Hip Alignment Principles

Understanding hip alignment is crucial for executing effective escapes, bridges, and takedowns. The principle of aligning your hips underneath your opponent's hips is demonstrated through three positions: Knee on Belly, bottom half guard, and mount.

1. For Knee on Belly escapes, focus on staying comfortable, hand fighting, and waiting for the right moment to trap the opponent's arm and hip. Swing your feet to drag your hip underneath your opponent, block their far hip to prevent them from moving away, and bridge up and over your shoulder.
2. In the bottom half guard, when facing a Knee Cut pass, use grips to control the opponent's arm and lapel. As they pass, close your elbows to connect them to you, preventing their hip from sliding to the floor. Use your feet to shovel them beneath your hip line, aligning your hips for the sweep.
3. When countering from the mount, use the opponent's knee as an indicator of their hip alignment. Find grips to deny their access to your far side, walk or run your hips underneath them, and once their knee touches the mat, indicating hip alignment, bridge over, ensuring to avoid potential chokes.

Apply this concept of hip alignment across various positions, whether you're reversing an opponent from guard, executing a butterfly sweep, or performing throws on the feet. The key is to get your hip underneath the opponent to control their connection to the mat and facilitate separation.