I would, but there’s nothing wrong with buying a brand new white belt, either. You could also call up the coach at each place and ask them for their opinion, which I suspect will be “show up as what you’ve been graded”. No matter what, they will want your business.
Mount escapes are one of my stronger areas, as my coach made me understand the advantage exceptional hip strength gives me. You’ve got very strong hips as well, certainly stronger than most you’ll encounter on the mats.
Self-defense BJJ was key to this for me, which seeks to do the opposite of your approach of allowing high mount. High mount is a really, really bad spot to be underneath in a fight.
Elbows tight to the body and ON THE MAT denies high mount and keeps them over your hips with the frames you’ve established. You don’t necessarily want them pinned to the mat at all times, which can be stepped over, but working as a frame against their thighs. Your elbows should never be high enough for them to just walk their knees into your armpits.
They have to clear your elbows to advance to high mount. Punch defense in this situation is active hips, which forces them to post with their hands instead of hit you in the face. Trap-and-roll is right there oftentimes, and your elbow is where it is supposed to be to do a knee-to-elbow escape to get back to guard. As long as you’re denying high mount, they will have to contend with your hips, and you’re a strong lifter with strong hips. That’s my plan A if I get mounted. Make them defeat my frames while contending with my hips.
My previous school did not emphasize the importance of elbows on the mat, or really anything about not getting decked in the face. That’s just one of the rather significant differences I observed, which translated to rolling results very well for me.
Hips are even the way out of body-to-body full mount with grapevine hooks. I remember a black belt who held me down for the whole match this way, seemingly not wanting to learn what happens when he gives up the position. Coach’s solution worked the next time. Buck, buck, BIG BRIDGE, then run around in a circle. That turns into a scramble, but at least you’re not being smushed anymore. Your hips are strong enough to make anyone have to contend with that situation, even a guy my size.
Given my nearly constant size/strength disparity, whenever someone didn’t want to start standing, I would ALWAYS concede a bottom position. I despised beginning rolls with both people on their knees, which is an artificial position that will almost never happen in a fight.
"Go ahead and fuck me up”is how my mount and side-control escapes got a lot better, especially offering top position to colored belts. Just being a real motherfucker to hold down opens up the rest of your game. I highly, highly recommend this if you aren’t starting on the feet to work your stand-up.
The first video I found on youtube completely misses the elbows on the mat detail. So did a lot of the others. I think Gracie Combatives might cover it, but I don’t have time to sift through today.
