Technical Mount

Last updated: June 11, 2026

What is the technical mount in BJJ?

The technical mount answers a specific problem. When someone caught under full mount turns onto their side to escape, the top person can lose the position entirely, or they can adjust into the technical mount and keep control. One knee slides up behind the opponent’s back or head, the other leg steps over so the foot is planted on the mat, and the top person’s chest stays heavy over the opponent’s top shoulder.

The position sits between two of the strongest spots in grappling: the full mount and back control (where you control an opponent from behind with your legs hooked around them). Because the opponent is already turned away, the back is one short transition from here, which is a big part of why grapplers value it.

You will also hear it called the modified mount or sideways mount. It shows up in gi and no-gi jiu-jitsu, in submission grappling, and in MMA whenever a fight hits the ground.

How the technical mount works

Picture full mount first: the top person sits squarely on the chest, a knee on each side. In the technical mount, that symmetry is gone. The bottom person has turned to one side, and the top person has angled with them. The rear knee stays on the mat, often tucked behind the opponent’s head like a pillow that stops them turning back in. The other foot posts flat on the floor near the opponent’s hip or chest.

That posted foot changes everything. It widens the top person’s base, so bridging and rolling escapes that work against a square mount have far less effect. It also frees the top person to move. From here, they can ride a scrambling opponent, drop back into full mount, slide to the back, or attack the exposed neck and arms with chokes and armbars.

Commentators usually call it out when a mounted fighter starts turning away. The phrase “he’s gone to technical mount” signals that the top fighter has adjusted rather than lost position.

Technical mount vs. S-mount

These two positions get mixed up constantly, including by instructional websites, and some gyms use the names interchangeably. There is a real distinction worth knowing.

In the technical mount, the bottom person is on their side, and the top person’s foot is posted on the mat. In the S-mount, the bottom person is usually flat on their back while the top person sits perpendicular, one leg curled under the opponent’s shoulder and the other across the torso, forming an S shape with the legs. The S-mount is built mainly for finishing armbars; the technical mount is built for control and transitions, especially to the back.

	Full mount	Technical mount	S-mount
Bottom person	Flat on back	Turned on side	Usually flat on back
Top person’s legs	Both knees on mat, squared up	One knee down, one foot posted	Legs form an S around one shoulder
Main threat	Pressure, strikes (in MMA), chokes	Back take, chokes, armbar	Armbar

Technical mount in competition and MMA

Under IBJJF rules, the technical mount scores like any other mount: 4 points, the joint-highest positional score alongside back control, compared with 3 points for a guard pass and 2 for takedowns, sweeps, and knee-on-belly. The rulebook counts a mount with “one foot and one knee on the ground” and requires the position to be held for 3 seconds, and the IBJJF’s illustrated rules even depict the technical mounted position by name.

In MMA, the position carries extra weight. A mounted fighter who turns away exposes the back, and the technical mount is the standard checkpoint on that route: the top fighter can strike from it or climb onto the back, where fights often end.

Common misconceptions

A few ideas about this position circulate that don’t hold up.

It is not the same as the S-mount, despite sources that treat the two names as synonyms. The leg configuration and the bottom person’s orientation differ, and so do the main attacking options.

People sometimes read it as a downgrade from full mount. Against an opponent who has already turned, the opposite tends to be true: the angled base holds up better, and the back becomes available.

It also isn’t a gi-only position. The control comes from the legs, base, and chest pressure rather than cloth grips, so it works the same in no-gi grappling and MMA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the technical mount the same as the S-mount?

No. In the technical mount, the opponent is turned on their side, and the top person posts a foot on the mat. In the S-mount, the opponent is usually flat, and the top person’s legs form an S shape for armbars.

Does the technical mount score points in BJJ competition?

Yes. Under IBJJF rules, it counts as a mount, worth 4 points when held for 3 seconds, including with one knee and one foot on the ground.

Why is it called the technical mount?

The name reflects that it is a technical adjustment: instead of losing mount when an opponent turns, the top person modifies the position to keep control. It is also called the modified mount.

Can you take the back from the technical mount?

Yes, and that is one of its main uses. The opponent is already turned away, so the top person can transition to back control in one movement.

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Sources

1. International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. “Rule Book / Illustrated Rules.” Accessed June 12, 2026.
   https://ibjjf.com/books-videos
2. Evolve MMA. “The Technical Mount In BJJ Explained.” Accessed June 12, 2026.
   https://evolve-mma.com/blog/the-technical-mount-in-bjj-explained/
3. Elite Sports (Antonio Alves). “Top 4 Ways to Escape From BJJ Technical Mount.” Accessed June 12, 2026.
   https://www.elitesports.com/blogs/news/top-5-ways-to-escape-from-bjj-technical-mount
4. WiseFighter (Jeferson Guaresi). “BJJ Mount Positions And Fundamentals.” Accessed June 12, 2026.
   https://wisefighter.com/bjj/bjj-mount-positions/
5. BJJ Graph. “S Mount: BJJ Position Guide.” Accessed June 12, 2026.
   https://bjjgraph.org/Positions/Mount/S-Mount
6. HubPages (Andrew Smith). “3 Options From Technical Mount: A BJJ Tutorial.” Accessed June 12, 2026.
   https://discover.hubpages.com/sports/Technical-Mount

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