I still see people struggle with escaping from side control. It’s understandable. You’re at a disadvantage. The position is inferior, and you have to deal with weight and a limited range of movement.
That’s why you have to give yourself every advantage.
Easy to say, but how do you do it?
Ahh, that’s the eternal question. How about we put it into the framework of micro battles. That might make a little more sense.
The big objective is obviously to escape. But you can’t get to that outcome unless you do a few things first. There’s no way to just magically transport yourself to a different position.
Setup is important.
And the first micro battle is the fight for head control. If I control your head, I control your body. Usually in the transition to the pass, there will be opportunities to prevent head control with frames. It just depends on the pass that’s used. So I encourage you to study passing. When you understand how a specific pass works, it’s easier to win the micro battle for head control in the transition.
And if you never let them control your head, you’ll be able to stop them from stabilizing the pass. And if you do that, guess what?
Your escape will be easy.
The second micro battle is the fight for a frame against the hip. Without that frame, not only will it be harder to move but it will also be easier for your opponent to take back any space you create.
Losing that battle is the easiest way to get completely stuck in the position.
The third micro battle is the fight for space. This is where you bridge comes in. And most people do it gloriously wrong. They DON’T bridge. They bump. They lift their hips for just a wee moment and hope that their opponent will levitate in the air instead of falling right back down like a ton of bricks.
When you bridge, you must bridge towards your opponent (onto your shoulder). And it must be done with a wide base so that you’re stable in the position. That will allow you to easily move at the highest point of the elevation when you have the most space.
Winning that first battle will absolutely make escaping easier. If you lose it though, you must win the other two.
Tactics and strategy. That’s what the game is all about.
And this week, I’ll be heading down to North Carolina to share as much knowledge as I can.
If you’re in that area, the details can be found here:
https://www.bjjcanvas.com/evolution-fight-academy-seminar/
And for the first time ever, I’m creating a resource for everyone who plans to attend or wishes that they could. In a little hidden dimension, I’ll be adding supplemental lessons and a full recap of everything that is covered.
It’s going to be fun.