Why pass the guard when there's a straight ankle lock?
Why sweep when you can throw up a hail-mary armbar?
Fair enough quesions that newbies will ask, so let's get straight into it.
Higher Percentage.
In general, if you think of the positions in BJJ as a hierarchy, the best at the top would be the back, then mount and/or side control, half guard, and inside your opponent's guard.
The reason that you should always prioritise position over submission in a hierarchical sense, is that the higher up you go the better the chance you are of submitting your opponent.
The back is the perfect example, as all your weapons (hands, hips, head, and legs) are facing your opponent whilst theirs face away. In mount you have the guard completely passed and your opponent's submissions from there are now a non-factor.
As such, if the percentage is so darn high here it makes perfect sense then to move up the positional pyramid into a place where the sub is all but guaranteed.
Plan B.
Which brings us to our next point, if you are higher up on the positional hierarchy, there are contingency plans you can relegate yourself to should you need to give up position.
If you have the back and your opponent hips out, there's a mount for you just waiting to happen. Possibly not ideal, but it's a lot better than winding up in your guard, am I right?
Not only will you respect the power of the position more thanks to this guide, but you might even find your offense going throught the roof and be that much closer to being comp ready!
- Jake Anderson