Get better at Surviving Knee on Belly

Your guide for better Jiu-Jitsu

Being able to survive bad positions should be a priority in your Jiu-Jitsu. This guide will cover the best ways to stay safe when you get stuck under knee on belly.

What we cover:

  1. Taking their base away

  2. Dealing with the pressure

  3. Building a frame

  4. Avoid getting mounted

  5. How to not get punched

  6. How to practise surviving knee on belly

  7. Training checklist

  8. How 2800 students feel about surviving knee on belly

  1. Take their base away

Your main objective is to take away their base. You have to be mindful of protecting your arm and neck as these lead to submissions for the person on top. The easiest way to survive knee on belly is to move yourself instead of trying to move your partner. You can do this with a hip escape or simply walking legs away from your partner.

Watch Video | Surviving Knee on Belly Objectives and Mechanics

2. Don’t get mounted

Your partner is trying to get to mount. This is a very common reaction especially if you are defending submissions. When your partner tries to step over you want to hip escape and build a frame. Your partner cannot sit flat on the mount. They will be off balanced. You can use this to escape to your feet.

Watch Video | Dealing with common reactions

3. What if they were to punch you?

What happens if they were to include strikes? Well you need to close the space. By building a frame and turning into your partner you can curl yourself underneath their base. They cannot strike you from here. The added benefit is that you can also come up for a sweep

Watch Video | Invisible Details

4. How to practise

You should practise with your partner starting from the knee in the sternum. 

  1. Making a connection to the knee and shrimp backwards. 

  2. Let them try to underhook your far arm. Make a connection and shrimp backwards. 

Practise with your partner starting from knee ride (across the hips) 

  1. Get your arms in the right position. One protecting the neck and one underneath their armpit. 

  2. Try and get them in your eyeline. This means you are under their centre of gravity. From there you can walk your hips to the other side and off balance them. 

  3. Add more resistance and this time reach to grab your own knee. From there you can walk your hips to the other side.

Watch Video | How to practice surviving knee on belly

Surviving Knee on Belly Training Checklist

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

Actions

Practise the hipescape. This means building a frame legs and getting your hips and shoulder off the ground.

Let your partner start with knee on the sternum. Practise connecting to your partner and shrimping away. Your partner’s knee should drop to the floor.

Let your partner start with a knee ride. Practise getting into the same eyeline and playing with their base by walking your legs away.

Practise defending the mount transition by doing a hipescape.

Practise the escape if they were trying to punch you.

Progress Check In

You can survive knee on belly against someone at your level for 2 minutes

You can survive knee on belly against a higher belt for 2 minutes. 

You feel confident surviving knee on belly.

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How Other Students Feel About Escaping Knee on Belly

The data from our BJJ Journey Score shows that on average most students are confident in their ability to escape knee on belly. But your goal should be confident against higher belts.

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