Ushiro gatame -> side control with back to your partner

[xo-karate]

How do you escape an ushiro kesa gatame

(Often arm is not hold, but your partner is getting ready to go to mount.)

Scrimping is hard, if your hips are under control - often with both hands.

(I've been using scrimping and trying to time something for the mount.)

Any ideas?

[ps1]

How do you escape an ushiro kesa gatame

(Often arm is not hold, but your partner is getting ready to go to mount.)

Scrimping is hard, if your hips are under control - often with both hands.

(I've been using scrimping and trying to time something for the mount.)

Any ideas?

ANY escape is always going to be more difficult if you let your partner get settled in. The key to escaping is to begin very early. That said, if your partner is getting to that position, they are probably skilled enough to keep you there because they are more experienced than you.

Your best option when you are less skilled than the person you're with, you should focus on survival. This is done through the following steps:

1. Recognize and accept that the person is ahead of you.

2. Keep T-Rex arms and protect your neck, keep at least one foot planted at all times. AKA-ensure you're not going to lose right away.

3. Attempt to see where your opponent wants to go next (mount, armbar, choke ect..)

4. Set your opponent up to attempt the next step and cut them off/defend as they go for it.

5. Don't admire your work. Keep moving and attempt to get ahead.

As for the specific for that position:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywjbmtprnOg

Both those options go to the back. But you can use the principles of leverage to get back to guard or back to your feet as well.

Maybe I'll do some vids soon from this position to give you some other options.

[tallgeese]

It's hard to give better general advice than ps1 opened with so I won't try. Listen to him.

As for a couple of specific things I'd consider as well, I'd start by getting your inside elbow (the one nearest him) to the mat. This will start to build space. Space is your friend from the bottom. -Specifically, you'll want to be doing this early in the video example you provided. Per ps1, this will also give the T-rex arm.

To make this movement, you'll need to be shrimping. The guy in the demo (yes, I understand he'd doing that because it's a demo) is flat. Never be flat, well maybe not never, but close to never. Get on a hip.

One thing I've noticed is that people new to grappling always seem to think that they aren't making enough space with the shrimp. The longer you do it, the more you'll find you can do with less space. Keep shrimping, it's the key.

So, shrimp and get the inside elbow to the mat. Once you build connection there, you can keep shrimping your hips away, this will start giving you recovery options.

That all said, sometimes it just isn't happening for you. Sometimes, this happens to me as well. Bait flat, but work for half guard as he moves to mount. Yep, it's not a great plan, but sometimes that's all you've got. Especially since the guys probably more skilled than you if he put you there to start with.

One last bit of advice, relax. Whatever you work from down there will work better if you relax even more.

Good luck, keep us posted.

[xo-karate]

ps1 and tallgeese - great answers. I have to wait for a week until I can test if it works:-) Resting my shoulder from an armbar that I was too late to tap.

This reverse scarfhold is used as a step for getting mount - so it happens fairly often in our rolling. Kind of side control - hon kesa gatame - and turning back to side and going from reverse to mount. On reverse to person on top has his arms and hands free to control hips and thats why scrimping did not feel so good.

BUT now I have more options - I can scrimp - or "uppa" - or roll him over one or other side:-)

I confess that I'm not always relaxed when rolling. I watched a youtube vid on newbies rolling and using too much energy. It's so easy to see in others, but not to recognize in your self:-)

When I roll all my partners have been doing it longer or as long as I have. So I'm not hunting submissions - more like getting something right now and then. (And as the oldest member at our gym - I don't even have a physical advantage so muscleing my will is not happening.)

BUT there will be surprised grappler when they are going to reverse mount me next time:-)