BJJ Escapes: Mount, Side Control & Back Escape Guide

Contents

Why Escapes Are the Most Important Skill

Beginners focus on submissions. Intermediate players focus on passing. Advanced grapplers focus on escapes. Why? Because no matter how good your offense is, you will end up in bad positions — and your ability to escape them determines your survival on the mat.

💡 The escape mindset: The goal of an escape is not to reverse the position in one move. It's to survive, recover frames, and create movement — then sweep or stand up.

Escaping Mount

Upa (Bridge & Roll) Escape

Trap their arm and same-side foot — grab wrist, hook ankle.
Bring the trapped side foot flat on the mat close to your butt.
Explosive bridge (hips drive up and to the trapped side).
Roll them over — follow into their guard or scramble.

⚠️ Common mistake: Bridging without trapping the arm first. They post their hand and the bridge fails. Always trap first.

Elbow-Knee Escape (Shrimp Escape)

Create a frame: elbow in their hip, hands on their chest.
Shrimp (hip escape) away — make space between your hips and theirs.
Insert your knee into the space created.
Pull guard or push to half guard.

Combine both: attempt upa → they base out → immediately shrimp the other direction → recover guard.

Escaping Side Control

The Frame + Shrimp Method

Frame against their neck and hip — do NOT push the face.
Shrimp away from them, creating space at your hips.
Insert knee into the space (knee shield or guard recovery).

Underhook to Knees Method

Fight for an underhook under their far arm.
Use underhook to turn into them and come to your knees.
Now you're in a wrestling scramble — shoot single or double leg.

ℹ️ Key principle: In side control, your hips are the engine. You cannot escape without hip movement. Any time you can move your hips, move them.

Escaping Back Control

The Shoulder Roll Escape

Protect your neck — chin to chest, hands on their choking arm.
Slide down toward their feet to make their hooks loose.
Turn into them (toward their overarm side) — use their arm to assist.
Come to half guard or full guard.

The Seat Belt Peel

Grip their top (overarm) wrist with both hands.
Pull it down across your body — this opens the seat belt.
Turn in and recover guard.

💡 The golden rule of back escape: Always turn toward the arm that's over your shoulder (the choke arm side). Turning the other way puts you directly into the choke.

Universal Escape Principles

Frame first: Before any escape, establish frames to prevent them from applying more pressure.
Survive before escaping: If you're being choked, defend the choke before trying to escape position.
Combine escapes: When one escape stalls, immediately switch to another without resetting.
Early recognition: Start escaping the moment you feel the position — not after it's fully established.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the easiest escape for beginners?

The upa (bridge and roll) from mount is the most beginner-friendly escape because it uses explosive power and a simple sequence. Master this before the more technical shrimp escape.

Why can't I escape even when I know the technique?

Timing is everything. Most escape techniques fail because they're attempted after the top player has fully settled and established grips. Practice recognizing bad positions early and escaping within the first 2-3 seconds.

How do I stop getting flattened in side control?

The key is staying on your side (not your back) and maintaining a knee shield. The moment you go flat, your frames collapse. Fight to maintain your hip angle throughout — bridging to your side helps reset the position.