Gift Wrap
Gift wrap — the opponent's arm is taken from mount or side control and folded across their own face and neck.
Adapted from InGrappling, Gift Wrap. System Games did not invent this curriculum.
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The gift wrap is a control position applied from mount or side control in which the top player takes one of the opponent’s arms, wraps it across their own face and neck — securing the hand on the far side of the opponent’s head — and uses this arm position to control the opponent’s head and limit their defensive options. The name describes the visual: the opponent’s arm is wrapped over their head like a ribbon on a gift.
The gift wrap is primarily a control mechanism and back take setup rather than a standalone submission position. With the opponent’s arm across their face:
The opponent cannot use the trapped arm to push, frame, or post — the arm is neutralised as a defensive tool.
The opponent’s head is controlled — the arm across the face limits neck mobility and defensive head movement.
The near-side wrist is accessible for rear naked choke setup — the arm is already positioned near the neck on the far side.
The back take is shortened — the arm across the face means the opponent’s upper body rotation away from the trapped side is restricted, making the back take cleaner.
The gift wrap is not a submission itself. It creates the conditions for back takes and submissions from mount; it does not directly finish the opponent.