Bruno Frazatto attacking the back. Ivan Trindade.
If you are a competitor, it’s worth noting that the back-take nets four points — when an athlete controls their foe from the back, placing the hooks on the inside of the thighs.
If you just train, however, you still know very well how tough it is to get your neck squeezed.
The basic escape from the move is well known. You need to defend your neck, do a backward bridge and remove one of the hooks, escaping your hip to the side of the removed hook.
But what about when it goes bad?
Graciemag.com took the back of three aces of the gi, who soon intercepted the attack and pointed out: There is nothing more vital than defending one’s neck properly.
Here is how they do that:
1. Simultaneous movements are saviors in BJJ
“My tip,” says Vinicinho Cruz (Carlson Gracie), “is to pass your own arm — the arm on the side of the hand that is on the collar, choking — to the other side of the neck. At the same time, you need to gradually remove a hook with the other hand, always remembering to weigh down the hip over your opponent’s leg, and extracting your back to the side.”
2. Even when defending, annoy your opponent
“The important thing is to bother your opponent by throwing the weight back, and to never let them be,” says Thiago Maia (SAS-Ceará). “And to remain the whole time defending the neck. Then you remove a hook and try to get out.”
3. Don’t turn your neck to the side of the lapel
Abraão Amorim (Evolution) teaches in a video how he escapes the back-take. He recommends that you never turn the neck to the side of the lapel, and shows a hip movement often used by Kron Gracie.
