The dogbar is a term that is commonly used to describe a kneebar from the top position. Commonly, this move is attacked from the over under position which is mostly used to pass the guard. However, there are some rare variations of the dogbar where it can be attacked from the bottom position whilst in deep half guard. In brief, it is a sneaky submission but is still fundamentally sound and relies on controlling the opponent’s hips and leg to remove any options of escape.
The dogbar has origins in Sambo which is often associated with leg locks, but it has also been used in the highest levels of BJJ competition by the likes of Bernardo Faria. In some circles, it is also referred to as the inverted kneebar. Remember, this is a kneebar so it is not legal under IBJJF rules until brown belt. With this in mind, it may get you disqualified under certain rule sets if using it in the wrong competition setting.
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Entering and controlling the over under position
The dogbar is mostly done from the top. We will focus on the bottom entry later, but for now we will look at the setup from the over under position. Firstly, you must start in the over under which is entered from the top half guard. This involves shooting forward and gripping the legs of the opponent. Your one arm should go under the opponent’s buttocks onto their far hip, whilst your near arm should grab under the knee.
The idea of this is to pin their hips to the ground and pressure the opponent into being glued to the floor. Whilst this can be done in no gi, arguably it’s easier with the gi as you can grab hold of the belt and gi materials to generate more control. Not only this, but your head should be looking over their far hip and should also help pin their body downwards.
After this, you want to bring the near leg in between both legs and pinch your legs together. You should still be hugging the far hip, but the idea is to also block and control the near leg to cut off any movement. The next point is to straighten your legs out and move the legs further apart. When passing, you still want to straighten your legs, but this should be more of a priority when setting up the submission.
Attacking the dogbar submission
With this done, the opponent’s near leg should now be completely isolated and their lower body should be pinned to the mat. If for some reason, their knee is not facing up into your body, this move cannot be done and instead you should focus on passing from there instead. To do this, the opponent should move their leg to avoid knee pain which gives you the opportunity to easily step over the leg and successfully complete the pass.
Remember, in BJJ you cannot always get what you initially set out for. The next step is to move your feet down towards the lower part of their leg and then cross them in a triangle motion as if going for a triangle choke. This shouldn’t be a deep lock, but instead should be locked around your shins, as opposed to locked around the back of your knee. From here, you should now hip downwards into the floor which will bring great pressure onto the opponent’s knee.
This works because your leg triangle brings the lower part of the opponent’s leg upwards, whilst your hips push the upper leg downwards. As a result, the opponent’s knee is jeopardized and can break due to the tension created. With this in mind, there’s no reason to rush this submission as it can seriously injure the opponent.
Not only this, but the beauty of the dogbar is that it should be incredibly tight and controlled so you can take your time. This helps in other areas, as if you don’t get the submission immediately, you can easily adjust your hips to find the knee to force the submission if it doesn’t work the first time.
The dogbar from the bottom position
The dogbar from the top isn’t exactly a common move, but as mentioned it’s fundamentally sound. Perhaps the reason for it being uncommon is due to it being very situational as it only happens from the over under position. However, the dogbar from the bottom is even rarer and is probably more of a low percentage move. Setting up the submission can sometimes be tricky from the top due to the tightness and pressure required, however adding further intricacies from the bottom simply makes it harder.
This is done by starting in deep half guard. Mechanically, it works in exactly the same way as the over under kneebar which makes sense as it’s basically the position in reverse. From here, you want to triangle your feet at the lower part of the opponent’s leg and make sure you hip into their knee at the same time. The tricky part of this submission is that this requires going flat on your back and controlling the knee of the opponent which isn’t always easy.
Often during the set up the opponent will try to escape and it is easier to get crushed on the bottom due to gravity. Nonetheless, it is an option that can sometimes work. A similar example to this was in a match when Marcin Held fought Ash Williams. He attacked the dogbar from deep half and had the knee of Williams on its side, so this meant Held turned onto his side to attack the knee. This ended up in sweeping Williams who was saved by the bell as the time was up. However, it was an example of the move being done at a high level.
Final thoughts on The Dogbar
The dogbar is an effective tool, especially when used from the top position. Not only does it offer a legitimate submission, but it also puts fear into the opponent which can also open up the guard pass if they start to prioritize defending the submission too much. With this said, it is ideal as it can create a negative dilemma for the opponent. Not only this, but the dogbar is good as it has little downsides. If it fails then you can continue trying to pass, unlike a failed triangle or armbar it has little downsides and you won’t lose the position as a result.
Having said this, attacking the kneebar from the bottom is a different story and requires a large knowledge of deep half and naturally feeling the movement of the top opponent.
In conclusion, the dogbar is an unorthodox submission which is suited to those who enjoy the over under pass and enjoy leg locks at the same time. If this sounds like you, then it may be an idea to start learning the move today and give it a go.
