Breaking Free: Essential Side Control Escapes for BJJ Fighters

Side control is a dominant position in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) where one person has their torso and legs pinning the other person’s torso and arms to the ground. It can be difficult to escape from this position, but there are some fundamental techniques that can be used to get out. In this article, we’ll go over the basics of side control escape in BJJ.

Bridge and Shrimp

The first step in escaping side control is to create space between you and your opponent. To do this, you can use a combination of bridging and shrimping. Start by bridging your hips up towards your opponent, then immediately follow that up with a shrimp motion where you move your hips away from your opponent. This should create some space for you to work with.

Frame and Elbow Escape

Once you’ve created some space, you can use your arms to frame against your opponent and begin to work on escaping. Place one arm on your opponent’s hip and the other on their bicep or shoulder. Use your arm on their hip to push away, then bring your knee up to your chest and use your elbow to push their other arm off of you. This will create enough space for you to bring your leg through and get back to guard.

Knee to Elbow Escape

Another option for escaping side control is the knee to elbow escape. Start by creating space with a bridge and shrimp, then use your knee to push your opponent’s hip away from you. Once you’ve created enough space, bring your knee up to your elbow and use that frame to push away and make even more space. From here, you can either shrimp out and recover guard or work to get to your knees and take top position.

Recovering Half Guard

If you’re unable to get back to guard, another option is to recover half guard. Start by creating space with a bridge and shrimp, then use your knee to push your opponent’s hip away from you. Once you’ve created enough space, bring your knee through and into their thigh, then use that to create a barrier and prevent them from fully settling into side control. From here, you can work on sweeping your opponent or transitioning to a more advantageous position.

Don’t Panic

Perhaps the most important aspect of escaping side control is to stay calm and not panic. If you start to panic, you’re more likely to make mistakes and give your opponent even more control. Instead, take your time, create space, and work on escaping one step at a time.

Drill, Drill, Drill

Finally, the key to becoming proficient at escaping side control is to drill these techniques regularly. Find a partner and take turns working on escaping side control and holding the position. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it.

 

I hope this article has been helpful in explaining the basics of side control escape in BJJ. Remember, escaping side control takes practice and patience, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right away. Keep working on your technique and you’ll be escaping side control with ease in no time!