The mount saw Braga Neto through to a gold medal at the 2011 World Championship. Photo: Ivan Trindade.
In Jiu-Jitsu, whether in or out of the gi, the main mount escape is pretty much always the same: trap a foot, grab an arm and “upa” in that arm’s direction.
However, the maneuver doesn’t always work according to plan, for a series of reasons.
Aware of how important basic Jiu-Jitsu is, GRACIEMAG.com broke down the position with the help of seven wizards of the gi. Each has their own trick to getting the opponent off them, but all of them share a common view on a single principle: never panic!
1. PUT IT IN YOUR HEAD THAT IT CAN’T GET ANY WORSE
“To me the main thing is to not despair. You need to get it in your head that your opponent can’t get a better position than that,” professes Antonio Braga Neto (Ralph Gracie). “So what you have to do is train to defend neck and arm submissions, and when the time is right use your favorite escape method.”
2.JIU-JITSU IS EXPLOSIVENESS
“To get your opponent out of mount you have to keep your cool and not panic. If you extend one of the legs it becomes easier to escape; your opponent feels a certain discomfort in the mount,” advises André Galvão (Atos). “My favorite way: I like exploding all at once, pushing the opponent’s knee with both hands and shrimping out my hip.”
3. PUT HIM IN HALF-GUARD AND AVOID ACTING NEEDLESSLY
“First off, I’d like to remind you that there’s no better defense than to not let your opponent make it to mount (laughs),” sets forth Claudio Calasans (Atos). (Atos). “Now if your opponent does manage to mount you, the first thing is to not leave yourself exposed, so you have to think about defending. One leg has to be stretched out on the mat, for him to not loop his leg under yours. With your hands as a barrier to your neck, wait for him to attack and open up room; then, grabbing his pants or belt, push his hip to the side of the outstretched leg and replace half-guard. Remember that with every brusque movement you offer your opponent attack options; that’s why it’s so important to wait for the right moment to defend.”
4. DON’T SIT STILL
“My view is that it’s important to keep moving, to not let the opponent get comfortable,” recommends freshly promoted black belt Alexander Trans (CheckMat). “Escaping the mount is always rough because it’s hard to get out without offering your opponent something he can capitalize on. So it’s a question of being patient and at the same time not accepting the position. Look to escape without panicking.”
5. REVIEW THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF YOUR JIU-JITSU
“To effectively get someone off you, the secret is to be patient. By going about it haphazardly means you almost always mess up on some technical detail or another and are very likely to get finished. Keep calm and analyze the situation. Only thus will you be able to think up the best exit strategy without leaving yourself open,” asserts Augusto Tanquinho (Soul Fighters).
6. HIP SHRIMPING
“My favorite escape is: firstly, keeping my head flush against the ground to prevent my opponent from controlling my head,” says Rafael Lovato Jr (Lovato/Gracie Humaitá). “My escape relies on hip movement. I shrimp out my hip and use my elbow to recover half-guard. Now in a safer position, I start pondering which guard game I’ll work on using.”
7. Watch how to use your elbow in the mount
This lesson comes from the blog of a black belt world champion from 1997, Luiz Guilherme (Guigo Jiu-Jitsu). Review how to use your hips and elbows to get your opponent off you without exposing yourself—and without using too much force. What about you, dear reader, what do you feel is the best mount escape? Share it with us.
