what is Bernardo Faria trying to do here?

And again at 1:39. It ends up going nowhere, because Marcelo, but I'm curious what his options were when he gets his top knee in because I'm in that position all the time. If I can get up on my elbow, I swivel my hips and get my bottom leg out, something I learned from a Xande vid, but I'm wondering what your options are if you can't get up on your arm. Create space with your knee and swim your top arm for an underhook? Bernardo ended up going to his knees, but that never seems to work out for me from side control.

 

Looks like he was trying to recover guard

 

It seems like he first tried hard to recover half guard which is his favourite positions, and then when the option was completely negated by Marcelo's movement he was just ok with doing what you said in the end, swimming trying to underhook and come out on all fours- which is my favourite escape from side control too.. I'm curious, why you think it's not working for you? Since the first time I've learned how to underhook I've always find it pretty natural to seek for an underhook from side control and create space that way..

 

The people at my gym are really good at transitioning around my head. They moment I get that arm in they'll either go to north south and try to pin my shoulders again or go to the far side and try to attack my back. It's usually a real struggle for me. If they stay there and let me do the escape, then I'm golden, but usually it's a real struggle that gets me nowhere.

I guess I was asking what he was going to use that top knee for. Frequently I find it's easier to get the top knee in than the bottom knee, but all I know how to do with it is try to push them away.

 

Oh I see what you're saying and it's definetely part of the great scheme of this escape in my opinion. Somebody good will usually immediately transition elsewhere as you said and you would usually use that momentum to have your guard back or exploit the lack of momentarily pressure. Granted.. you're always at risk of a submission of having your back took.. but after all that's what happens anytime you have your guard passed.. it's hard to escape without conceding risks ..

By the way I think that with the knee he was just creating space as you already deduced.. not many other things to do from there I guess!

 

looks to me like he was recovering half guard and if youre specifically asking about the top knee, it was to go straight into the knee shield after recovery

 

looks like he was getting pwned by Marcelo

 

looks like he was trying to create space by shielding with that top leg to get back to half guard

 

Firstly, pushing them away is not nothing, that's a useful part of recovering guard. But in general, with that top knee you're just trying to create space to get to your knees. You can also potentially use that space to invert, though that's probably not what Faria was doing since he rarely goes upside down.

I'll add that if you get a good underhook and uke starts moving around your head, you have to follow him really tight and get to your knees as he's transitioning. You should be able to attack a single off that transition if you're hitting the timing right.

 

How do you follow him? Do you run after him with your legs? This might be the vital piece that I'm missing.