TFS#89: Escape The Worst Pin

When you start training Jiu-Jitsu no one really tells you about the heavy sweating and skin infections.

So these past few weeks I’ve been using Fighter Care’s detergent for my Gi laundry.

And I’ve got to say, I’m quit impressed!

The formula was designed by Jiu-Jitsu athletes for Jiu-Jitsu athletes to maximize hygiene.

It leaves my Gis with a nice texture along with a simple, light scent.

If you’d also like to support a small business who’s looking out for our hygiene, you can check out Fighter Care’s products here.

This isn’t an ad. I just believe it’s important for us to look for solutions within our community.

Now on to today’s topic…

Technique Of The Week: Knee-On-Belly Escape

Hate getting someone’s knee driven into your solar plexus?

It’s one of the worst feelings.

I’ve been punched, kicked, and kneed there when I was competing in Muay Thai. And trust me, you never get used to it.

On top of the pain, it’s embarrassing.

You’re helpless. You’re flailing while trying to gasp for air.

…All while your opponent is setting up a submission.

No more of that nonsense, let’s learn the escape.

What To Frame

Most beginners will make the mistake of framing on their opponent’s shoulders or hips…you can’t push them off this way.

In this case, it’s the knee.

Also, extending your arms to frame on their shoulders is…you know, dangerous. It’ll leave you vulnerable to various attacks.

The Escape

For this particular escape technique the general concept starts with you taking the knee pressure off. (Image below)

By turning your hips into a vertical position, you’re alleviating pressure off your body.

Then, trap their knee by hugging your own leg. (Image below)

Now you can roll them over. Use your foot to hook behind their leg as you sweep. (Image below)

Of course, it’s not that easy to just roll them over. In a live spar, they’ll be giving you resistance and adjusting themselves to avoid the sweep.

To fix this, you’ll have to get yourself further underneath them before you roll them over.

You can watch this clip to get the full details on how to deal with that situation.

I’d highly recommend grabbing a partner and doing some resistance drilling. Have them try to maintain their balance while you’re trying to sweep them.

You must feel the weight distribution and in order to get the sweep. If you’re trying to do this in a live match without drilling, you’re not very likely to pull it off.

For Your Longevity: Knee Health

When most people think of the knee, they think of it as a hinge joint that bends forward and backward.

But people forget that the shin or knee actually rotates in and out.

And this motion is really important to train.

Toe holds, heel hooks, and other leg attacks will cause your shin and knee to rotate, typically causing something to tear.

Use these exercises to strengthen your knees.

Worthwhile Resources

🥋 20 Knee-On-Belly submissions when you’re on top. (link)

🥋 9 Tips to ease your grip fighting. (link)

🥋 3 Exercises you need to do every day for your BJJ resilience. (link)

🥋 An inside look at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mental health. (link)

Book your slot here.

Closing Thought: More Focused Studying

I put a poll out this past week to see what people would benefit most from outside of regular class training.

The most popular response here was “Extra drilling.”

This included both light-resistance drilling up to specific sparring.

Almost everyone feels like they need additional mat time to work on the finer details.

Lower level belts will benefit from building the necessary body mechanics.

Higher belts will benefit from specific sparring since they need the experience in that particular position to see common reactions.

Regardless of your skill level, you’ll always need more time to rep.

Carve out 5-10min before or after class to drill with a partner.

Say you drill 10mins after class and go to class 3x per week. That’ll be 1560min in a year. Which is 26 extra hours of training in a year. Which is approximately 26 more classes than someone else who is training 3x a week…

Compound little gains.

See you on the mats,

Wayne

P.S. Don’t let them get in your way.