27/11/2019 - Teaching | Side Control | Turn to knees escape

Teaching #918
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 27/11/2019



Short Version:

• From your frame, bridge and shrimp
• Circle your neck arm under their armpit, reaching around their back
• RKnock them with that underhook, turning to your knees, using your other arm to post on your elbow
• Reach for their far knee, putting your leg up
• Drive forwards, then either slide past their knee, or move around behind them

Full Version: For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:12am PST

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 28, 2017 at 12:25am PST

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Last bit of side control this week. Full schedule for Wednesday: 18:25-19:25 #WomensClass with Lisa 18:30-19:30 Intermediate #BJJ with @paulylans 19:30-20:30 Gi with @slideyfoot _____________________________ #BrazilianJiuJitsu #ArtemisBJJ #SlideyTeach

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 29, 2017 at 12:30am PST

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 29, 2017 at 9:59pm PST

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, using that underhook to bump them, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them: I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.

From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
________________
Teaching Notes: Next time, worth mentioning leg hook option, which leads into all the Lucas Leite dogfight stuff. Also, sucking the legs in, wrestling style.

08/11/2018 - Teaching | Side Control | Underhook Escapes

Teaching #812
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 08/11/2018

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A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 30, 2018 at 1:13am PST

If you are able to get your arm underneath them, several underhook escapes become available. Be careful though, as if they can anticipate the underhook and switch their hips, they can squish your arms and trap them. That puts you in a terrible position with your neck exposed to chokes.

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A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Dec 3, 2018 at 1:22am PST

Nevertheless, underhooks can be a powerful tool for escapes. The same principle applies as with half guard: if you can get an underhook into their armpit, swinging your arm forcefully into it can bump their weight off you, creating a space you can rotate into. Use the momentum of swinging your legs to help generate that momentum. It is safest to rotate towards their legs, as that is the shortest distance to travel and also sets you up to attack their back.

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A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Dec 4, 2018 at 1:36am PST

Spinning in the other direction can work too, but it's riskier. In that situation, you are either looking to simply get out from under them, or if you stay closer, you end up in a front headlock. That lends itself to guillotines, d'arce chokes, anaconda chokes and the like.

With double underhooks, you can generate even more leverage, but conversely you're also in a lot more trouble if you mess up and they manage to switch their hips onto your arms. One underhook is therefore safer, if less powerful. With two, you can whack your arms up into both their ribs and their armpit, reverse shrimping away to create the momentum to create the space to escape. Again, you can then rotate in your preferred direction.
_____________________
Teaching Notes: I might just show turning towards their legs next time, showing other direction is confusing people. Emphasise armpit push more. Do I need two? Also, drill reverse shrimp and the bridging motion.

24/11/2017 - Teaching | Side Control | Escape to Knees

Teaching #729
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 24/11/2017

Short Version:

• From your frame, bridge and shrimp
• Circle your neck arm under their armpit, reaching around their back
• RKnock them with that underhook, turning to your knees, using your other arm to post on your elbow
• Reach for their far knee, putting your leg up
• Drive forwards, then either slide past their knee, or move around behind them

Full Version: For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 27, 2017 at 1:12am PST

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 28, 2017 at 12:25am PST

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Last bit of side control this week. Full schedule for Wednesday: 18:25-19:25 #WomensClass with Lisa 18:30-19:30 Intermediate #BJJ with @paulylans 19:30-20:30 Gi with @slideyfoot _____________________________ #BrazilianJiuJitsu #ArtemisBJJ #SlideyTeach

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 29, 2017 at 12:30am PST

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Nov 29, 2017 at 9:59pm PST

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, using that underhook to bump them, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them: I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.

From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
________________

Teaching Notes: Main thing is the importance of that underhook, you can use that to bump a bit. If they have their leg back, can't grab it, but you could do a kinda throw. Make certain you're stepping up with your leg to generate sufficient leverage on the drive to side control. If you aren't going to the back, be sure to block their knee. The person on top will normally stay on their knees, worth noting as some beginners don't have great posture yet. ;)

26/05/2017 - Teaching | Side Control | Escape to Knees

Teaching #667
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 26/05/2017

For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture): I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.



From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
________________

Teaching Notes: I haven't taught this one in a while, but it's the second of what I see as the basic two side control escapes (the other being recovering guard, which I used way more). First up, the drilling at the start needs to include turning to the knees. I talked about the bridge and shrimp again, but that isn't so relevant to this one. Turning one leg under the other is the motion people need to practice, so next time, remember to do that in the warm up.

When Marcelo Garcia does this, he makes a point of not reaching higher than their hip. It doesn't feel like a natural motion to me, but I should practice it to provide some diversity. I tend to reach higher by the back. Emphasise gripping lower, head on the inside and don't forget that turning to the knees drill.

03/08/2016 - Teaching | Women's Class | Side Control Escape to Knees

Teaching #539
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 01/08/2016

For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture): I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.



From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
________________

Teaching Notes: The question of how high to come up when you go to your knees arose again today. I tend to recommend staying low, as I feel that the higher you go, the more space they have to spin back into guard. Something for me to think about though, perhaps I'm wrong and it's ok to go high. Lots of ways to execute any technique in BJJ after all, which is one of the things I like so much about it. :)

09/03/2016 - Teaching | Women's Class | Side Control Escape to Knees

Teaching #475
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 09/03/2016

For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture): I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.



From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
________________

Teaching Notes: Nice and simple, no issues I can think of with this one. We also ran through some knee on belly, as I wanted to test out teaching the knee on belly armbar. My aim is to make that into a drill, so we'll see how easy it is for beginners to pick up. :)

14/10/2015 - Teaching | Women's Class | Side Control Escape to Knees

Teaching #404
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 14/10/2015

For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture): I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.



From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
________________

Teaching Notes: People are still tending to reach high on the back rather than low, but then again, I'm not sure how important that distinction is: interestingly, it can end with a sort of seated shoulder throw, if you grab the arm rather than the knee (which works too, though it does mean the knee can then be used for base to resist). There's also the usual issue of some people ending with their knees too far, which I think is a matter of making that turn tighter.

13/05/2015 - Teaching | Side Control | Escape to Knees

Teaching #322
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 13/05/2015

For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture): I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.



From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
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Teaching & Sparring Notes: I've always thought this escape is tougher to get that the standard guard recovery, but that motion of turning to your knees and reaching through with the arm is applicable in a number of scenarios, especially half guard. Speaking of which, I think emphasising that you should continue to reach as you turn could be useful, as a few people were ending up leaving some space.

In sparring, I went with the stiff-arm escape and pushed through to top both times, but probably left too much space. Also, both times it was people around my size: against somebody bigger, I doubt that would have been successful, going to guard from the stiff-arm would make more sense. Most likely I used too much strength as well, given I could feel some soreness in the arm the next day (which normally indicates I've been straining away in guard or shoving a lot in defence).

I continue to over-use the gi lapel choke from side control, rather than giving some of those other chokes a try. It's certainly effective, but I want to branch out a little. I did at least have a go at moving into scarf hold for some of the arm attacks, something I could potentially teach next week.

26/11/2014 - Teaching | Women's Class | Side Control Escape to Knees

Teaching #239
Artemis BJJ (Bristol Sports Centre/MyGym), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 26/11/2014

For the escape to the knees, Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual. It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard. First thing to note is that they will want to kill your near arm. This is bad for you, because it means you can't stop them shifting up towards your head. From there, they can make as much space as they want and pass to mount.

So, you need to get your arm inside, the forearm pressing against their hip: this is a bit more reliable that grabbing the gi material, as they can potentially still bring their body onto your hand and collapse it due to the loose material. The forearm into the hip will help block their movement, and initiate your attempts to create some space. It should also help you block them moving to north south, as if you clamp your arm by their side, your body will move with them if they try to switch position.

One thing to note is that having your forearm by their hip like that does leave you more open to the cross-face. So, you could potentially block inside their cross-facing arm instead, which will prevent their shoulder pressure. This is the Saulo method from his book, which has advantages, but personally I prefer to block the hip.

With your other hand, grab the gi material by their shoulder, close to their neck, then pull down. Twist that arm up into their neck, keeping the elbow in: you need to be tight here, as otherwise they will go for a figure four on that arm. Once you've got the forearm into their neck, they can't press down into you, as they'll essentially be choking themselves. Note that this is a block: you don't want to start pushing and reaching, as that may leave you vulnerable. Reach too far and they can shove your arm to one side and set up an arm triangle.

Next I moved on to the legs. Your legs have two main purposes here: first, blocking your opponent getting to mount. Raise your near knee and drive it into their side. The idea is to wedge them between your knee and the arm you have by their hip. Personally, I like to keep my knee floating, glued to their side.

Many people prefer to cross their foot over their knee, which is something I used to do in the past as well. However, as this long Sherdog thread discusses, that can leave you open to a footlock, and also limit your mobility. Then again, you can see it used at the highest levels, like here at the Mundials.

The second use for your legs is bridging. Marcelo Garcia has a handy tip for this (although the escape he is doing there is slightly different), related to increasing the power of your bridge. To do that, bring your heels right to your bum, then push up on your toes. That increases your range of motion, so you can really drive into them.

Make sure you turn into them as you bridge, rather than just straight up. This will help the next part, which is to shrimp out as you come back down. That's why you've created space in the first place: if you simply plopped back down, then you've wasted the opportunity.

After you bridge and shrimp, rotate the arm you have by their neck under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture): I find that's the most intuitive method. At the same time, bring your bottom leg under your top leg, reaching further around their back as you fully turn to your knees. It's the same motion as the shrimp to knees drill I do during the warm-up.



