Escape from Side Control

[gilgalad]

Hey,

My son and I both struggle with escapes from side control. We have been taught to create room at the hips and try to get a leg in.

What else can we try?

John

[Tant01]

If you're not face DOWN or handcuffed you can do almost anything...

[gilgalad]

Yeah. So I've been told.

In practice my son was squashed last class by a much heavier guy who pried his arms off his body. He struggled under the weight. He kept his arms between them as much as possible but I'd have been tempted to drive my forearm into his face and nieck to get him to give ground. He was losing the strength battle anyway so it was worth a try.

[Tant01]

Escape side reversal...

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

Hey,

My son and I both struggle with escapes from side control. We have been taught to create room at the hips and try to get a leg in.

What else can we try?

John

[Tant01]

Welcome aboard. I hope you find something you like here...

~Tant01

[Hardball]

Uphill Battle

Yeah. So I've been told.

In practice my son was squashed last class by a much heavier guy who pried his arms off his body. He struggled under the weight. He kept his arms between them as much as possible but I'd have been tempted to drive my forearm into his face and nieck to get him to give ground. He was losing the strength battle anyway so it was worth a try.

When the guy out weighs you like that it's a real struggle. Did you ask your instructor this question? I would think the BJJ/GJJ crowd on this forum would post a reply. Good luck

[WildWest.]

Nice clip Tant01.

[aseepish]

The key to any escape is to read your opponent's balance and momentum (essentially their reaction to what you are doing) and adjust what you are trying to do accordingly. This video shows this idea:



The videos for detailed instruction of each of these moves should be on the side under "more from..." or "related videos".

As always, this sort of thing is really tough to do when you're just starting out. The only answer is mat time, mat time, and more mat time.

[doubleouch]

Here's a detailed post on the subject from my blog. The real answer to cross sides bottom is creating the right posture and pressuring from that.
Blog

[aseepish]

Here's a detailed post on the subject from my blog. The real answer to cross sides bottom is creating the right posture and pressuring from that.
Blog

Good stuff! I wish I had a resource like that when I was just starting out!

[Marksmarkou]

I think the answers and videos here explain some good escapes. I would like to add, that sometimes am able to push my opponants head down towards my hip, in which i can swing my outside leg around my opponans head for a triangle. If the choke does not work, it nearly always gives me leverage for a sweep. It may not work for you but is something else to think about.

[Kintanon]

Just for reference I'm a blue belt training with Casey Baynes at Megalodon MMA in Athens, I got my blue from Jacare at Alliance in Atl. You can google Kintanon to see a bunch of my competition videos.
I weigh ~140lbs and know exactly the kind of struggle you are talking about so here are some tips:

These are the methods I use to escape from under larger opponents. Frist I will immediately try to trap a leg to pull them into halfguard. If they have a solid side control and I can't catch a leg I will attempt to get my arms between us and make enough space to turn into my opponent so that I am facing them. In order to do this you might have to bridge up then push up on your opponent as you drop back down and at the same time turn into them. Once that's done I pull both my knees up to my elbows and spin to regain guard.
You can also attempt to tuck your farside foot under your opponents leg (Step over your nearside leg) and lift that leg to allow you to slide back to half guard.
Another option if you have a strong turtle or a good game plan is to turn away from your opponent and give them your back. I rarely do this unless it's against an opponent I know I can sweep from there though.
Now, all that being said my HIGHEST PERCENTAGE and most often used escape is to get the farside underhook, that means that I take my arm that is closest to my opponents head and reach under him and scoop under his far arm. Then I reach for the ceiling and wrap around to grab their tricep. At the same time I turn into my opponent and come up to my knees. If they whizzer me I can grab the far knee and shove forward to sweep, they don't then I can take the back.

That should help.