One of the most fascinating things about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that you can be as gentle as you want and still control and restrain an opponent. You don’t have to submit someone to dominate the match; using pins can serve the same purpose as it can render an opponent defenseless if you use the proper technique.
BJJ has many pinning techniques, but perhaps the most versatile one is the knee on belly position. The knee on belly (KOB), also known as the knee ride, is a floating pin where you use your knee to control an opponent. Today, we will talk about the general position and 5 common attacks you can perform from it.
Benefits Of The Knee On Belly Position
As previously mentioned, the knee on belly is a very versatile position. As the name suggests, you typically place your knee against an opponent’s midsection. Doing so enables you to not only stay on top, and it also forces the opponent to move to remove the pin.
Alternatively, you can also place your knee on their back, hip, and even on the chest. The knee on belly is painful, and it is not uncommon for grapplers (especially beginners) to tap from it. You can use the position to monitor how they’d react and, from there, transition to other pins like the mount or attack with a submission.
Grapplers of all shapes and sizes will surely benefit from including the knee on belly in their arsenal of techniques. Sometimes, it is a good idea to float on top of the opponent while you look for an opening. You don’t have to be a big and powerful athlete to use the position. Even a relatively small grappler can use the knee on belly to great effect, provided that the technique is sound.
Common Ways To Get To The Position
The easiest way to get to the knee on belly position is from side control. This is because starting from side control makes it easy for you to access the opponent’s torso. From side control, start by grabbing your opponent’s lapel using your near-side arm. Use your far-side arm to post on your opponent’s hip. You can push yourself up just enough to have space for your knee. Place your knee across the abdomen, and make sure that you keep yourself balanced by keeping yourself upright and extending your leg at an angle.
You can also grab your opponent’s pants (usually near the seam of the knee) using your far-side arm to control the hip. This configuration should be stable enough to nullify basic hip bridges, but do note that you need to stay alert as escapes from the knee on the belly usually come in combinations. Keep your far leg mobile to “surf” on top of your opponent as they try to buck you off.
5 Basic Attacks From Knee On Belly
This video shows the first three attacks we’ll learn from the knee on belly position. These submissions are similar in that they are all variations of the armlock. The first technique is the americana from the knee on belly. It starts by first grabbing the cross lapel to elicit a reaction from the opponent. The most common response you’ll get is they’ll grab your attacking arm. Once you see them hold your near arm, you can loop your other arm under the tricep, go to the figure 4 grip and finish with the americana. This is a sneaky move and can catch many people off guard.
The second submission is almost the same as the first, but you go to mount instead and finish with the same submission. This is a nice option because you can submit them using the americana; you can also use their reaction to move to mount in case the americana fails.
The final technique in the video is the armbar from the knee on belly. The starting position is the same as the first two. Instead of bending the arm, lock it near the elbow and fall to your back. The hand configuration is similar to a shotgun armbar, but the finishing mechanics is just like the traditional armbar you learn in your first month of training.
This video shows two more attacking options from the knee on belly. Professor Tom explains that using the knee on belly is a good way to open up attacking opportunities, especially once the opponent attempts to push against the knee. If your opponent pushes against your knee, you can put your hand through the gap and attack the far side armbar.
The key detail here is to jam your elbow on their side as you stay tight. Doing this will make their body move at an angle. Swing your leg to the other side, squeeze your knee as you drop back, and finish the straight armbar. This technique is highly effective, but you might want to practice the swivel of the leg as it can get confusing in the beginning stages.
The last technique shown in the video is the d’Arce choke from the knee on belly. The trigger to the d’Arce choke is when your opponent pushes against your midsection and not on your knee. The placement of the arm prevents you from properly executing the armbar, but it makes it easier for you to slide your arm under theirs as you grab the head. Adjust your hand placement, and you’re on your way to finishing with a devastating d’Arce choke.
Conclusion
These five submissions will undoubtedly raise your knee on belly game to a whole new level. Remember that you can quickly just move to mount if these options fail. You can also dismount and go back to knee on belly if you feel that you’re starting to lose balance. Whatever the case, using the knee on belly position gives you a lot of options to improve your position or finish the match in style.
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