escaping side control no gi

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subbass

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Been training 3 years, currently a blue belt (nogi only) Id say im slightly above average skill wise for my time training if that matters but.. My side control escapes are very poor imo.. I bridge, try to get a frame in, then hip escape and try to slide my knee in.. the basic escape I guess, but rarely works for me. Sometimes I try the eddie bravo 'prison break' and slide a butterfly hook in If i can.

Basically im frustrated as hell getting stuck on bottom side control ( my bottom half guard/guard is pretty decent) and being unable to reverse/escape.

Scarf hold/judo side control/kesa gatame I also find difficult to escape, the only thing thats worked for me there is pushing on their abdomen and trying to shrimp my knee in that space to regain guard.

Anyone have any tips/videos/concepts that helped you in your side control/scarf hold escapes? If a guy is super tight should I still be fighting hard to bridge and escape while in side control or wait until he relaxes??

Preferably stuff that works against bigger/stronger opponents.. Thanks!
 
My experience level is fairly similar to yours, so take this for what it's worth.... By far my favorite is the super simple one where you bridge or frame to create some space, then slide the opposite arm under them and sort of 'twist' out/down and come up with a front headlock (well, ideally, more likely come up in a scramble for that said front headlock).

Hopefully that description made some sense (I'll try to write something more detailed if not). It combos nicely with all the other basic side escapes (the back and forth bridge, frame to underhook, the one you described etc).

Nobody I train with uses kesa (I love it tho, especially love switching between kesa and regular side depending on how they try to escape), so can't offer much help there but there was a big kesa thread very recently that had a lot of discussion on escapes too, might be helpful!
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/lets-talk-about-kesa-gatame-scarf-hold.3173789/
 
Last edited:
Marcelo has some good ideas:





Also Saulo's advice that you think about stopping the neck control/cross-face very early on. I.e. you get used to the idea that once you know the pass is happening you focus on blocking the cross-face until it's a reflex action. Once I'd read this and tried it out, I was amazed how often both I and my opponents lazily allow neck control off a pass. I / they are focussed on other stuff. He teaches the Side Control Survival Position. Like a lot of his stuff, looks super basic but is subtly powerful. I know of a youtube vid for it but it's in his book and on his site.
 
Allan san said:
Click to expand...


I've seen this video so many times... Probably on my top 10 of bjj videos... I always use the option to break the grip and then go for the underhook, and after watching it again, i want to try that shin sweep...

That said, the three marcelo ones are my main options and I'm known for being the "escape sidemount guy" (probably because my guard sucks) Preventing the cross face is the MOST important part of escaping side mount and it was a revelation to me, given that sidemount escapes are mostly taught once your oponent has you under control. Invest on those and it will give you a lot of buck for your money!

Codger said:
Marcelo has some good ideas:





Also Saulo's advice that you think about stopping the neck control/cross-face very early on. I.e. you get used to the idea that once you know the pass is happening you focus on blocking the cross-face until it's a reflex action. Once I'd read this and tried it out, I was amazed how often both I and my opponents lazily allow neck control off a pass. I / they are focussed on other stuff. He teaches the Side Control Survival Position. Like a lot of his stuff, looks super basic but is subtly powerful. I know of a youtube vid for it but it's in his book and on his site.
Click to expand...
 
I'm a hufe fan of Marcelo Garcia's sit up, elbow push, and hip roll escapes. They work on just about everyone and no matter what body type you are, they seem to work.
 
I've never been able to get the shin sweep to work.

However, I get wrist control and my knee slipped in on their bicep all the time. From that position, I can usually get my guard back. I put a lot of pressure on their arm with my shin and while they are coping with that, I get my bottom knee in across their torso and re-guard.

I probably get this escape more than any other.

____

The other escape I get is the basic, regain guard, but I set it up by reaching over their back to their far armpit and pinning them in tight with my knee to stall. When they try hard to fight out, I shove them off and get my knee in. It is best for dealing with strikes.
 
By far my favorite is the super simple one where you bridge or frame to create some space, then slide the opposite arm under them and sort of 'twist' out/down and come up with a front headlock (well, ideally, more likely come up in a scramble for that said front headlock).
Click to expand...

Bump because I found a name for the escape I was trying to describe:
Mechanic Escape (at least that's what Vlad Koulikov calls it on his sambo-jiu-jitsu fusion dvd. I *love* this escape and it's one of the 3 primary escapes the coaches where I train teach...

Didn't find any vid of it online by that name except this:
He does it a bit differently but it's similar enough (way I've been taught it is more with a push and twist than with that whole crunch part).
 
If you are flat on your back and have to start escapes with making frame and sliding knee in then Kurt Osiander will tell you: ""Bro, you fucked up a long time ago!". Getting out of that is tough, and you may spend all your energy trying.

First of all you have to analyze how you ended up flat on your back with no knees and elbows in between. Most likely you were fighting positions that you lost already, and now paying for that. Which means other parts of your game needs improvement. Anytime you feel pin is coming you must be on your side facing opponent with knees and arms/elbows securing distance. If you start escape from that position it is more or less trivial once opponent realizes that his pressure is not doing anything and tries something else.

For the escape that you are describing, most likely that knee is not sliding in because you do not get enough leverage or your move is not going in the right direction. Make your other leg straight, and move it over the floor away from the opponent as far as you can. Then bend and put foot down. Now it will naturally turn your body facing your opponent and give you space for the knee as you do hip escape.
 
Good luck man. I've been training 10 years, brown, and still have trouble with side mount escapes with a lot of strong guys. There's a reason it's such a desired position to obtain (top side) because it's such a hard spot to escape. I escape mount easier than side mount honestly.

Several guys gave great points here.

2 points should be your panic mode instincts: DON'T let your back get flat and don't allow the cross face. If you do that alone your escapes will be 50% better.

When you see them passing...block that cross face arm!! Open palms on the wrist, bicep, delt, etc and shrimp!

That simple mindset improved my side defense a lot. I am in a panic to prevent those 2 things and will deal with the escape after that.
 
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