Turtle — Top (Attacking)

What This Is

The turtle position occurs when the bottom player is on all fours with their knees and hands on the mat, head tucked, hips low — protecting their neck and arms from the top player’s attacks. From the top player’s perspective, the turtle is a position to be converted, not maintained. The opponent has surrendered their guard and is now defending from the most limited structure available to them.

The top player attacks the turtle from the side or behind, controlling the opponent’s near hip and near arm. The attacking position is not flat on the opponent’s back — it is rotated to the side or perpendicular, with a low base and hips driving weight through the opponent’s structure.

The turtle top is a gateway position: it connects to back takes, crucifix, four-point, and direct submissions. The goal is never to sit on top of the turtle statically — every moment of turtle top contact is an opportunity to advance.

The Invariable in Action

A well-maintained turtle is structurally sound — the opponent’s four points of contact and tight tuck make them difficult to roll or flatten. The top player must apply a destabilising force (hip pull, weight on the near shoulder, push-pull spiral) to create the opening for back take or breakdown.

The back take works by pulling the hip away from the shoulder. The crucifix works by trapping the near arm and separating it from the opponent’s defensive structure. The four-point breakdown works by removing the arm base. Each attack targets a different segment of the turtle’s four-point structure.

When the top player succeeds in getting the opponent to their back — whether through a back take or a breakdown — the defensive value of the turtle is eliminated. The turtle’s strength is the four-point base; once that base is gone, the position is resolved.

Positional height from the turtle top is not static. It is maintained through base and posture — the attacking player must keep their hips above the turtle player’s hips to preserve the leverage needed for the back take rotation. Dropping into the opponent’s structure rather than staying above it converts the top player’s weight into a liability: they are now supporting themselves on the opponent’s back rather than driving through it from above.

The turtle bottom player’s escape attempts are the top player’s offensive opportunities. A granby roll opens the back on the roll side. A stand-up attempt exposes the near hip for the back take. A gut wrench defence rotates the bottom player onto a side — which side is predetermined by the direction of the defence. The top player who understands this does not simply react to the escape attempt: they anticipate the specific opening each escape creates and are already moving to that position as the escape begins.

When the top player arrives at the turtle side, both players are momentarily in a competitive connection race: the top player is reaching for the back take or crucifix grip, and the bottom player is tucking and repositioning to deny those connections. The top player who establishes the first meaningful connection — even just the near hip — has defined the geometry of the exchange. The bottom player is now escaping from a specific grip, not from a neutral position.

The Jones Attack Hierarchy

The attack hierarchy from the turtle top position, in order of value:

1. Back take — The highest-value outcome. Rear control with hooks or a body triangle leads to a more controlled finishing environment than any other conversion. Whenever the back take is available, take it before attempting anything else.

2. Crucifix — When the near arm is available for trapping, the crucifix provides submission access to kimura, triangle, and north-south choke from a controlling position. Higher value than a rushed submission because the crucifix maintains positional control.

3. Breakdown to four-point and flatten — When back take and crucifix are not immediately available, breaking the opponent’s base down to four-point and working toward side control is the correct progression. This is slower but maintains top control.

4. Direct submission from turtle top — D’arce, anaconda, and arm triangle are available from turtle top with the right near-arm positioning. These are correct attacks when the specific body positioning makes them accessible, but should not be rushed at the expense of back take opportunities.

The critical principle: do not abandon the back take to rush a lower-value submission. The back take leads to better submission access in a more controlled environment. Patience in this hierarchy is a skill, not passivity.

Back Take

The back take from turtle top is the primary goal. There are two main pathways:

Hip Pull Back Take

From the side of the turtle, the attacking player hooks one arm under the near hip and pulls it backward while stepping their near leg behind the opponent. This creates a rotation — the opponent’s hip comes toward the attacker and the back is exposed. The attacker follows the hip, establishes the seatbelt grip, and inserts hooks. The key is maintaining hip contact throughout the rotation.

Over-Under Back Take

From chest-on-back position, the attacking player establishes a seatbelt grip (one arm over the shoulder, one arm under the near arm) before the opponent can create a frame. With the seatbelt established, the attacker rolls to the side and inserts the bottom hook, then the top hook, to complete the rear mount.

Seat Belt Establishment

In both pathways, the seatbelt (chest harness) grip is the control mechanism that prevents the opponent from rolling forward or underhooking. The chest connection must be tight — no space between the attacking player’s chest and the opponent’s back. See: the back position for full hook insertion mechanics.

Crucifix Entry

The back crucifix from turtle top is available when the opponent’s near arm can be isolated and trapped. The mechanics:

Step 1 — Identify the near arm: The arm closest to the attacking player must be positioned away from the body — slightly extended or posted. A fully tucked arm against the hip cannot be crucifix’d directly.

Step 2 — Trap the near arm: The attacking player’s near leg comes over the opponent’s near arm, pinching it between the knee and the body. This traps the arm before going over the top.

Step 3 — Go over the back: With the near arm trapped, the attacking player passes their body over the opponent’s back to arrive chest-down with the trapped arm behind the opponent’s back.

Step 4 — Establish the crucifix control: Both the near arm (trapped by the leg) and the far arm (controlled by the attacking player’s arms) are now isolated. See: Back Crucifix.

Breakdown to Four-Point

When back take and crucifix are not immediately available, breaking the opponent’s base is the next priority. The spiral breakdown:

The attacking player applies a push-pull force diagonally to the opponent’s turtle structure — pushing one shoulder while pulling the opposite hip, creating a spiral unravelling of the turtle’s base. This is not a linear push or pull — it is a rotational destabilisation.

From four-point, the top player can apply the wrist ride (see: Four-Point) and continue working toward back control or side control from the flattened position.

Flattening from four-point to side control: once the opponent is on four points with their base reduced, a hip-walking motion to their far side and a cross-face/underhook combination drives them to the mat. See: Side Control.

Direct Submissions from Turtle Top

These submissions are available when the turtle top position presents the specific body positioning required:

• Anaconda: When the near arm is posted and the attacking arm can thread under the neck. Often set up by pressure walking the opponent forward. See: Anaconda.
• D’arce: When the near arm is inside and the attacking arm can thread under the near arm around the neck. See: D’arce Choke.
• Arm triangle: When the near arm can be pulled across the opponent’s neck. See: Arm Triangle.
• Kimura: From the crucifix position once the near arm is trapped. See the Back Crucifix page.

How to Enter

The turtle top is entered whenever the opponent goes to their hands and knees. Primary entries:

• From sprawl: After stuffing a shot, the opponent drops to a turtle to protect their head. The attacking player maintains pressure as the opponent turtles.
• From front headlock ground control: Sustained chest pressure and hip walking can drive the opponent to turtle. The front headlock grip transitions directly to turtle top side control.
• From the double leg defense: A blocked double leg often results in the shooter turtling to protect the takedown. The defending player is already at the turtle from the moment the shot fails.
• From four-point: The Jones breakdown chain (rear bodylock to four-point) can revert to turtle if the top player loses the breakdown. Conversely, a four-point position can step back to turtle top with the near-arm grip intact.

Common Errors

Drilling Notes

Ability Level Guidance

Ruleset Context

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