhook Escape

  • Gain an Underhook on one side, turn into your opponent, and create space to recover Guard or transition to a more favorable position.

Bridge and Spin Escape

  • Bridge hard to create upward momentum, then spin underneath your opponent to recover Guard or enter Turtle Guard.

Takedowns from North South Bottom (Defensive Counter-Takedowns)

Roll and Double-Leg Takedown

  • If you roll to your knees and the opponent loses their base, shoot a Double-Leg Takedown to take them down from the scramble.

Ankle Pick from Turtle

  • As you transition to Turtle Guard, grab their ankle while driving forward to disrupt their balance and take them down.

Mastering these movements from North South Bottom requires excellent Frames, Hip Movement, and awareness of your opponent’s transitions. By staying active and timing your movements, you can turn a disadvantageous position into an opportunity to escape, attack, or reverse the situation.

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