Securing Mono Control

[Mark Holloway]

When moving from Mount > Mono Control, where you're trapping the opponent's arm on the same side as your knee that's touching the mat, would it make sense to use your other arm to underhook his leg (like Spider Web) in order to prevent him from rolling/spinning out? That seems to be the only escape path and hooking the leg would take that away. From there use that same arm and release the underhook on the leg to grab his far arm (while he is desperately thrashing around trying to escape) and go for Special K.

[David Rosado]

I don't think that's necessary. Where are they rolling? Rolling away puts them in omoplata territory. Rolling into you rolls them into a gogo. And if you sit out to hook the leg like spiderweb, their am is already torqued for the monoplata and they're not rolling anywhere.

I mean, it may be helpful, but I don't think it's really needed. Mono mount is pretty good on its own.

[Isaac Atley]

i think that if you use that arm to hook their leg then you lose the chance to control their arm ie locoplata. im having trouble picturing exactly what youre saying but from what im imagining i reckon thatd put you off balance and make it easier to roll into you without you having that help of the arm to control your foot or push off his arm.

ive always found that getting your knee right upto his ear when you go into gangster lean and just keeping your control of his arm is all you need. the only times people get out is by getting their arm free. which is when ill go into omaplata. ill generally let them roll and go into what magnus from sweden calls kamikaze, go for a baby arm or jsut switch back over into mount and start over again.

[Eddie Bravo]

When done correctly, mono control does not need a leg hooked

[Mark Holloway]

Thanks all for the input. What I really need to work on is the transition from S-Mount > Mono Control and keeping the Figure-4 cinched really tight while also keeping the opponent's arm trapped nice and tight. I feel a little clumsy at times when transitioning from S-Mount > Mono Control (wrapping the left foot around his arm and landing the foot over his face/under his chin).