5 Most Important Escapes For Whitebelts

Jiu-jitsu Times A Reader Question: “Should I Just Concentrate on Escapes For My First Year?”

A Jiu-jitsu Times reader asked me to write an article on the most important escapes that a beginning student needs to learn.

Observing a mat full of students rolling in class I see these positions most commonly causing problems for new students.
Here are video tutorials of the 5 Most Important Escapes For Whitebelts

1) Headlock / Scarf Hold on the Ground
Stephan Kesting of Grapplearts shows the technical way to escape a big, strong guy squeezing your head and pinning you to the ground.
This is a very common attack both from untrained strong guys and the more technical “scarf hold” or kesagatame from judo.

2) Side Control Escape
This is such a major problem for new students that Jiu-jitsu Times did an entire article on just this positional escape.
Getting Stuck In Side Control? How To Escape
Here is another look at this MUST KNOW escape from instructor Roy Dean. Lots of details!

3) Escape from Back Mount
As Kurt Osiander would say in his inimitable style “You F*&$#d Up!” and gave your back (better not to give the back in the first place!).
Here is what to do when your opponent has his hooks and taken your back.

4) Bridge / Upa Escape From The Mount
No one teaches the mount escape better than the Gracie brothers Ryron and Rener.
Pay attention to all of the details! This is one of the MOST IMPORTANT escapes to learn when you start bjj.

5) Pass Closed Guard
I watched a match at the academy where one student spent the entire match stuck inside the closed guard of his opponent.
He was continually fending off submission attempts and trying to avoid being swept.
Roberto ‘Gordo’ Correa teaches one of his favourite closed guard passes to open the opponent’s closed guard.

Question for 1st year students of jiu-jitsu: Where do you get stuck?

on Jiu-jitsu Times: Before You Even Start Learning Submissions…