Mount Escapes Guide
☰Contents
Complete BJJ mount escape guide: upa bridge-and-roll, elbow-knee escape, trap-and-roll, and early prevention against mount.
Escaping mount is one of the most critical survival skills in BJJ. Master these techniques to avoid being submitted from the most dominant position.
Why Mount Is Dangerous
Mount gives your opponent maximum weight distribution, arm reach to your neck, and access to strikes in MMA. In sport BJJ, mount scores 4 points and enables armbar, triangle, ezekiel choke, and collar chokes. Defending early before they establish depth is the priority.
Upa (Bridge and Roll) Escape
The upa is the most fundamental mount escape: trap one arm and the same-side foot, bridge explosively (drive your hips upward), then roll to the trapped side. Critical: trap both the arm AND foot simultaneously before bridging, or the escape fails. Follow with guard retention.
Elbow-Knee Escape (Shrimping)
The elbow-knee escape: create space by framing against the hips, shrimp (hip escape) to the side, insert your knee between yourself and the opponent, and use the knee to push back into guard. This escape is more reliable against a technical opponent than the upa because it does not require trapping limbs.
Trap and Roll Variations
Variations of the upa for specific situations: when they post a hand, post the leg and hip escape before rolling; when they are high mount (near your head), use your elbows to push their knees toward you before bridging; against low mount, the standard upa works best.
Early Mount Prevention
The best escape is prevention — do not get mounted deeply. When they are transitioning to mount, frame with both elbows against their hip, keep your knees tight, hip escape continuously, and try to turn into them or take their back. Guard recovery is always easier than mounted defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
The upa (bridge and roll) is the most reliable starting point because it requires minimal flexibility and relies on mechanical leverage. Learn it first, then add the elbow-knee escape for more advanced situations.
In high mount, the upa is difficult because their center of gravity is over your head. Use your elbows to push their knees back toward your hips, create space, then execute the elbow-knee escape or bump them forward.
Keep your elbows tight to your sides and do not reach up with your arms. Protect the neck first (collar bones in), then work the escape. If they grab an arm, immediately stack and frame before they can extend.