Mount Attack Chain Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Mount Is a Hallway, Not a Room." Print it. The article explains why the choke sorts their defence and each defence picks the next door. This book builds that one chain from mount — cross-c…
| Art | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
|---|---|
| Family | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Level | intermediate |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | submissions, groundwork, safety |
Mat Manual companion guide to "Mount Is a Hallway, Not a Room." Print it. The article explains why the choke sorts their defence and each defence picks the next door. This book builds that one chain from mount — cross-collar choke, americana (keylock), mounted juji gatame (armbar) — door by door, and trains the bottom chain, bridge-frame-elbow escape, in parallel against it.
Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Belt: ______________ Start date: ______________ Lead side (circle): Left / Right Current week (Part 11): ______________
BEFORE ANYTHING: SAFETY, SHOULDERS, AND FALLS ☐ Tap early and often, from the bottom and the top. A tap is verbal, physical, or any clear signal, and it stops the rep instantly. ☐ The americana turns a shoulder. It is finished by position and control, never by cranking the elbow up. Lift arrives slowly, over a count, and a partner whose free arm is trapped gets verbal checks and an instant release on any signal. ☐ The chokes in this book are applied by grip depth and position, never by pulling the gi with full strength. A partner who cannot tap because both arms are busy defending gets asked, out loud, and released on anything but a clear "I'm fine." ☐ Mounted armbar falls (Part 7) are taught at position-only speed first: sit to the hip, pinch, hold. Full falls begin only when both partners have passed the position cards, and the bottom partner's head and neck stay clear of the falling leg's path at all times. ☐ Control-and-knowledge progression: in weeks 1–2, finishes are held at the position before the finish. Resistance to real finishes rises only when the position cards for that door are passed. ☐ Stop on any pain in the shoulder, elbow, or neck, from either partner, with no finishing the set first. Log what happened in the session log (Part 16). Safety checkpoints are printed on the cards and are part of every pass standard.
Part 1: The Chain at a Glance
Three doors down one hallway. If you sit in mount between attacks and reset, the rep was three attempts, not a chain.
| Door | Attack | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Door one: cross-collar choke (juji jime) | First hand deep, second hand hunting, base wide, hips heavy | Finish by position, or their defence sorts the chain for you |
| Door two: americana (ude garami) | The arm that pushed at your hips: wrist pinned by their head, figure-four, wrist slides, elbow lifts last and slow | Finish under control, or their straighten hands you door three |
| Door three: mounted juji gatame | The straightened arm: keep the wrist, leg over the head, sit to their shoulder, fall short and controlled | Finish by position, or ride their bridge and loop back to door one |
Chain law: their defence picks the door. Your job is heavy hips and no pauses while it does.
| Their defence | What it exposes | Door that opens |
|---|---|---|
| Peel the second choke hand away | Both arms low and busy at their chest | Stay on the choke, heavier, patient |
| Push at your hips to make space | An extended arm away from their neck | Americana on the pushing arm |
| Straighten the americana arm hard | A straight arm beside their head | Mounted juji gatame as they turn |
| Turn into the americana | Shoulder rolled under, angle dying | Back to the choke, or ride the turn and keep the arm |
| Bridge and roll in a panic | Hips spent, arms wherever they landed | Ride it out, re-settle, read the new picture |
Mount Attack Chain Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Mount Is a Hallway, Not a Room." Print it. The article explains why the choke sorts their defence and each defence picks the next door. This book builds that one chain from mount — cross-collar choke, americana (keylock), mounted juji gatame (armbar) — door by door, and trains the bottom chain, bridge-frame-elbow escape, in parallel against it.
What's Inside
- Part 1: The Chain at a Glance
- Part 2: How a Rep Counts
- Part 3: The Settled Mount, Checked
- Part 4: Settle Cards
- Part 5: Door One Cards: The Cross-Collar Choke
- Part 6: Door Two Cards: The Americana
- …and 22 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: Mount Is a Hallway, Not a Room — the full article, free in full.
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