Get better at Escaping Back Control

Your guide for better Jiu-Jitsu

Being able to escape bad positions should be a priority in your Jiu-Jitsu. This guide will cover the best ways to escape back control.

What we cover:

  1. Getting your back to the floor

  2. Defending submissions

  3. Connection

  4. Avoiding the ‘death side’

  5. Escaping the ‘death side’

  6. How to practise back control escapes

  7. Training checklist

  8. How 2800 students feel about escaping back control

  1. Objectives & Mechanics

When you find yourself in someone’s back control your objective is to stay safe and escape. Make sure you follow that order. A lot of submissions come from just trying to escape. 

In order to stay safe and increase your chances of escaping you need to know which side you should be on. There is a ‘good side’ and there is a ‘death side’. This is dictated by where their arms are. You want to fall to the opposite side of the choking arm. 

Your goal is simple. Get your back flat on the floor. But to get the best results you need to build a frame with your legs to stop your partner from pulling you to the ‘death side’. Once your shoulder touches the floor you can now turn your hips to the sky and sink your weight into the mat. 


Secret Tip

Once you get your hips facing the sky your goal is to go limp. It’s far more difficult to move someone when they are not tense. It’s similar to trying to pick your drunk friend off the floor.

Watch Video | Escaping Back Control Objectives and Mechanics

2. Execution and Awareness

To get your back escape to work you need to understand connection and being one solid unit. Mistakes happen when you don’t build a frame with your leg, you only move your head and you don’t drive from your leg to your shoulder. 

You also need to be aware of your partner maintaining their hooks even if you do get your back to the ground. You should focus on keeping your leg straight and moving it backwards past your opponents hooks. This will help you immensely as your hands will be free for defence.

Watch Video | Escaping Back Control Execution and Awareness

3. Invisible Jiu-Jitsu

Invisible Jiu-Jitsu can be defined through the correct application of weight distribution and connection. When you do it right your partner should be confused as to what’s happening. Connection can be broken down into three types. 

  1. Connecting to the ground 

  2. Connecting to your partner 

  3. Connecting to yourself 

Escaping from the Back Connection Outline:

  1. Your frame with your leg is connected to the ground for strength. 

  2. Your hips sinking onto your partner's legs is a form of connection to your partner. You are adding weight and making it difficult for them to maintain control. 

  3. Your ability to turn your hips and pull your shoulders to the ground is a form of connecting to yourself. 

Connection runs throughout Jiu-Jitsu. Try and think how it applies in different positions and moves.

Watch Video | Escaping Back Control Invisible Details

Your partner’s objective is to take you to the ‘death side’. So you need to know how to escape. You can try the belly down escape. 

Start by tucking your elbow to your knee. Step your leg over to lift your hip and go belly down. Your job now is to thread the needle to escape. You can practise in your warm up.

4. Common reactions

Watch Video | Common Reactions

You need to find a partner that will feed you the reactions you are looking for. Not someone who is trying to win the ADCC Open Weight Division. 

  1. Practise building a frame with your legs. 

  2. Practice driving from your leg and putting your back on the ground. Turn your hips and nail your shoulder to the floor. 

  3. With a partner you can practise building a frame and not letting them take you to the ‘deathside’ 

  4. Practise getting your back on the floor and turning your hips to the sky and nailing your shoulder to mat. 

  5. Practise the belly down escape.

5. How to practise

Watch Video | How to practice escaping back control

Escaping Back Control Training Checklist

So you have watched all the videos and now have a better understanding of what you need to do to escape back control. Now it’s time to tick off your practice and progress.

Actions

  1. Practise building frames with your legs and getting your back to floor by yourself.

  2. Practise with a partner and fall to the ‘safe side’.

  3. Practise falling to the ‘safe side’ and rotating your hips to the ceiling and nailing your shoulder to the mat. This needs to become a quick a reflex.

  4. Practise defending your partner’s transition to mount when your back is on the floor.

Progress Check In

You can escape back control against someone at your level.

You can escape back control against a higher belt.

You feel confident escaping back control.

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How Other Students Feel About Escaping Back Control.

The data from our BJJ Journey Score shows that most students struggle escaping back control.

If you would like to map your Jiu-Jitsu try our BJJ Journey Score below: