Last updated: June 12, 2026
Quick Definition
Twister side control is a side control variation in which the top grappler faces the opponent’s legs instead of their head, keeping a heavy pin while leaving one hand and one leg free to attack.
What is twister side control?
Twister side control comes from 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, the no-gi grappling system Eddie Bravo founded in 2003. Judo used a version of the position long before that under the name ushiro kesa gatame, which translates to reverse scarf hold. Bravo reworked the details, then named his version after the submission it feeds.
That submission is the twister, a spinal lock Bravo adapted from a wrestling hold called the guillotine. While developing his system, he found the entry came easier when he switched his hips in side control and faced his opponent’s feet, according to Awesome Jiu Jitsu, a blog by a 10th Planet black belt.
The position solves a real problem. Regular side control tends to force a choice between a static pin and a mobile attacking game, while twister side control is built to do both at once.
The twister itself remains one of the rarest finishes in the UFC. There have been just three in the promotion’s history, per Sportskeeda: Chan Sung Jung landed the first in March 2011, with Bryce Mitchell and Da’Mon Blackshear adding the others in 2019 and 2023.
How the position works
Picture standard side control, then have the top grappler swivel to face the other way. The chest now points toward the legs and the ribs press across the bottom person’s chest and face. BJJ World calls one detail the cardinal rule of the position: the backside never touches the floor.
Arm control is what separates this from a sloppy hip switch. The bottom grappler’s arms get pushed above their shoulders, the same predicament that makes high mount so hard to escape. One of the top grappler’s hands stays free, usually posting on the bottom person’s knee to shut down any attempt to swing the legs up and recover guard.
On a broadcast, the tell is simple. Look for a grappler in side control who has turned toward the feet, hips floating off the mat, with the bottom fighter’s arms stapled up near their own head.
Twister side control vs. regular side control
The fastest way to understand the position is to set it next to the side control everyone learns in their first month of training. The differences run deeper than which way the top grappler faces.
| Regular side control | Twister side control | |
| Top grappler faces | The opponent’s head | The opponent’s legs |
| Hips | Low and settled | High, backside off the mat |
| Bottom grappler’s arms | Free to frame on the neck and hip | Trapped above the shoulders |
| Common attacks | Americana, arm triangle, knee on belly | Truck entries, D’arce choke, kneebar, mount |
| Judo equivalent | Yoko shiho gatame | Ushiro kesa gatame (reverse scarf hold) |
A narrower mix-up involves reverse kesa gatame itself. In practice, reverse kesa gatame describes any side control facing the legs, while twister side control usually means the 10th Planet version with the raised hips and both of the opponent’s arms pinned high. Every twister side control is a reverse scarf hold; the reverse isn’t true.
Attacks it sets up
The position’s reputation rests on what comes next. Its namesake path runs through the truck, a leg-entanglement position where the attacker laces up the opponent’s top leg. From the truck come the twister itself and leg attacks such as the calf slicer and the banana split.
Each escape direction feeds a different threat. A bottom grappler who turns in risks the D’arce choke (a head-and-arm strangle) or the arm triangle, while turning away exposes the near leg to a kneebar and invites a back take, as covered in BJJ World’s breakdown of the position.
Staying flat doesn’t help either. Wikipedia notes the tip-toe transition to mount from here is regarded as one of the easiest passes in jiu-jitsu. There is also a 10th Planet specialty called the baby arm, an armlock that traps the opponent’s arm between the attacker’s legs.
The lineage is easy to trace. After finishing Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011, Jung said he had learned the twister by watching Eddie Bravo’s YouTube videos, per Sportskeeda.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented twister side control?
Eddie Bravo named it and built it into 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, though judo practitioners used the underlying position, ushiro kesa gatame, decades earlier.
Why is it called twister side control?
The name points at its purpose: the position exists to reach the twister, a spinal-lock submission, through the truck.
Is twister side control legal in competition?
The position is legal across rulesets, including IBJJF, ADCC, and MMA under the Unified Rules. The twister submission itself is banned in IBJJF competition, where spinal locks without a choke are prohibited.
Does twister side control score points?
Holding any side control scores nothing by itself under IBJJF rules; the points come from the guard pass that usually precedes it, as BJJ World explains. MMA has no positional points, though control time factors into judging.
How do grapplers escape twister side control?
Most escapes start early, before both arms are trapped, by framing and pushing the top grappler down toward the legs or turning to recover guard. Once the arms are pinned above the shoulders, options narrow quickly.
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Side control.” Accessed June 13, 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_control - BJJ World. “Pin And Submit At The Same Time From Twister Side Control.” Accessed June 13, 2026.
https://bjj-world.com/twister-side-control/ - Fight Encyclopedia. “Standard Twister Side Control.” Accessed June 13, 2026.
https://fightencyclopedia.com/techniques/position/top-position/side-control/twister-side-control/standard-twister-side-control - Awesome Jiu Jitsu. “Five Tips For Perfect Twister Side Control Part 1.” Accessed June 13, 2026.
https://awesomejiujitsu.com/2012/11/26/four-tips-for-perfect-twister-side-control/ - BJJ Eastern Europe. “Throwback: ‘The Korean Zombie’ Pulls Off The First Twister In UFC History.” Accessed June 13, 2026.
https://www.bjjee.com/articles/throwback-the-korean-zombie-pulls-off-the-first-twister-in-ufc-history/ - Sportskeeda. “Da’Mon Blackshear pulls insanely rare submission seen twice in UFC history.” Accessed June 13, 2026.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-da-mon-blackshear-pulls-insanely-rare-submission-seen-twice-ufc-history-watch-2-instances
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