Mastering Jiu-Jitsu: The Back Position Escape
Welcome to the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! Today, we dive into one of the most crucial aspects of surviving and escaping from one of the most treacherous positions—the back position. Whether you're a complete beginner or someone looking to refine your technique, understanding and mastering the escape from the back can dramatically improve your ground game.
In this post, we unravel the essentials, focusing on detailed explanations and critical areas to ensure effectiveness.
Understanding the Back Position
Before we go into the techniques, it’s essential to understand the back position and why it’s so dangerous. The back position occurs when your opponent is behind you, typically with their legs wrapped around your waist and their arms attempting to control or choke you. In Jiu-Jitsu, being in this position usually means you’re in trouble. This is where Saulo Ribeiro's techniques come into play.
Key Concepts of Back Escape
1. Protect Your Neck
The primary threat from the back position is the choke, so protecting your neck is paramount.
- Arm Positioning: Keep your elbows close together and in front of you. This tight position makes it difficult for your opponent to get their arms around your neck.
- Hand Protection: Place one hand inside your collar and the other hovering, ready to block attempts to grab your neck. This creates a barrier that makes it difficult for your opponent to establish a choke.
2. Hips on the Ground
Maintaining control of your body is critical. Your hips should stay anchored to the ground, which inhibits your opponent’s ability to maneuver you.
- Body Control: Avoid lifting your hips; instead, keep them glued to the mat. This foundation will make it much harder for your opponent to control your movement.
3. Scoop and Shrimp Techniques
The key movement to create space and initiate the escape is the “scoop.”
- Big Scoop: Execute a significant, deliberate scooping motion to distance yourself from your opponent. This isn’t a small shuffle; aim to shift as far as possible.
- Shrimping: Use a shrimping motion to further displace your opponent, creating the necessary space to escape.
Step-by-Step Execution
Step 1: Initial Setup
From the back position:
- Hand Placement: Immediately place one hand inside your collar and the other ready to intercept any choke attempts.
- Elbows Tucked: Ensure your elbows remain close to your body.
Step 2: Scoop Down
- Anchoring: Keep your hips on the mat to maintain a stable base.
- Scooping Motion: Perform a powerful scoop downwards. Your goal is to lower your weight and create a pivot point that makes it difficult for your opponent to control you.
Step 3: Block and Release
- Hand Fight: Engage actively with your hands to fend off any choke attempts.
- Kick the Leg: Identify which leg hook you can release. Kick this leg off, which helps dismantle your opponent's control.
Step 4: Complete the Escape
- Turn and Shrimp: Turn towards the side where you released the leg and perform a shrimping motion to further widen the gap.
- Elbow Drive: Drive your elbow to the ground to ensure you're safe and to prepare for a counter-attack if needed.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Don’t Expose Your Neck: Always prioritize neck protection. Don’t let your guard down.
- Wrong Direction: After kicking a leg hook off, escape towards that side. Escaping to the wrong side will often lock you further into your opponent’s control.
- Hand Reliance: Using your hands too much to push off your opponent's legs signals improper body positioning. Focus more on using the shrimp technique and correct body alignment.
Conclusion
Escaping from the back position, especially against a skilled opponent, requires understanding, strategy, and precision execution. By focusing on neck protection, maintaining controlled body movements, and utilizing effective scooping and shrimping techniques, you can transform a precarious situation into a controlled escape.
Stay patient, practice diligently, and remember that even the smallest details in your technique can make a massive difference. Happy training, and see you on the mats!