Turtle Survival Guide | BJJ App Wiki

Turtle is a vulnerable position: you're facing the mat, opponent can attack your back or neck. Surviving turtle means preventing back takes and creating escape routes to standing or more stable guard positions.

Turtle Fundamentals

• Neck Safety: Protect your neck at all costs. Keep chin tucked, prevent front-facing attacks.
• Hip Engagement: Keep hips engaged. Don't sit flat; maintain active positioning.
• Hand Placement: Hands ready to defend or frame out of turtle.

Back Take Prevention

Opponent wants hooks. Prevent by turning away from the attack. If they get hooks, immediately look for escape: bump hips, dislodge hooks, rotate away.

Escaping Turtle

• Sit-Up Escape: Pop hips up, stand up explosively. Requires good timing.
• Roll Escape: Use hands to turn, prevent complete back control.
• Guard Reconstruction: Recover guard position instead of escaping completely.

Training Turtle Escapes

Turtle escapes are timing-dependent. Practice daily against a passive partner first, then increase pressure. Build confidence in these escapes before trusting them in competition.