20/10/2015 - Open Mat | Technical Mount Escape

Class #672
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Open Mat, Bristol, UK - 20/10/2015

Great open mat today, and very cool to see Kirsty there! Best of all, the gender balance today was a perfect 50/50. Awesome! I remain hopeful that we will one day get to that for every class, which would be amazing. :D

Today I wanted to focus on technical mount escapes. Looking back through the blog, I see I've only been taught this three times in the last nine years, but it was useful to review my notes. Before this open mat, I had another look at the Saulo video on the topic from BJJ Library. Previously I've found that awkward due to the position it puts you in, where I feel like my back is vulnerable. Up until now, my method has been based on what I first learned, which was Kev's version. I tend to grab their leg with both hands, then work my knee in behind theirs to create a gap. I can then create a butterfly hook, lifting and turning into guard. The problem with that one is it often ends with a scramble.

It was really useful drilling the Saulo method with Simon and Laura today. On top, I found that to stop it, I was generally either going for the back, or I could scoop up the arm they were using to push into my leg. To stop those two counters, applying the Jeff Rockwell sit up escape concepts helped. I used the stiff arm into the leg to create back for scooting out, before they can scoop up my arm. That also makes it less of a scramble. Then there's always the fall back of putting my knee into the space as before. Once you have the space behind their knee, that's where all the escapes seem to start. Generally you should at least get to half guard if nothing else (you can even go to deep half, if you reach your arm through and grab your own knee, but I didn't remember to drill that one: saw it in my blog notes from a few years ago just now).

Underneath, it would seem pushing into the hip or thigh can work too, as they often aren't expecting that and their balance is in the wrong place. However, I was practicing that on somebody smaller, so it might have just been size difference. When I teach this on Friday, I'll emphasise that it's mainly about creating some space, then filling it before they can. Also, watch out for them taking your back if you sit up and clearing your arm, as well as collapsing the arm. As soon as your arm bends, they can crush it in with their leg and scupper your escape.