The backmount is one of the most basic women’s wrestling moves. It’s more of a control position than an actual hold, through which the attacker gets herself into a position of advantage over the defender, looking to slip an actual hold on her. The backmount also allows the attacker to place pressure on the victim, without wearing herself off in the process.

The move is really simple. The attacker gets behind her opponent and forces her stomach-down onto the mat. She then mounts her back putting her entire body-weight on top of the victim. This way, simply by making use of gravity and her body-weight, the attacker will have the victim under pressure, without actually having to exert any real effort.

The great thing about the back-mount is that the attacker has a whole bunch of options at her disposal to continue the match from that position. She can opt to go for a devastating camel clutch, or she can just lock in a full nelson or a leg grapevine (or a combination of the two) to secure the position and to enjoy her advantage as well as the peril of her victim. She can also bounce up and down on her victim to add to the pressure.

Possible escape: having your back exposed to your opponent in a female wrestling match is never a good idea. You basically offer her a whole list of options while you completely blind yourself. Therefore, you need to do everything you can to buck her off and to spin out of the backmount as soon as possible.

Rating: the back-mount is extremely efficient at what it’s supposed to achieve: control and effortless pressure. The attacker will be able to control her victim perfectly while making her consume precious energy by just hanging on in the hold.