What is the concept of inside control in BJJ?

The concept of inside control permeates every aspect of BJJ. Whoever controls the inside position generally controls the exchange. When playing guard, having your feet on their hips or biceps with your knees inside their arms gives you inside control and makes passing difficult. When they get their hands inside your knees and push your legs to the side, they have gained inside control and the pass becomes much easier. In the clinch, underhooks give you inside control. In half guard, the knee shield creates a barrier that maintains inside control from the bottom. The principle applies to grip fighting as well. In gi, the person with the deeper collar grip and the stronger sleeve control generally has inside position. Developing an intuitive sense of inside control changes how you approach every position. Rather than thinking about individual techniques, you think about winning the positional battle for inside control, which naturally sets up your techniques.