What is the mount to back take in BJJ?

It is a transitional sequence where the attacker rides the bottom player's defensive roll to recover the back rather than losing mount. It converts the common escape attempt of bridging and rolling into the highest-scoring position, back control.

How do you perform the mount to back take?

The attacker traps one of the bottom player's arms and maintains that grip as the opponent bridges and rolls. The attacker then swings the outside leg over the bottom player's hip to insert a hook, followed by the second hook, arriving in back control as the roll completes.

What are common mistakes when attempting this technique?

Common errors include fighting to maintain mount after the roll has committed, failing to trap an arm before the roll begins, inserting only one hook, releasing the arm-trap mid-rotation, or reading the wrong rolling direction.

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MOUNT TO BACK TAKE

Transição Montada para Costas

In Short

The mount to back take is a BJJ transition where the attacker rides the bottom player's defensive roll to secure back control instead of losing mount. It relies on trapping an arm and swinging the outside leg over the hip to insert hooks as the opponent rotates.

Also known as: Back Take from Mount, Mount Back-Roll

The mount to back take is the transitional sequence in which the attacker rides the bottom player's defensive roll to recover the back rather than losing mount. The technique is structurally important because it converts the most common defensive escape attempt — the bottom player rolling to one side to bridge out — into the highest-scoring position in BJJ (back control with both hooks scores four points in IBJJF, the same as mount).

The mechanics rely on grip selection. When the attacker is in mount with one of the bottom player's arms isolated — typically because the attacker is setting up a cross-collar choke or has trapped an arm with the cross-face — and the bottom player begins to bridge and roll toward the trapped-arm side, the attacker maintains the arm-trap and rides the rotation. As the bottom player's body turns underneath the attacker, the attacker swings the outside leg over the bottom player's hip and inserts a hook, then the second hook, arriving in back control as the bottom player's roll completes.

The technique is one of the first compound sequences taught in every BJJ curriculum because it teaches the principle that positional dominance comes from reading the opponent's escape direction and converting it into a new dominant position rather than fighting to maintain the original position. Roger Gracie's mount-and-back-take system featured this transition extensively, and the technique remains one of the most-used scoring sequences at every level of IBJJF competition. Defensively the bottom player counters by not committing fully to the bridge until the attacker's grips are broken, by rolling toward the under-controlled side rather than the trapped-arm side, or by tucking the elbows tight to prevent hook insertion during the rotation.

KEY POINTS

01Trap one of the bottom player's arms before any rolling sequence begins.
02Maintain the arm-trap as the bottom player bridges and rolls.
03Ride the rotation; do not fight to maintain mount when the roll commits.
04Swing the outside leg over the bottom player's hip and insert the first hook.
05Establish the seatbelt grip as the second hook inserts to complete back control.

COMMON MISTAKES

✕Fighting to maintain mount when the bottom player's roll has already committed.
✕Failing to trap an arm before the roll begins, leaving no anchor for the transition.
✕Inserting only one hook and stopping; the second hook is required for back control points.
✕Releasing the arm-trap mid-rotation, losing the seatbelt setup.
✕Reading the wrong rolling direction and ending up underneath the bottom player.

TRAINING DRILLS

→Arm-trap setup reps: 30 reps per side establishing the cross-face arm-trap from mount.
→Ride-the-roll drill: from arm-trap, drill following the bottom player's defensive roll into back control.
→Hook-insertion drill: practice swinging the outside leg over and inserting the first hook as the rotation completes.
→Seatbelt-and-second-hook drill: complete the transition by establishing seatbelt and second hook.
→Live mount rounds with back-take as the primary response to defensive rolls.

NOTABLE PRACTITIONERS

Roger Gracie · Marcelo Garcia · Royce Gracie

Frequently Asked

What is the mount to back take in BJJ?: It is a transitional sequence where the attacker rides the bottom player's defensive roll to recover the back rather than losing mount. It converts the common escape attempt of bridging and rolling into the highest-scoring position, back control.
How do you perform the mount to back take?: The attacker traps one of the bottom player's arms and maintains that grip as the opponent bridges and rolls. The attacker then swings the outside leg over the bottom player's hip to insert a hook, followed by the second hook, arriving in back control as the roll completes.
What are common mistakes when attempting this technique?: Common errors include fighting to maintain mount after the roll has committed, failing to trap an arm before the roll begins, inserting only one hook, releasing the arm-trap mid-rotation, or reading the wrong rolling direction.
How can the bottom player defend against the mount to back take?: Defensive counters include not committing fully to the bridge until grips are broken, rolling toward the under-controlled side rather than the trapped-arm side, or tucking elbows tight to prevent hook insertion during the rotation.