grappling.games← Techniques

Escapes

Create space, then move through it. Defence before offence on elevated risk.

Adapted from InGrappling, Escapes. System Games did not invent this curriculum.

Defence is the prerequisite for offence. A grappler's first responsibility is survival and escape — not submission. This section documents how to survive, escape, and counter-attack from every dangerous position in no-gi grappling.

Defence is not secondary to offence — it is the foundation of it. A practitioner who cannot escape is forced to avoid dangerous positions rather than use them. The grappler who can escape anything can attack from anywhere, because they carry no fear of ending up on the bottom.

The explicit hierarchy: survival first, escape second, offence third. It is not a conservative philosophy — it is a strategic one. Systematic defensive competence expands the offensive game.

John Danaher — survival-first principle; defence as the prerequisite for offence.

Priit Mihkelson — systematic defence: frames, wedges, posture.

Gordon Ryan — documented back and leg lock defence system.

Lachlan Giles — positional and leg lock escape systems.

Every escape on this site is mapped to one or more of three stages. The stage determines which escape options are available, how much effort they require, and what the honest probability of success is. This framework appears on every escape page.

Before position is consolidated / before submission is set

The highest-percentage escape window. The position has not been established, the mechanical requirements of the attack have not been satisfied. Early escapes are simpler but require early recognition. They close as time passes.

Position is established, submission is partially applied

The defender must address the control mechanism before attempting to leave. Escape mechanics are more complex. The invariant the attacker is satisfying must be disrupted.

