The BJJ mount (known as tateshihogatame in judo) is the most dominant position for ground fighting because the fighter on top has a myriad of attacks at their disposal. Chokes, armlocks, strikes - they can all be set up from the mount. That’s bad news for the fighter on the bottom. The good news is that whenever the top fighter moves to secure a submission or throw a strike from mount, there’s always a momentary (although sometimes tiny) opening for the bottom fighter to escape.
Escaping Mount is One of the Most Important BJJ Skills
Because being mounted is so dangerous, effective mount escapes are some of the most important tools for a Brazilian jiu-jitsu player to have. Taking away an opponent’s mount attacks means that and they won’t be nearly as dangerous on the mat.
How to Escape Mount with the “Upa”
The concept of the upa is as simple as it gets - neutralize the opponent’s posts on one side and then throw them to that same side. Here’s how to do the upa escape:
- Use your elbows to work their mount from your chest down to your hips (will make your bridge more effective)
- Control their left arm by grabbing it with your hands or trapping it behind your head
- Bring your feet in close to your butt, putting your right foot to the outside of their left foot to trap it
- Bridge hard and roll to the right
- Since their left foot and arm are trapped, they can’t base out and you’ll end up on top in their guard
Escaping Mount with the Knee Escape
Most BJJ practitioners prefer to escape the mount with the upa because they end up on top. However, the knee escape also is a very effective way of escaping the mount. It can be used to get to half guard or full guard.
- Use your elbows to work their mount as low onto your hips as possible
- Straighten your left leg and press it flat onto the mat
- Turn onto your left hip
- Block their right knee with one or both hands
- Use your right leg to hook their right leg and pull it across your left leg into your half guard
- Turn onto your right hip
- Now you can either fight from half guard or work your right leg out and into full guard
The Best Mount Escape is a Combination of Both
The upa and the knee escape are effective ways to escape mount, but because they’re both so good, almost all grapplers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu players are familiar with them and know how to defend against them. The key is to use them in combination - the upa is a great set-up for the knee escape, which is a good set-up for the upa. So taking the time to learn both mount escapes is an important and invaluable undertaking for all BJJ players.
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