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BJJ Fundamentals

Lesson 16 – Turtle Escapes

Warm Up (10min)

Partner Drills

  • Sit-Back Turtle Escape
  • Inside Hip Turtle Control

Lesson (30min)

Makikomi – Turtle Reversal

  1. Start in turtle, uke using a tight waist grip and inside hip position
  2. Trap the wrist of uke’s tight waist arm
      • Don’t try to grip uke’s hand or trap over their elbow, simply put your wrist on top of their to lock their arm around your ribcage
  3. Turn your hips out to the corner of uke’s trapped arm
  4. Extend your leg and drop your hip to the mat, rolling uke over
  5. Come up to a ‘reverse sit through’ variation of side control

Makikomi – Step Over to Mount

  1. Continue from side control, reverse sit through
  2. Bring your far side elbow up to uke’s armpit
  3. Shift your weight forward so that your hips are off the mat
  4. Slap uke’s knees in the opposite direction to your step over
  5. Step over uke’s body and establish mount

Seatbelt Grip vs Makikomi

  1. Start in turtle, using a seatbelt grip and inside hip position (uke is now the person on bottom)
  2. Uke attempts a makikomi reversal
  3. As uke rolls, throw your leg to their far side and keep their body between your knees
      • Use your seatbelt grip to maintain chest to back connection
  4. Insert symmetrical hooks to establish rear mount

Inside Leg Escape

  1. Start in turtle, uke using a seatbelt grip and inside hip position (uke is now the person on top)
  2. Turn your body to uke’s strangle side, bringing your head next to uke’s knee
  3. As uke’s knee moves downwards on the other side, step over their leg
  4. Slide your knee under uke’s hips and roll uke over
  5. Take your near side elbow to the mat in front of uke’s body
  6. As uke comes up to top position, keep them between your knees to recover guard position