Go Behind

What This Is

The go behind is a standing technique in which the practitioner moves from a front-facing or side position to a full rear position — stepping or spinning around the opponent’s side and establishing body contact from behind. It is not a specific technique but a positional transition: the practitioner goes behind the opponent, establishing a rear body lock or rear tie-up from which takedowns, back takes, and throws become available.

The go behind is also called a slide by — the practitioner slides past the opponent’s side in a continuous motion, converting a neutral or disadvantaged position into a rear control. The motion requires the opponent to be momentarily committed forward, sideways, or off-balance — the go behind exploits that commitment by moving to the position the opponent has vacated.

In scoring terms, the go behind scores points in freestyle wrestling and submission-scoring rulesets — establishing a full rear position (chest to back, both hands around the body) counts as a positional advantage or back exposure score. In submission grappling, the value is the positional control rather than the score; the rear position creates access to the rear naked choke, the back take to the mat, and throws.

The Invariable in Action

A front-facing opponent’s defensive capacity is concentrated in their front — their arms, visibility, and forward force generation are all oriented toward what they can see. The go behind moves the practitioner to the position the opponent cannot effectively defend: the rear. The opponent must spin or react to address the rear control, and the moment of reaction is when the takedown or back take is applied. The go behind removes the opponent’s defensive advantage by eliminating their facing advantage.

The go behind achieves the chest-to-back position that eliminates the opponent’s offensive capacity. From behind, the opponent cannot effectively punch, push, or generate forward force; the practitioner controls the rear and can apply force in all directions. The go behind is the method of achieving this positional dominance from a standing clinch context.

Entering This Position

From Duck Under

The duck under is the primary go behind entry — the duck under motion passes the practitioner’s head and body under the opponent’s arm and through to the rear position. The go behind is the positional result of the duck under. See: Duck Under.

Spin Behind on a Sprawl Defence

When the opponent sprawls to defend a leg shot, their body is horizontal and their legs are behind them. The practitioner, whose shot has been stuffed, can spin around the opponent’s side — going behind while the opponent is in the spread-out sprawl position. The sprawl defence removes the opponent’s legs but creates a go behind opportunity if the practitioner reacts quickly.

From a Pushed or Spinning Opponent

When the opponent pushes forward or spins away from a clinch, their side is temporarily exposed. The go behind is applied by stepping behind the opponent’s near leg as they spin or push, establishing body contact from behind as they turn.

Counter to a Single Leg Defence

When defending a single leg shot, if the defender hops away on one leg, the attacker can release the leg and spin to a go behind — converting the failed single leg into a rear position. See: Single Leg Takedown.

Go Behind Mechanics

The Stepping Motion

The go behind requires the practitioner to step behind the opponent’s near leg — the near foot steps to the outside and behind, placing the practitioner’s body on the opponent’s back rather than side. A partial step places the practitioner at the hip; a complete go behind step places them chest-to-back. The depth of the step determines whether the go behind is partial (side position) or complete (rear position).

Arm Establishment

As the step completes, both arms wrap around the opponent’s waist — establishing the rear body lock. The arms must be around the waist before the takedown is attempted; the rear body lock is the control that makes the takedown possible.

Staying Tight

The go behind must be chest-to-back — if there is distance between the practitioner’s chest and the opponent’s back, the opponent can spin away. The motion ends with the practitioner’s chest pressed against the opponent’s back with both arms around the waist.

From This Position

Rear Body Lock Takedown

From the rear body lock position established by the go behind, the practitioner can lift and dump the opponent, apply a trip while lifting, or drive them forward to the mat. The rear body lock is the primary takedown platform from the go behind. See: Rear Body Lock.

Back Take to the Mat

The standing rear position directly converts to a back take when the practitioner drops to the mat — pulling the opponent back onto them as they sit out. The back take lands the practitioner with hooks in, establishing the rear mount.

Throw from Behind

From the rear position, hip throws and shoulder throws become available — the practitioner can load the opponent onto their hip from behind and execute a throw to the mat.

Common Errors — and Why They Fail

Error: Partial go behind — stopping at the hip rather than reaching the back. Why it fails: A hip position allows the opponent to square back up — they only need to rotate 90 degrees to face the practitioner again. A full go behind requires the practitioner to be chest-to-back. Correction: Complete the step-behind until the chest contacts the opponent’s back. The step must pass the opponent’s hip line entirely.

Error: No arm wrap — reaching the rear position without establishing the body lock. Why it fails: Without the arm wrap, the opponent can spin away from the uncontrolled go behind position. The arm establishment must happen simultaneously with or immediately after the step-behind. Correction: The arms wrap during the step — the body lock is part of the go behind motion, not a separate action after reaching the position.

Error: Going behind against an aware opponent without a setup — opponent spins away. Why it fails: A go behind attempt against an aware, balanced opponent gives them time to spin and face the practitioner before the rear position is established. A setup (duck under, opponent committed forward, spin behind on a sprawl) creates the moment where the go behind is possible. Correction: The go behind requires the opponent to be momentarily unable to track the practitioner — create that moment with a setup before attempting the go behind.

Drilling Notes

Step-behind drill. Practise the step-behind motion without a takedown — simply step behind the partner to a chest-to-back position and wrap. Focus on depth of step and immediacy of arm wrap. The chest must contact the back before the drill is counted.

Duck under to go behind chain. Duck under → drive through → step behind → arm wrap → rear body lock. This is the complete sequence from a front-facing clinch to a rear control. Practise until the duck and go behind are one connected motion.

Sprawl counter drill. Partner shoots; practitioner sprawls; practitioner immediately spins to a go behind on the sprawled partner. This builds the reactive go behind response to a stuffed shot.

Ability Level Guidance

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