Back Escapes Guide
☰Contents
How to escape back control in BJJ: seat belt escape, turn-in defense, hook removal, and surviving the rear naked choke attempt.
Back control is the highest-scoring position in BJJ and the most dangerous for submissions. These escapes give you a systematic approach to surviving and recovering.
Surviving Back Control Priorities
When taken to your back: immediately protect your neck (chin to chest, hands to collar), keep your hips below the attacker's hips, stay on your side (not flat on your back), and work methodically. Panic leads to giving up the neck. Take your time.
Seat Belt Escape (Roll to Guard)
The most reliable escape: grip both hands, pull the top arm's elbow down toward your hip, create space, tuck your chin, and roll to the attacking side — pushing their hooks off as you roll. This puts you in their guard or neutral position. Key: do NOT roll to the non-seatbelt side or you face a choke.
Turn-In Defense
When you cannot roll: create an angle by hip escaping sideways, strip the hooks by grabbing the attacking feet (pinch ankles together), turn in toward the opponent to face them, and recover to guard. This is riskier because you temporarily face a triangle risk while turning.
Hook Removal Fundamentals
Defend hooks by: crossing your feet (locks out their top hook), using your hands to peel hooks off one at a time (grab ankle and press down), pushing their top hook with your heel, and hip escaping to create hook removal angles. Never let them establish both hooks deeply.
Surviving the Rear Naked Choke
When they get the choke grip: tuck chin immediately, bridge upward to create space, use two hands to grip the choking arm (not just one), turn into the opponent as you strip the arm, and shoulder roll to facing position. Do not let the choke go deep — tap early if you cannot strip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Always roll to the seatbelt side (toward the arm that is underhooking, not the arm that is overhooking). Rolling to the wrong side puts the choke directly in position.
A body triangle makes escape significantly harder. Focus on: turning into the opponent rather than rolling, gripping the ankle of the triangle and pulling it loose, and creating hip escape angles. If they also have the choke grip, prioritize defending the choke first.
Back escapes often end in scrambles, not clean guard recovery. Accept this — any position other than having your back taken is an improvement. Practice scramble drills to handle the transitional chaos after escaping.