From there, reach for the far knee and drive forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
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Teaching Notes: This is among my most taught classes, so I haven't got anything much to add. I could perhaps talk more about the frame and the various details, but I'm trying to talk less so that probably wouldn't be wise. I can always mention it in drilling, or if anybody asks a question later on. It was cool to see a number of new people, so hopefully they enjoyed class. Best of all there was an experienced grappler in class, which is always a massive help. Cheers Laura! :)

16/10/2014 - Teaching | Side Control | Escape to the Knees

Teaching #214
Artemis BJJ (PHNX Fitness), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 16/10/2014

Classes at our second venue continues to grow! It's called PHNX Fitness and is over in Kingswood, down Two Mile Hill Road. I've got a map up on the Artemis BJJ website, with lots of pictures I took at open mat a couple of weeks ago. Check it out if you're in the area, Tuesdays and Thursdays 20:00-21:15. :)

In the class last Wednesday at Bristol Sports Centre, I went through the basic guard recovery. The logical next step is the second basic escape, from much the same position. The difference is that you turn to your knees rather than look for guard. Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual.

It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard, again establishing that frame with your arms, knee into the side and bridging. I've got more extensive notes on that initial position in a previous write-up. Remember to keep in mind that they might try to attack the arm you have into their neck, and also to use your forearm to block the hip rather than your hand. There is an alternative side control frame that Saulo uses, where you block the cross-face with that arm instead, an equally valid approach.

After you bridge and shrimp this time, you're going to do something different with the arm you have into their neck. Rotate it under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture).



From there, he reaches for the far knee and drives forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
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Teaching Notes (well ok, this is more like marketing notes ;D): Yay, Thursday classes are growing! I look forward to seeing more of you on the mats. The advantage of the Kingswood venue is that the mats are bigger and the classes are longer. So, pop on down, especially if you're already paying the unlimited rate. More classes, more fun! ;)

06/10/2014 - Teaching | Side Control | Escape to the Knees

Teaching #206
Artemis BJJ (Bristol Sports Centre), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 06/10/2014

We've now opened at our second venue! It's called PHNX Fitness and is over in Kingswood, down Two Mile Hill Road. I've got a map up on the Artemis BJJ website, so will be filling in the full directions once I get a chance to take some more pictures of the outside (so, probably Saturday before open mat).

In the class last Wednesday at Bristol Sports Centre, I went through the basic guard recovery. The logical next step is the second basic escape, from much the same position. The difference is that you turn to your knees rather than look for guard. Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual.

It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard, again establishing that frame with your arms, knee into the side and bridging. I've got more extensive notes on that initial position in a previous write-up. Remember to keep in mind that they might try to attack the arm you have into their neck, and also to use your forearm to block the hip rather than your hand. There is an alternative side control frame that Saulo uses, where you block the cross-face with that arm instead, an equally valid approach.

After you bridge and shrimp this time, you're going to do something different with the arm you have into their neck. Rotate it under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture).



From there, he reaches for the far knee and drives forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
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Teaching Notes: Not too much to add as I've taught this class many times before, but there were two things I'll be considering for next time. First off, when best to use the escape to knees is something worth considering. I hardly ever use it in sparring, as I will almost always go for either the guard recovery or running escape. So, showing the context for the escape to knees could be useful.

Secondly, there are two versions of the turn the the knees. There is the Roy Dean option where you end up on the side, which I think is the easiest one to understand. There is also the one where you end up square on, the first version I learned. I have never found that one useful, as I find it's too easy for them to sprawl on you and squash you down when doing that. But it is still a valid option: just because I don't have much success with it doesn't mean someone else couldn't. So, something to consider.

05/02/2014 - Teaching (Basic Side Control Escape to the Knees)

Teaching #136
Bristol Sports Centre, (Artemis BJJ), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 05/02/2014

Last week at Artemis BJJ, I went through the basic guard recovery. The logical next step is the second basic escape, from much the same position. The difference is that you turn to your knees rather than look for guard. Roy Dean is a useful reference point, so I'll be drawing on his method from Blue Belt Requirements as usual.

It begins in much the same way as the shrimp back to guard, again establishing that frame with your arms, knee into the side and bridging. I've got more extensive notes on that initial position in my previous write-up. Remember to keep in mind that they might try to attack the arm you have into their neck, and also to use your forearm to block the hip rather than your hand. There is an alternative side control frame that Saulo uses, where you block the cross-face with that arm instead, an equally valid approach.

After you bridge and shrimp this time, you're going to do something different with the arm you have into their neck. Rotate it under their armpit, then reach for their legs or around their back. Roy Dean then shifts out to the side, ending up crouched next to them (as in the picture).



From there, he reaches for the far knee and drives forward, moving to the top position. Another typical method leaves you square on, but I personally am not keen on that position as I find it is more awkward to crawl up into a strong base from there. However, again, it is a totally valid variation: experiment to see what works best for you.
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Teaching Notes: This is something I'm intending to add into the warm-up, so hopefully if I start doing that after this week, it will gradually become very familiar to everybody. I'm only teaching once a week at the moment, but when that progresses to two or more, the drill should start becoming instinctive in the way shrimping tends to be at most clubs. At least that's my hope. :)

I'm not sure if it is best to show variations, or to stick with one option for clarity. I like to provide alternatives, but I also don't want to confuse anyone. As ever, I'll try asking for feedback like I always do, but as I've previously done that through Facebook, I'll need to see if the new Artemis BJJ students are on there. ;)