A crossface in Brazilian jiu jitsu is when you drive your forearm (usually the bone) across your opponent’s face, typically from a top position like side control. The goal isn’t to hurt them—it’s to turn their head away from you, kill their ability to move their upper body, and pin their shoulders to the mat.
Crossface pressure is a staple for anyone who wants to actually hold someone down in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Without a strong crossface, your opponent can turn into you, build a frame, start to recover guard, or scramble out. A heavy crossface makes their life miserable and keeps your control tight. It's the difference between barely holding side control and actually being able to attack submissions or advance position.
If you want to shut down their movement and force them to carry your weight, your crossface better be solid. It also sets up other attacks—when their face is turned away, exposing their far arm or neck, you open doors for kimuras, Americanas, or even head-arm chokes.
- **Side Control:** The most classic spot. Forearm across the cheek, crown of their head turned away, hip close, their near arm stapled.
- **Passing:** When smashing through half guard or knee cut, use a crossface to flatten the bottom player and prevent them from getting on their side.
- **North-South:** Sometimes, a crossface helps pin the head as you transition north-south or back to side control.
- **Mount:** Not as common, but crossfacing from mount can kill their bridge and turn their head while you hunt for submissions.
## Common Mistakes
- **Forearm too high on the face:** If you’re up on the forehead or scalp, it doesn’t control their head. It just feels mean and does nothing.
- **Loose grip:** Letting your forearm float or not locking your shoulder in gives the bottom player space to turn in and escape.
- **Squeezing too hard and blowing out your arms:** You don't need to flex like crazy—use your bodyweight, not just your arms.
- **Not connecting your hips:** If your hip isn’t glued to their near side, you’re not making the crossface effective. Space is their friend.
- **Poor head positioning:** If your own head is too high, they can shrimp out or re-guard. Keep low and heavy.
## Training Tip
If your crossface keeps slipping or feels weak, focus on getting your shoulder deep into their jawline and your hip tight against theirs. Don’t just rely on squeezing—relax the arm and let your weight do the work. Try drilling side control holds at the end of hard rounds, when you're tired, so you build real mat strength and learn to pin with pressure and positioning, not just fresh muscles. Watch high-level matches—notice how the best never let a crossface gap open up. Aim for that.
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