Lesson 6: Grappling Positions

April 5, 2019

These are the common grappling positions you will need to know while training in the techniques to move from White Belt to Blue Belt.


ADDRESSING: Both athletes are in a starting position and neither has a dominate position.

CLINCH: Both athletes are in an equally dominate position.

SPIDER GUARD: In the Spider Guard position the person on the bottom can have both feet in the hip of the person on top or only one foot.  In either scenario this is still considered a Spider Guard.

GUARD: This picture shows the person on the bottom with a closed Guard.  If his legs were open it is called an Open Guard.  Generally, the person on the bottom has the dominate position while in a Closed Guard.  When changed to an Open Guard, the man on top then has the more dominate position.

HALF GUARD: The person on the bottom has one leg of the person on top trapped. Neither man has a more dominate position.

INVERTED: This position is also referred to as the North South position.  Neither athlete has a more dominate position.

SIDE MOUNT: In this position the person on top has a dominate position.

MOUNT: The person on top is Mounted and in the dominate position.
STOMACH: In this position the person on the bottom is flat on their stomach. This is considered the most dangerous position to find yourself in. The person on top is in the Back Mount position and they are considered to be in the most dominate position possible. The same terminology applies to the picture where the person on the bottom is on all fours, if the person on top extends their legs they put the person on the bottom in a Prone (flattened) position.