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Home » BJJ Etiquette » Is it rude to crossface?
1

Is it rude to crossface?

- John Q. Whitebelt

Posted by John Q. Whitebelt in BJJ Etiquette | 1 comment

bjj brazilian jiu-jitsu crossface manners

Community Answers

  1. This solution has been deemed correct by the post author

    76
    7-7-13
    Aesopian says:

    Depends on how you’re doing the crossface, but it’s usually OK if you do it with control in the right situations.

    When you’re holding side control or doing certain guard passes, it is expected you’ll use your shoulder in their face to control and flatten them out.

    When defending takedowns like double and single legs or attacking from the front headlock, a crossface with your arm to block their head is acceptable, as long as you don’t punch their face off. If someone does a bad single leg takedown with their head outside, then a crossface is a correct counter.

    The times when crossfacing is frowned on is when it’s done just to smash the face without aiding a real technique, or when it is done too aggressively across the nose and eyes.

    A common example for big white belts and wrestlers is when they are stuck in guard so they just drive forward to mash their forearms into the face. That’s not the real way to pass guard, but maybe they don’t know better yet.

    Crossfacing across the nose to help get chokes is borderline. It’s a jerk move if no medals or money are on the line. It can be correct to bash the nose and eye sockets to lift the chin for rear naked choke or guillotine, but not if you’re just sparring with a training partner who doesn’t want to show up at work tomorrow looking like an assault and battery victim.

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