Back Mount and Control Drill: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Back Mount and Control Drill is a Martial Arts Drills exercise performed from back control by inserting both heels or hooks inside a partner’s thighs, maintaining a seatbelt grip around their torso and controlling their posture to prevent an escape. Keeping the hooks in and the chest glued to the partner’s back is what keeps this position from being lost.
Equipment Needed
A yoga mat is optional, though a padded floor makes the repeated holds noticeably more comfortable. The drill needs a partner able to work from back control safely.
Why It Matters
Inserting the hooks, holding the seatbelt grip and controlling posture all have to be sustained together for as long as the position is held. The inner thigh muscles (adductors) and a muscle at the front of the hip (hip flexors, iliopsoas) drive the hook insertion, and the lower back muscles (erector spinae) support the upright posture control. The muscles along the sides of the abdomen (obliques) help track the partner’s movement, and the largest glute muscle (gluteus maximus) anchors the base. The forearms (forearm flexors) and the biceps (biceps brachii) maintain the seatbelt grip, and a large back muscle (latissimus dorsi) helps hold the chest glued to the partner’s back.
When to Do It
Back Mount and Control Drill works well within a grappling-focused session, added once basic back control entries already feel familiar. Two to three sessions a week is a reasonable pace, always with a partner comfortable working from this position.
Anyone with a current hip, shoulder or forearm issue should get individual guidance before adding this drill, since the sustained grip and hook insertion both load those areas directly.
Getting Ready
Securing the seatbelt grip without inserting the hooks yet checks the upper-body control this drill depends on. A few slow insertions of a single hook preview the full position before both hooks and full posture control are attempted together.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Secure the grip. From behind the partner, wrap a seatbelt grip around their torso, one arm over a shoulder and the other under the opposite armpit with the hands clasped.
- Insert the hooks. Hook both heels inside the partner’s thighs.
- Glue the chest. Keep the chest in constant contact with the partner’s back.
- Control the posture. Prevent the partner from sitting up or turning to escape.
How Many, How Often
Back Mount and Control Drill is dosed by time, with each sustained hold counting as one set.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to holding both hooks while controlling posture | 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds |
| Intermediate | The hooks and the grip hold steady against light movement | 3 to 4 sets of 30 to 45 seconds |
| Advanced | Comfortable maintaining the position against active escape attempts | 4 sets of 45 to 60 seconds |
Keeping both hooks in through the whole hold matters more here than how tightly the seatbelt grip squeezes, since losing one hook is how this position is usually given up.
Modifications and Variations
As an easier version, Back Mount Hooks Only isolates inserting and maintaining both heel hooks, without the seatbelt grip or any submission attempt.
As a harder version, Back Mount — Choke Entry Drill keeps this hook and posture control in place while moving the choking arm toward the chin.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting a hook slip without noticing. Losing contact with one hook while focused on the upper-body grip opens the gap a partner needs to start escaping. Both hooks get constant attention, along with the grip around the torso.
Letting the chest drift away from the partner’s back. Creating space between the chest and the partner’s back, even briefly, gives them room to turn and face back toward their attacker. The chest stays glued through the whole hold.
Gripping tightly while letting posture control slide. Focusing all the effort on a tight seatbelt grip while the partner’s posture straightens up undoes the point of the position. Posture control and the grip are managed together.
After Your Set
A few slow hip circles release the hips after a sustained hold. The forearms and the grip benefit from a slow wrist roll through their complete range once the hold finally lets go.
Going Deeper
A position that doesn’t leak hooks or posture gives later attacks from the back a stable base. A hook tends to slip unnoticed while attention shifts to the upper-body grip. Checking hook contact every few seconds during the hold fixes this faster than repeating a hold where the same hook keeps slipping.
Someone new to this position generally manages a short, stable hold against a cooperative partner within the first few sessions, then works toward sustaining the position against active escape attempts over the following couple of weeks.
How to Know You’re Improving
- Both hooks inserted for the whole hold
- A chest that stays glued to the partner’s back throughout
- Posture control and grip held together
- A position that survives longer stretches of active resistance
Hooks that stay in matter more than how tight the grip feels.
Muscles Worked
- Adductors (the inner thigh muscles, squeezing the thighs in to keep the hooks set)
- Iliopsoas (the hip flexor group at the front of the hip, driving each heel inside their thigh)
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, holding the chest upright against their posture)
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, following their body as it turns to escape)
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, anchoring the hips behind theirs)
- Forearm Flexors (the muscles of the inner forearm, locking the hands together in the seatbelt)
- Biceps Brachii (the front of the upper arm, bending the arms to draw the chest tight)
- Latissimus Dorsi (a large back muscle, pulling the torso glued against their back)
FAQ
Why do the hooks matter more than the seatbelt grip? A partner can usually fight through a loosened upper-body grip and still be controlled by the hooks alone, but losing the hooks removes the base that the rest of the position depends on.
Is this harder than holding the hooks alone? Yes, adding the seatbelt grip and active posture control against a resisting partner asks for more sustained attention than maintaining the hooks alone.
Is some hip or forearm fatigue after this drill normal? Yes, a worked feeling through the hips and the forearms after a sustained hold is expected. A sharp pain in a hip, shoulder or forearm that doesn’t ease off between sessions is worth a visit to a doctor or physical therapist.
Do the hooks come before full control? Yes, Back Mount Hooks Only builds hook retention, which is worth having solid before the seatbelt grip and posture control are added.
How often should back mount control be drilled? Two to three times a week, with a partner comfortable working from back control, suits most people building toward this skill.
Related to Back Mount Hooks Only as the easier version isolating the hooks and Back Mount — Choke Entry Drill as the harder version that moves toward a choke.