North-south is a top control position where you face your opponent's feet while their feet face yours. It's a transitional hub between side control variations and a submission position in its own right.
From side control, release the crossface and slide your body around their head in a circular motion. Keep chest pressure throughout — never let them sit up during the transition.
In north-south, hips drive down onto their chest. Arms wrap around both sides of their head to control movement. Your chest is the primary pressure point.
Under-hook their far arm with your near arm. Your choking arm goes under their neck from the other side. Clasp your hands or grab your own bicep.
Walk your legs toward their head while driving your shoulder into their carotid. The combination of shoulder blade compression and carotid compression creates the choke.
When they defend the north-south choke by posting with their far arm, that arm becomes vulnerable to kimura. Switch from choke setup to kimura figure-4 grip quickly.
Most practitioners develop functional competency with North South System within 3–6 months of consistent drilling. Mastery — the ability to execute reliably in live rolling against resisting opponents — typically takes 1–2 years.
Yes. North South System is part of the core BJJ curriculum and taught at all belt levels. Beginners should focus on the fundamental mechanics and concepts before refining advanced entries.
3–5 times per week is ideal for rapid skill acquisition. Even 10 focused repetitions per session compounds over time — consistency matters more than volume.
BJJ is a linked system. North South System flows naturally to and from related positions. Study transitions in both directions to build a complete positional game.