BJJ Escapes: One of the most important techniques in grappling, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is pinning the opponent. To put it simply, a pin is when you dominate your opponent who is completely resistant by using your body arrangement and gravity.
“The basis of Jiu-Jitsu’s interpretation of pins is the idea that pins should reflect the degree to which a dominating athlete can strike an opponent while not being struck back,” renowned teacher John Danaher is credited as saying. This implies that you have more options to launch an assault the stronger your position is about your opponent’s.
The side control, or cross-side position, is one of the most irritating pins in BJJ. It’s a position that many practitioners of BJJ find difficult to overcome. We’ll go over a few safe ways to get out of this dreadful pinning method today.
What is Side Control?
Let’s review what side control means. In a nutshell, side control is a grappling pin in which the top player lies over the bottom player perpendicularly, typical chest to chest. The person in the lead forces the other player to defend or leave the position by applying tremendous pressure to the other player’s torso with their arms and body weight. Since the upper body is used for the majority of the interaction, the legs are often not entangled.
Most novices and heavier BJJ players like the side control pin since it may be difficult to escape. Being in top-side control has intrinsic stability, which makes it quite effective at managing someone who is completely resistant. You don’t have to worry about countermeasures like the UPA Escape (a simple but effective reversal from the bottom mount) if you want to employ side control.
Now that we know what side control is, let’s explore the fundamental moves you must master to get out of the situation.
You might also be interested in reading this: What is the Gable Grip in BJJ?
3 Suggested Side Control BJJ Escapes
Coach Brandon Mccaghren of 10th Planet Blackbelt shares his best side control BJJ escapes for novices. He is renowned for providing extremely technical coaching and is a great ambassador for our sport in general.
Knee-In Evasion
He begins by demonstrating the fundamental knee-in escape. He states that getting into the inside position by putting your elbow and forearm close to the pocket of the far hip is the most important stage in this method. As you bridge to the side, you may do this by pressing your arm up on the side of your opponent’s head. This will make room for you to ultimately insert your knee as well as your frames. This is a manoeuvre that may be repeated as much as necessary, particularly when facing larger opponents. Once your knee has been correctly inserted, you can return to any guard by using the shrimping motion.
Reverse Roll Escape
The backward roll escape is the second method of escape. In many respects, it’s the same as the previous method, except that this time, you start the roll backward to provide room for your knee. Commence by using your arm to bump your opponent’s head, just like in the previous method. As you advance, immediately bring your knee up to the opponent’s hip; this should allow room for your knee to fall back. To avoid the cross-face, turn your head away from this position and return to regain guard.
Ghostly Evasion
The traditional ghost escape is the final trick Brandon demonstrates. The ghost escape is a terrific way to shift your opponent’s bodyweight and is usually utilised once they have placed their arm over your head. As you block the head with your second arm, shift the arm that is framing your opponent’s hip to the other side. To get out of the hole, use your legs to swing and build speed while using your arms to scissors. This can be completed in one quick motion; little swings can also be effective. You may establish the front headlock and start your attacking cycle after you’ve freed your head.
If the opponent is not paying attention, you may even catch them with a D’Arce Choke in the middle of the transition.
