The 4 Positions
There are 4 main positions you can find yourself in when someone has your back. 2 of these are really awful and 2 are slightly less sucky. Your first job when someone takes your back is to get to one of these less sucky positions so that you can build your defense and escape. This is the foundation of beginning an escape game.
Position 1- On all fours facing the floor
This is a horrible position. Your opponent has gravity on his side. If he manages to colapse your legs out from under you the game is over. You are done. I wouldn’t hang around here at all.
Position 2- On your back facing the ceiling
Not a good position either. Your opponent doesn’t have the gravity advantage but you need the mat as a tool to aid your escape. You can’t do that from here.
Position 3- On your side
Still a sucky position but better than the first 2. You have the mat on one side of your body. This limits where the top guy can go and gives you a lever to use to peel him off. I’ll detail in a video below an escape method from this position.
Position 4- Upright seated
Not a great position but still better than the first 2. You can establish a strong base from here and prevent the top guy from controlling your hips. Saulo escapes like this from here-
Using Position 3 as an escape path
I like this position as an escape path. When I go to my side I cut off half of the direction the top guy can move. I can use the ground from here to scrape him off. The key to escaping from this position is the posture. We’ll detail the posture below.
- Drive your head to the mat. This seems contradictory. It looks like you are giving up your neck for chokes. If your place your head next to your partner’s head it makes it hard for him to do that.
- Next get your feet out wide. This makes a big triangle base and prevents the guy on your back from moving you out of position.
- Finally, get your hips facing the ceiling. This improves your base and makes it harder for the other guy to move you out of position. It also begins the process of peeling him off your back.
Once you have this posture you use a series of quick bursts to get your near shoulder to the mat. Once it hits the mat you can turn up quickly to guard top.
An alternative is to add a leg fighting step between steps 1 and 2. This puts you in a position to go to cross sides top instead of guard top. A much better finish position. I’d do the leg fighting if I could but would take the guard top position over the back mount any day.
Video of Concepts
Sorry for the length. I think I got a bit mouthy…. 8ish minutes.
Cheers Cane, excellent as always. I’ve been training with the gi for approximately a year now and I think the ‘superior grip’ tip will help me in those bad situations.
Thanks again for your posts,
Lee
Hey Cane,
I see a (theoretical) opportunity for a RNC when you fall to the OVER side. Am I imagining things buddy?
That threat is always there no matter if you fall to the side or not. If you fall to his underhook side then theoretically you are unwinding the choke as you turn in towards them. If you fall to the overhook side you are way more in trouble for chokes for sure. The problem is that sometimes that’s the only way you can go.
Cane,
Have you tried Saulo’s escape in a live situation?
Hey Mr. Prevost…You didn’t put in there your MMA fight against Tom Oberhue!
Seriously…It has been a joy to first of all be with you at the start of this incredible journey and most of all to watch how it has transformed you in so many ways. You were way back then and continue to be quite an inspiration! Thanks!