Tips on holding the *side mount* and mount?

[warhenry]

takes time. i'm 5'6 130 lbs and i had the same problem. now as a near purple belt, i have no problems with that at all

[yovan]

I grapevine a lot. (Mount, obviously)

I feel safer maintaining mount with the grapevine hooks, especially against heavier opponents.

After I wear him out a bit neutralizing his escape attempts, I'll look to go high mount or wait until he rolls to take S-mount.

But to your point, grapevine works well for me.

[wellwell]

Side Control
If he rolls you over from side control you have to go to knee on belly. I'm 65kg and just cannot hold somebody determined to roll me even with the crossface and hip control.

Knee on belly is a better position than side control you have to trust that. He is giving you a present. Feel free to go back down to side control but normally their effort trying to roll you will open their arms right up for you to get to the mount also.

Using pressure on the far arm helps a lot too. What I mean here is you are sort of holding his arm: like the underhook but he should be trying to tuck his elbow to his body so you might only have a loose hold around his tricep. You don't need to grip at all just open hand as there is no worries about him pulling it away from your hand. Pull upwards on this and it is a lot harder for him to roll you but he will still be able to insist on it but you will have plenty of space to go to knee on belly if he does this. Also you will probably get the underhook from his escape and can go for spin around armbar or just go to mount which is probably easiest at first as you only have to get this part right not the spin around armbar as well.

Reverse kesa gatame is a great position if you are light too as you keep moving your hips back near his head which makes your smaller body weight irrelevant as you are pinning his upper body and can use your foot planted on the floor for base. Then when he tries to use any strength moves like rolling you he is rolling you on to the mount.


Mount
As for mount get the crossface and keep his head turned to the side with your shoulder. Your upper body won't be straight with his now you will kind of be at 1 o'clock or 11 o'clock. Put your head near or on the ground and your other hand planted on the ground it will give you base in the only direction he can try to force you. He can't force you into the crossfaced side so he has to force you to your posted arm which is very poor leverage. Now as he fights get your knees higher under his arms and you can play for attacks like arm locks and chokes. The arm triangle from here is great stuff.

If he gets his hands on your hips with his arms quite straight he is probably going to get the escape so just unmount into sidecontrol or you will end up having to pass the guard again.

[Zankou]

Crossface.

There, now you know how to do it.

[chem31]

Lots of good info here! Thanks guys!

[fry_ed]

Side control:
Place a limb (thigh works well) under their near elbow and their near shoulder, and control their head as well. Strength/size is then irrelevant. In order to bridge into you they must push off of the ground. But, if you have the position set up correctly, then the harder they bridge into you the more THEY anchor you to the mat. They can't make space to shrimp out of your side control and the bonus is that you use little strength.
If they are rolling you over, then you need to be more mindful to keep your weight further from them, and be mindful of their hips as they are probably sneakily getting parallel to you before they attempt the sweep.

Mount:
I prefer S-Mount for mostly the same reasons noted above.
This is all what works for me anyway.

[MickCollins]

Control their head, you control their movement.