20/11/2015 - Teaching | The Back | Arm Grab Escape

Teaching #425
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 20/11/2015

This isn't as high percentage as the bridging back escape, but is another good option if you're able to get control of their arm. That's the difficult part. You want to establish two-on-one grips on the arm they have around your neck, then bring that over your head. Lock it to your shoulder by clamping your arm around it.

Move away from that arm with your legs, clearing their foot off your hip and walking over it. Once you have cleared that leg, grab their remaining leg, to prevent them swinging over into mount. Pushing off your feet, get your weight up onto them, pinning their back to the mat by loading your weight onto their chest. Walk your feet around to side control, then finish by turning towards their legs.

Be sure to turn towards their legs rather than away. If you go in the other direction, you're potentially risking losing the position altogether, as they may be able to retake your back.
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Teaching Notes: Every time back month comes around, I try to think of different escapes I can add in. The bridging back escape works well, but I always want to try and add a few others. The problem is that so far, I've not found anything that is anywhere near as high percentage. The scoop escape Saulo shows depends on you clearing their arms, which in practice I think is very difficult.

This one depends on clearing one of the arms. That's not quite as hard as clearing both, but it's still a tough one. For this to become a high percentage escape, I'd need to have a really reliable way of getting that arm over your head. Until (if?) I can manage that, I'm not sure I'll teach this one again, though I think it's good to try stuff out.

The next option I'm considering - though I won't be trying that until I'm more comfortable with the technique - is what Brandon Mullins calls a 'slow motion seio nage' on that DVD he did with Stephan Kesting. It's a position I find myself in frequently when escaping the back and looks like it could be really useful. I'll keep playing with it, then might give that a try as a lesson next time back month comes around.