Escape Decision Tree: What to Solve First
Bottom side control escapes work best when you treat them like a sequence of problems to solve in order. Your priorities are: (1) stop the crossface, (2) win an underhook or block theirs, (3) make space with hips, (4) insert your knee, (5) recover guard. If you skip steps (for example, trying to shrimp with your head pinned), you usually burn energy and get flattened.
| If you feel… | Primary problem | Immediate response |
|---|---|---|
| Your head turned away and shoulder pressure on your jaw | Crossface pin | Frame at neck/shoulder line, turn chin toward them, re-center head |
| Their arm under your far-side shoulder and they are climbing higher | Underhook pin | Block with elbow-to-rib connection or pummel for your own underhook |
| Your near-side elbow separated from your knee | No knee-elbow connection | Rebuild elbow inside, connect elbow to knee before big hip movement |
| Their hips are heavy and you can’t move | No space | Small hip scoots + frames, then insert knee (not a big push) |
1) Identifying the Side Control Pins (Crossface + Underhook)
What “pinned” actually feels like
Most strong side control holds you down with two main controls:
- Crossface: their near-side arm wraps your head/neck line and turns your face away, making your spine twisted and your shoulders flat.
- Underhook: their far-side arm goes under your far shoulder/arm, lifting and controlling your upper body so you can’t turn in or get to your side.
When both are present, your hips can’t create meaningful space. Your first job is to remove at least one of these pins long enough to move your hips.
Quick self-check (2 seconds)
- Can you turn your face toward them? If no, the crossface is winning.
- Is your far-side shoulder glued to the mat? If yes, their underhook is likely controlling you.
- Is your near elbow inside, close to your ribs? If no, you’re probably about to be walked north-south or mounted.
2) Building Initial Frames and Knee–Elbow Connection
Goal: survive long enough to move your hips
Before you try to “escape,” build a structure that prevents them from settling heavier. Think of this as rebuilding your defensive shape so your hips can work.
Frame set (high frame + low frame)
Use a two-point structure:
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- High frame (anti-crossface): your near-side forearm across their collarbone/neck line (not on their face), elbow tight to your ribs. Your hand can be on their shoulder or biceps depending on angle.
- Low frame (hip line): your far-side forearm across their hip line (or on their near-side hip), again with elbow tight. This frame prevents them from following your hips when you shrimp.
Key cue: frames are wedges, not pushes. If your arms straighten, you lose structure and they collapse your elbows.
Rebuilding knee–elbow connection
Your near-side knee and near-side elbow should work like a gate that closes space. If your elbow is flared away from your ribs, they can slide to mount or isolate your arm.
- Bring your near elbow back inside (tight to ribs).
- Bring your near knee up slightly (heel close to your butt) so your hip can move.
- Think: elbow and knee trying to touch as you turn slightly onto your side.
Timing cue: rebuild frames during their “settle”
Most people get pinned hardest when the top player finishes a pass and drops their weight. Your best moment to insert frames is as they adjust (switching head position, walking hips, or re-gripping). Use that micro-movement to slide your forearms into place.
3) Hip Escape to Insert Knee Shield and Re-Guard
Main pathway: make space → insert knee → connect to guard
This is the most reliable recovery when you can stop the crossface and keep your elbows tight. Your goal is not to push them away; it’s to move your hips away from them while your frames prevent them from following.
Step-by-step sequence: knee insertion to knee shield
- Win head position: turn your chin toward them and keep the high frame between their shoulder and your jaw line. If your head is turned away, fix that first.
- Block the underhook: keep your far-side elbow tight and forearm framing their hip line. If they’re digging an underhook, clamp your elbow to your ribs and angle your torso slightly toward them.
- Get on your side: use your frames to create a small pocket of space and rotate onto your near-side hip (not flat on your back).
- Hip escape (small, repeated): push off your feet and slide your hips away from them. Think “two short shrimps,” not one big one.
- Insert your near knee: as your hips move away, slide your near knee inside between you and them. Your shin becomes a knee shield across their torso/hip line.
