You have to change your base. In a situation like in the pic, go to reverse kesa gatame, shrimp up towards the head, and then when comfortable go back to side . Same thing with kesa gatame. You have to get comfortable changing from standard 100kg position to kesa and reverse kesa.

Thanks, reverse kesa makes sense but what's the objective from there - as in what grips would i be looking for to advance the position?

So i know that a good side control will have underhooks or a nice grip on their head, but i'm often getting into side control from scrambles. Often my head is lower than both their arms and my hands would just be around or near their waist, a bit like this picture but i may not have grip around their head yet. This usually leads to them framing against me and if they are strong enough, they can get out. Are there any concepts / rules of thumb about where i should be fighting to get my head to? I'm usually the more relaxed person when rolling so i haven't been fighting especially hard to get my head further up their body, but i'm wondering if i should be.

So i know that a good side control will have underhooks or a nice grip on their head, but i'm often getting into side control from scrambles. Often my head is lower than both their arms and my hands would just be around or near their waist, a bit like this picture but i may not have grip around their head yet. This usually leads to them framing against me and if they are strong enough, they can get out. Are there any concepts / rules of thumb about where i should be fighting to get my head to? I'm usually the more relaxed person when rolling so i haven't been fighting especially hard to get my head further up their body, but i'm wondering if i should be.

here is my usual setup for the control plus a submission i shoot for all the time. https://photos.app.goo.gl[...]Wv5JxrxPA7

look at them and not away when you are in side control like that. I personally take advantage when people look atway to push your head down toward my legs.

I love side control (normally combined in my case with its subposition, north-south), it is by far my strongest pin. :) In terms of head position, generally I'll want it low, to maximise the amount of weight I'm putting through my chest and/or shoulder. I talk a lot about theory when I teach my side control maintenance class during side control month, drawing on the 'control point framework' my friend John Palmer in Texas showed me back in 2012 (one of the most useful things I have learned in my 14 years of BJJ, it's been a foundation of my game ever since). I've taught it loads of times, e.g in this vid https://www.facebook.com/[...]1322366300 So yeah, my head would usually be lower than in this pic, with more shoulder pressure. I'm trying to be nice there (I always try to be nice :D ), as this is while demonstrating, not in sparring. :)

I checked some old rolling footage to give a clearer view of the problem. I watched the facebook video, perhaps I could phrase the problem as 'i only have a primary control point on their hip and need to establish a control point on their head or shoulders, but they are framing to prevent this'. I get in this position after certain guard passes. So in 'A', i've overwrapped his legs and he is framing his left hand on my shoulder and right hand on my hip. In 'B' i'm trying to get past his arm that is framing on my shoulder but it's a losing battle. Other than spaz my arm a bit until i grip something, i can't work out how i'm supposed to progress up the body?