Hierarchy of positions: the truck. Where is it slotted for most people?

[Aiseop]

I'm been studying and playing with it for a few weeks now. Really great, sooo many entries for it. But I'm having trouble "slotting" it into the hierarchy of positions. Where do you place it, if you do? Better than bottom side... obviously, but is it a position that is personal preference? Or do you teach it as "if you can get the back, get back mount, but if you can't get second hook in, go for truck -- but if second hook is there, don't do truck?" I'm not thinking of Geo Martinez in this, but the regular grappler who's learning it and its position among the hierarchy of positions.

[Nick Paul]

All depends on preference. I like it better than the back personally. More options (twister, banana split, crotch ripper, calf slicer vs rnc and maybe an armbar off of the back), trickier to get out of, more unpredictable. I go for the back first in most cases, then transition to the truck if I'm struggling with the rear naked. But if a guy is turtled and keeping me from getting any hooks in, I'll stick my knee into his ribs, scoop his shin and rock him back into the truck. I forgot the name of that one ?Most guys would probably still be more comfortable on the back and see the truck as an alternative, but once you're comfortable holding position in the truck, you fall in love with it

[Pan]

I think mechanically it's a lower body back control. Ryan hall talks about the position a lot but primarily as a means to expose the back without all the extra 10P style attacks. I guess everything is what you make of it, though. I know people who prefer to play guard than have top side control.

[Ben Eddy]

Hierarchy for the 10P system - as good or even favored over back control.

Hierarchy for you? However good you are at it vs another option.

[Rockanrollin]

Any favorable position is a good position.

[Eddie Bravo]

Calf crank from the truck makes the top 3 most crucial subs in my personal game. Very little gas is needed to complete and when done correctly with the foot stomp very few can survive in my experience

[Anthony Peck]

It's the #1 place to get to for me, closely followed by Spider Web. Both of them are excellent control positions with a lot of attacking options where escaping is dangerous and difficult.
Flipping it around they're also the last places I want to be caught in. Given a choice I'd give up my back before the truck and I'd much rather have someone mount me than put me in spider web.

[Aiseop]

That's an excellent way to put it, Anthony. I'm still new to the position so I'm exploring its relationship a bit, but yes, I'd rather have my back (I think), too.

[Anthony Peck]

That's an excellent way to put it, Anthony. I'm still new to the position so I'm exploring its relationship a bit, but yes, I'd rather have my back (I think), too.

That comes from something Frank talks about a lot - if someone does something to you/puts you in something that feels terrible/messes you up, he wants to learn it so he can do it to others. Once my technical appreciation had advanced enough that I got that I started to pay a lot more attention to those moments when I'm rolling, and I'll pick the brains of the guys who put me there later to see if it's something that fits with my game.

Another take is that while my game is probably more developed and dangerous when I've got someone in my rubber or closed guards and I probably get more finishes there in terms of raw numbers, thinking about rate/percentage I probably do better from spider web/the truck. Hope that makes sense!

[David Rosado]

From my observation, I do think it's a matter of preference based on your experience and skill level. For example, Gary Tonon uses twister rolls a lot but he uses it to go straight to the back. Geo Martinez, on the other hand, will snatch the truck from any angle available and finish from there often. My guess is that Geo just has more experience entering, attacking, and finishing from the truck, where Gary has found more success with the back.

Another example is Eddie Bravo and Marcelo Garcia. We all know when Eddie gets in twister side, he's going for twister side attacks. Marcelo uses reverse side control (very similar to twister side), but he uses it as a set up for the back.

The point I'm making as an observer is that it does ultimately come down to preference, but the truck is absolutely a beast of a position to get into. But, unless you're in a school that teaches the truck, or have partners that put in reps with you on the side, it's a bit of a pain to carve that path into your muscle memory. I'm guessing that's why the truck isn't more prominent. Because if more guys had truck reps, we'd see more of it.

If you're a competitor, I think it's a good idea to master truck entries just as much as you master the lockdown paths. Our 10th Planet guys hit so many electric chairs, old schools, etc, it's insane. Why? Because 90% of BJJ schools don't know it, don't teach it, and still preach that 10th planet doesn't work. Same with the truck. Granted, you don't get points from it, but you have subs from there. Crotch rippers and banana splits are IBJJF legal. The straight armlock is legal. And what's great is that you still have the option to kick the guy straight into back control to get your points if you need it. And of course from the back you can sub. It takes a lot of effort to get good at it just like it takes a lot of effort to get good at rubber guard. But once you get good at it, you'll see how incredibly valuable it is.