- Connect knee to elbow: immediately bring your near elbow to meet your knee/shin line so they can’t collapse the shield.
- Recover guard: from knee shield, bring your bottom leg through to recompose guard (often to half guard first, then to full guard or open guard depending on space).
Key cues for success
- Elbows stay stapled: if your elbows drift away, they crossface harder or slide to mount.
- Hips move, not hands: your arms hold shape; your legs and hips do the traveling.
- Knee insertion is the “win”: once your knee is inside, you’ve changed the position. Don’t pause before connecting elbow-to-knee.
Common timing moment: insert knee as they re-settle
After you shrimp, the top player often tries to follow your hips to re-pin. The knee goes in during that follow. If you wait until they’ve re-settled, the gap disappears.
Mini-drill sequence (for practice)
1) Frame high + frame low (5 seconds hold) 2) Turn to side + connect elbow-knee (3 seconds) 3) Two short shrimps 4) Knee shield insertion 5) Recover to half guard (pause) 6) Recompose to preferred guard4) Alternative Option: Turn to Knees (When Appropriate)
When turning to knees makes sense
Turning to your knees can be a strong escape route when you cannot reliably insert your knee (for example, their hips are too close and they are blocking your near knee), but you can prevent the crossface and deny a deep underhook. The goal is to come up to a turtle-like base and then build to a safer position.
Warnings: back exposure and underhook danger
- If they have a deep underhook and your head is controlled, turning away often gives them your back.
- If you turn to knees with your elbows flared, they can insert hooks or seatbelt as you rise.
- Do not “spin” fast. Turn with structure: elbows tight, head protected, and hips moving under you.
Step-by-step sequence: turn to knees safely
- Remove the crossface first: use your high frame to keep their shoulder off your jaw line and turn your face toward them.
- Block their underhook: keep your far elbow tight; if possible, pummel for your own underhook or at least keep your arm inside so they can’t climb.
- Bring your near-side knee under you: use a small hip escape to create room, then slide your near knee underneath your body.
- Turn to your knees with elbows tight: rotate so your chest faces the mat, but keep your arms in close (no reaching).
- Build base before moving forward: get both knees under you and establish a stable posture. Only then start improving position (for example, clearing grips, creating distance, or coming up).
Timing cue: turn when their weight is forward
If the top player is driving forward into you (chest heavy, head low), they may be easier to frame and redirect. If they are already behind your elbow line with an underhook, turning is riskier.
5) Common Failure Points and Fixes
Failure: pushing straight (trying to shove them off)
What happens: your arms extend, they collapse your frames, and you get re-crossfaced or mounted.
Fix: keep a bent-arm structure and use the frames to hold space while your hips move away. Think: “hold, then shrimp” not “push, then hope.”
Failure: letting elbows flare
What happens: they swim inside for underhooks, isolate your near arm, or walk to mount.
Fix: keep elbows glued to ribs. If you feel your elbow drifting, reset the knee–elbow connection before attempting a bigger hip escape.
Failure: trying to bench press
What happens: you waste energy and give them easy angles to re-pin, especially with head control.
Fix: treat your arms like posts/wedges. Your legs and hips do the work. If you’re tired, you’re probably pushing instead of moving your hips.
Failure: shrimping while crossfaced
What happens: your spine is twisted, your hips can’t travel, and your shrimp becomes a small wiggle that doesn’t create space.
Fix: address the crossface first: reframe at the neck/shoulder line, turn your face toward them, and only then shrimp.
Failure: inserting knee but not connecting it
What happens: they collapse your knee shield and re-settle into side control or step over to mount.
Fix: the moment your knee enters, connect elbow-to-knee and angle your shin as a barrier. Treat knee insertion and connection as one action.
Failure: turning to knees when they already have the underhook
What happens: they follow your turn, lock a seatbelt, and take your back.
Fix: if their underhook is deep, prioritize blocking/pummeling and re-guarding first. Turn to knees only when you have prevented their upper-body control from climbing.
