Side Control:
Under the umbrella of "side control" fall several variations. Once you achieve side control avoid being put back in your opponent's guard, and also be ready to transition to one of the other dominant positions. The knee on belly position is usually given additional points in a tournament.

Side Control Defense:
Keep your arms close to your body in good "posture" safe from submissions, and defend your neck from chokes. You will need to learn how to create space with good hip movements such as the hip escape (aka snake or shrimp) and bridge (also called "upa").

Be mindful of giving up the mount or back control. When escaping look to get back to a neutral position by reestablishing the guard. It is also possible to escape out to the knees or reverse the position with a roll.

Submission include: Arm attacks, triangles, collar chokes, leg locks and naked chokes.