Why can't I do**%*## S-Mount

**Coach Josh** · Posted On: 12/10/2008 8:36am

Take a look at Bravos mount to the triangle transition. I use that method and have been successful with it. While I do have some flexibility I am not as gumby as Eddie.

What I have found is the higher I get my left knee under his shoulder and keep it and his head off the mat with my left arm the less likely I am to get rolled over. Then I will place my right knee on the arm if I cant get a smooth transition. That helps to hold them down to then lift the head higher and put my leg under his head.

**Nihonto** · Posted On: 12/10/2008 11:30pm

As a totally unflexible top game person (I have no bottom game), I can comment on S-Mount tightness. I use it all the time. Unless I have someone who is exceptionally agile on their back, I will always go to S-Mount from full mount. S-Mount to arm-bar is Gracie Barra fundemental day one stuff. My school hammers it hard into you.

The crushingness you are losing needs to be made up by squeezyness. If you are not flexible you will not be able to drop hips enough to maintain crush like you would have in a normal mount. make sure the heel is dug in good just obove the hip, keep it tight while you slide it up the ribs and into shoulder. And the opposite knee is deep in the back of neck/top of shoulder. Squeezing you legs gets the control. Squeeze the legs good - it should be unpleasent. Post the upper leg out a bit so you don't get swept. You still need some vertical crush, but if you lack flexibility work on your squeeze.

**Goju - Joe** · Posted On: 12/16/2008 5:23pm

So during rolling today I went with another white belt who I was bigger stronger and mor experienced than and was able to sweep and mount fairly easy.

Still fucked it up though.

Although this time I didn't get swept while I brought my right leg under his left arm. I controlled his head and had no problem.

But when I tried to finish to armbar I leaned back and shifted my ass to his left so I wasn't sitting on him and to swept --- twice.

I didn't realize what I did wrong until I though about it as I was driving home

Oh well step by step.

I will master this move!

**chingythingy** · Posted On: 12/16/2008 6:34pm

Originally Posted by HoHo - Ho

So during rolling today I went with another white belt who I was bigger stronger and mor experienced than and was able to sweep and mount fairly easy.

Still fucked it up though.

Although this time I didn't get swept while I brought my right leg under his left arm. I controlled his head and had no problem.

What's your left knee doing here? If you're doing the slow controlled armbar finish here, not the post on chest and spin one, your left knee has to go out and away from his body first, then in and right by his head. Like a big curve. If you try and bring it up tight to his chest directly under the armpit you'll lose balance like you describe.

Keep hold of his far elbow there too (in addition to the armbar arm).

Then lean forward and to your right to clear your left leg over his head. If you do it right, you can finish the armbar sitting on top of him without laying back. Or lay back to finish.

**chingythingy** · Posted On: 12/16/2008 6:36pm

I go to S mount a lot when people try to turn on their side to do the half guard leg trap escape from mount. If it's timed right in transition you don't use tightness, you just end up there.

**gandp1120** · Posted On: 12/16/2008 7:20pm

Set it up by threatening the cross choke. If I'm attacking the right arm I take my right forearm and place it in his throat. When they push away with their right arm I slide up into s-mount. I disagree with putting my knee on the opposite side arm. This limits your attacks

**MadeOfOlives** · Posted On: 12/16/2008 11:44pm

What is the ultimate goal here? Armbar from mount? Are you looking at smount as a static position to relax in, letting you eventually switch to the armbar? or is it part of the transition from mount to armbar?

Also, why not make a movie of the movement? it will be much easier to say what youa re doing wrong, if anything.

Finally, once your leg is switched, do you grab their far leg as you throw your own other leg over? That helps keep your weight on them.

**Goju - Joe** · Posted On: 12/16/2008 11:47pm

Armbar from mount is the goal.

I have a series of moves from sweep to mount to grapevine to high mount to S-mount and to armbar

It's the last part that's giving me issues.

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 12/17/2008 6:34am

Originally Posted by HoHo - Ho

Armbar from mount is the goal.

I have a series of moves from sweep to mount to grapevine to high mount to S-mount and to armbar

It's the last part that's giving me issues.

I have a pretty strong s mount. It's probably my favorite mount variation. I'm usually not in any hurry to finish once I get there, so I sort of take my time and make sure I have a stable base. My preferred combination from there is kind of simple, but I've always had pretty good success with it.

Once I've mounted, I usually either underhook the head or sink the left lapel to threaten a cross collar choke (my left hand is in the lapel, palm down), then it's pretty easy to slide my base left a bit and transition into s-mount. From there, I'm usually very stable, so I start working my favorite combination, which is very simple. I keep the collar grip and start trying to work my right arm in for the cross collar choke. If they give me that, fine, but that doesn't happen a lot. Usually my opponent moves his arms to defend, so I let go with my right arm and underhook their right arm. At this point, I transition to what Eddie Bravo refers to as spiderweb, and lock my ankles around my opponent's left shoulder. Yes, I cross my feet with this armbar variation. At this point, my opponent is probably grabbing his own arms to defend the obvious armbar, but it doesn't matter much to me. Maybe it's because I'm heavier, but I still feel very stable from this position, so I'm in no hurry to finish (I doubt this, I can pin much larger people than me from here for quite a while without an realistic threat of being rolled). Besides, I have a high success rate with grip breaks*. After I break their grips, I finish the armbar.

*My personal favorite grip break: Starting from where I left off (left arm on the lapel, right arm underhooked, ankles crossed, sitting slightly forward to keep my weight on top of opponent), I use the space I've created with my right arm to slide my left arm under their arms right under the wrist/forearm of their right arm. I then pull my right arm out, and place my the outside of my right elbow to the outside of their right elbow, and then gable grip my hands. So basically, you've got their right arm trapped in a gable grip, with the outside of your left forearm braced against their right wrist, and the outside of your right forearm braced against the outside of their right elbow (might have to push it to forearm if you've got short arms). This might feel awkward to you at first, but it's a lot worse for the guy you're doing it to. All it takes is a sharp twist left and back slightly (make sure you're twisting with your abs and back, not your arms) and his grip will break. A lot of times, the torquing motion puts so much pressure on my opponent's arm and shoulder that he taps out before I even really finish the armbar.

Seriously, once I've gotten to the point of using that particular grip break, I cannot think of a single time that I haven't finished the armbar.

I'd be curious to see how this works for you, as you're a good bit smaller than I am. But I've armbarred some monsters with this particular combination, so I think it's pretty legit.

**GoldenJonas** · Posted On: 12/17/2008 12:39pm

Here is my latest "S-Mount" revelation in my log entries, maybe it will help you too...

Originally Posted by GJ's Log

Tech of the day was elevator sweep from guard, to mount, to S-Mount, to arm bar.

I have never had my S-Mount as tight as I thought it should be and I think I corrected my gaps today.

I have always felt that there was a bit of a gap in my mount to S-mount transition which would be exploited, if even minimally, making my S-mount a bit loose. To correct the problem I switch my transition focus from being on pivoting my hips to driving my knee up past the head on the side I was going to trap.

Driving the knee up past the head keeps the shoulder trapped tightly while the drive up past the head necessarily pivots and opens the hips so you can adjust your other leg to trap the far shoulder. The result is a very tight and stable S-Mount with little to no space resulting during the transition.