Elbow Escape

Escape
Also known as:
Mount Escape

The elbow escape (shrimping escape) is the fundamental method of recovering guard from bottom mount, side control, and other dominant pin positions. It works by creating hip space through shrimping and systematically inserting the knee to reguard, typically arriving at half guard or closed guard.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Hip escape (shrimp) movement creates the space—your arms alone cannot bench press an opponent off you.
  • · Elbows must be kept tight to the body to frame against the opponent's hips or knees, preventing them from climbing higher.
  • · Each shrimp should move YOUR hips away rather than trying to push the opponent's weight off.
  • · Work in small incremental escapes—one side, then the other—rather than one explosive attempt.
  • · Anticipate the opponent recrossing their feet or posting wide by timing your knee insertion immediately after each shrimp.

Execution

  1. 1 From bottom mount or pin, keep elbows tight, place your hands as frames against their hip or knee on one side, and bridge slightly to create initial space.
  2. 2 Turn to your side and shrimp your hips away forcefully, using your bottom foot to push off the mat.
  3. 3 Immediately slide your inside knee through the space you created, getting it between you and the opponent's leg.
  4. 4 If you achieve a knee shield or half guard, repeat the shrimp to the opposite side to extract your other leg and recover full guard, or stabilize half guard.
  5. 5 If the opponent bases forward during your escape, use the momentum change to turtle and come to your knees as an alternative exit.

Common mistakes

  • × Pushing with arms flat on the back instead of turning to the side and shrimping, which wastes energy and creates no meaningful space.
  • × Inserting the knee too late after shrimping, allowing the opponent to resettled their weight and kill the newly created space.
  • × Bridging high without following up with a hip escape, which simply elevates the opponent momentarily but returns to the same position.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the Elbow Escape shows up.

Kesa Gatame Bottom Kuzure Kesa Gatame Mount Bottom
13 less common
100 Kilos 3-4 Mount Harness Knee on Belly Bottom Mounted Crucifix Reverse Kesa Gatame Reverse Mount Rodeo Ride S-Mount Seatbelt Control Shoulder Of Justice Side Control Bottom Technical Mount

Where it lands

The position you end up in.

Half Guard Bottom Turtle Bottom

Use it against

The Elbow Escape is an answer to these.

Mount Top