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Side Control Escape (Shrimp)

  • BJJ
  • Escapes
  • fundamental
  • Under side control
  • 3 steps

Frame against the opponent, shrimp your hips away and recover your guard. Also known as the Hip escape or the Elbow-knee escape. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 3 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.

When to use it

Start the escape the moment the opponent lands in side control, before their cross-face and underhook settle. Build frames on the neck and hip, then move your hips, not your shoulders. Shrimp as they shift their weight to attack an arm or move to mount.

Step by step

  1. 01

    Under side control

    They have side control. Get strong frames on the neck and hip.

  2. 02

    Frame & shrimp

    Push off your frames and shrimp your hips away to make space between you and them.

  3. 03

    Recover guard

    Slide your bottom knee into the space and turn to face them, recovering closed or open guard.

Key details

  • Build the frames first. Never bridge into their weight without them.
  • Shrimp the hips back and away, not just the shoulders.
  • Get the knee in immediately before they re-pressure.

Common mistakes

  • Pushing with bent arms instead of solid frames.
  • Shrimping the upper body but leaving the hips under them.
  • Turning to your belly and giving up the back.

Common counters

Opponents follow your hips and flatten you again, switch to knee on belly, or pass to mount as you turn. Some take the back when you turn to your knees. Keep the frames straight and get your knee into the space straight away.

How to drill it

Solo shrimps the length of the mat and back, three times. Then start under side control with your partner at light pressure: frame, shrimp, recover guard, ten reps on each side.

Related techniques

Train it with the AI coach