Submission is fully applied, finishing pressure is being applied

Method. Curriculum Scaffolding · Reverse-Phase Progression

Series. Back Escape · Guard Retention

Invariants. INV-16 · INV-05 · INV-PIN03

Canon pages

Back EscapeFinish the escape first. Then fight the whole back battle.Pin EscapeCorridor first. Side and mount games live here.Americana EscapeAmericana escape — get off your flat back, elbow-to-ribs frame discipline, turn the elbow to the mat and straighten the arm down the hip linAoki Lock EscapeAoki lock escape — recognise the reverse-ashi rotation and square the hips before the heel reaches the armpit, straighten the leg and extracArm Triangle EscapeArm triangle escape — hide the shoulder, turn into the attacker, step back the leg to prevent mount, fall off the far side. Head-and-arm choArmbar EscapeArmbar escape — grip fight, stack, elbow pummel, leg trap, hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is the canonical no-gi armbar escape.Back Triangle EscapeBack triangle escape — extract the arm during the leg swap before the ankle locks, hand-fight while the legs configure, stack the locked triBanana Split EscapeBanana split escape — keep the outside leg tucked to deny the second-leg capture, cross the ankles and turn to close the hips, or chase the Baratoplata EscapeBaratoplata escape — the lock is a thigh clamp on your elbow, so the answer is elbow discipline, then the drag-out before the frame closes, Baseball Bat Choke EscapeBaseball bat choke escape — break the cross-grip before it sets, turn into the attacker from knee on belly, and deep chin tuck to force the Bicep Slicer EscapeBicep slicer escape — the one arm submission you straighten out of. Keep the elbow tight so the fulcrum never seats, extend the arm, rotate Buggy Choke EscapeBuggy choke escape — you are the one on top. Keep your head high and near arm posted, and if it closes, lift the knee off your neck before tBulldog Choke EscapeBulldog choke escape — one arm makes the loop, so there is no half to strip. Deny the neck a path when you turn or stand, fight the wrist beCalf Slicer EscapeCalf slicer escape — the calf hurts, the knee is the injury. Post and frame to deny the truck hook, straighten the hooked leg, spin toward tCan Opener EscapeCan opener escape — your closed guard is the anchor, so opening it is the answer. Chin tuck and break the grip, open into a chosen guard, reChoi Bar EscapeChoi bar escape — centreline arm discipline, bend the elbow against the wrist capture and sit out to guard, hand-clasp stall and roll towardD'Arce, Brabo and Anaconda EscapeD'Arce, brabo and anaconda escape — one grip, one early game. Near-arm discipline, square up and wrestle up, and three late answers by positDomplata EscapeDomplata escape — your arm trapped under their thigh and their foot on your neck. Elbows in to deny the isolation, bridge as the leg travelsElectric Chair EscapeElectric chair escape — defended from on top. Deny the lockdown and deep-half entry, hip escape before the second leg is captured, concede tEstima Lock EscapeEstima lock escape — keep the foot off the hip and belly line, pull it free before the clasp closes. Once the grip is established, tap. TherEzekiel Choke EscapeEzekiel choke escape (no-gi) — chin tuck before the insertion, peel the inserting arm's wrist, turn into the elbow side, bridge and recover.Gogoplata EscapeGogoplata escape — an airway attack, not a blood choke, so the panic is worse than the clock. Deny high-guard elevation, posture up on the tGuillotine EscapeEscaping and countering the guillotine — posture, the side-step pass, chin tuck, and roll-through, plus the arm-in variant. The side-step paHammerlock EscapeHammerlock escape — never leave the wrist behind your back plane, roll away from the trapped shoulder and sit up, drive the elbow to the hipHeel Hook EscapeHeel hook escape — hide the heel, clear the knee line, mechanics for ashi, outside ashi, cross ashi. Tap at late-stage rotation.Inverted Armbar EscapeInverted armbar escape — elbow tuck before the wrist is controlled, pronate the arm to kill the supination angle, stack and rotate to spin tJapanese Necktie EscapeJapanese necktie escape — palm-to-palm grip, then a shin behind the head. Deny the near-arm thread, beat the hands meeting, move the head beJunny Lock EscapeJunny lock escape — the counter that catches your own reaping leg. Release the reap, deny the wrap its heel, extract along the leg's own linKesa Gatame Escape TechniquesKesa gatame escape — posting frame, bridge and roll reversal, granby exit, pummelling to recover the trapped arm, hip-out to half guard.Kimura EscapeKimura escape — elbow to body, thigh grip, walk the wall, kimura counter roll. Early connection prevents arm isolation.Knee on Belly Escape TechniquesNamed escape techniques from knee on belly — ankle grip and hip escape, underhook escape, knee shield push, and roll under.Kneebar EscapeKneebar escape — bend the knee, hip in toward the attacker, stack and step over, roll with the extension. Elevated-risk leg lock defence.Lateral Knee Bar EscapeLateral knee bar escape — keep the knee bent and the hip to the mat in turtle, rotate toward the trapped knee to kill the lateral vector, thLocoplata EscapeLocoplata escape — the gogoplata coming at you from mount instead of guard. Keep the near arm off the mat, stay square, bridge while their bMexican Necktie EscapeMexican necktie escape — keep a flat back to deny the leg hook, stand from turtle before the leg lands, drag the hooking foot off the back, Mikey Lock EscapeMikey lock escape — flip the foot and hide the heel before the modified lace closes, clear the knee line and extract to seated guard, chase Mir Lock EscapeMir lock escape — the one arm attack the tucked elbow does not answer. Deny the overhook, strip it before the clasp closes, then follow the Monoplata EscapeMonoplata escape — one leg instead of two, so your free hand is worth more. Shrug and keep the arm tight, post the free hand to kill the hipMount Escape TechniquesMount escape — trap and roll, elbow-knee, ghost, kipping, foot drag, bridge to turtle. Written from the defender's perspective.Mounted Triangle EscapeMounted triangle escape — prevent the S-mount arm isolation, block the leg crossing the neck, stack-and-drive the trapped arm out, posture uFundamental Escape MovementsEscape movements — bridge, shrimp, Granby roll, sit-out, stand-up, kipping. All named escapes are built from these six.Ninja Choke EscapeNinja choke escape — chin tuck denies forearm insertion; prevent figure-four closure during the hook phase; posture and step through in guarNorth-South Escape TechniquesNorth-south escape techniques — hip escape, Granby roll to deep half, arm drag counter, sit-up scramble. Early movement is key.North-South Choke EscapeNorth-south choke escape — the head is clamped in the attacker’s armpit and the finish is a sink, not a squeeze. Shoulder up, deny the palm-Omoplata EscapeOmoplata escape — posture forward, forward roll, cartwheel over, step over the head. Shoulder defence from guard.Opposite Triangle EscapeOpposite triangle escape — the reversed lock barely strangles, so the threat is the shoulder. Read the lock, take the arm home, use the recoPeruvian Necktie EscapePeruvian necktie escape — two legs fold the head DOWN into a head-and-arm lock, and the finish is a sit-back. Elbow to the ribs, block the fRear Naked Choke EscapeDefending the rear naked choke — chin tuck, grip fight, seat drop and strong-side turn, before the strangle closes. Prevention is the first Reverse Triangle EscapeReverse triangle escape — the outside leg over your shoulder and your own trapped shoulder doing the compressing. Recover the arm early, andRolling Armbar EscapeRolling armbar escape — short posts and elbows in from turtle, pull the elbow back through and sit out to wrestle up, hand clasp and roll thS-Mount Escape TechniquesS-mount escape — hide the elbow, stack the fall-back, hitchhiker escape, stuff-and-spin.Short Choke EscapeShort choke escape — the rear strangle finished palm-to-palm at whatever depth it has. Two-on-one down on the choking wrist, deny the anchorSide Control Escape TechniquesSide control escape techniques — hip escape, ghost escape, Granby roll, single leg escape, underhook recovery.Side Triangle EscapeSide triangle escape — a triangle with the attacker on top and gravity on their side. Block the leg-over-shoulder entry, roll into them, fraStanding Kimura EscapeStanding kimura escape — hand-fight the grip transitioning from the Russian tie, step through around the locked arm, and hitchhiker rotate wStanding RNC EscapeStanding RNC escape — drop level and shuck the backpack before the seatbelt matures, lateral step to the strangle side, or sit to the mat coStraight Ankle Lock EscapeStraight ankle lock escape — boot defence, hide the heel, pommel the knee line, pull out to combat base. Foundational leg lock defence.Straight Arm Shoulder Lock EscapeStraight arm shoulder lock escape — bent-arm frames only, pummel the arm back to the mat side before the press seats, thumb rotation to unwiStraight Armlock EscapeStraight armlock escape — never extend the arm across your own body, withdraw and shrimp, and rotate toward the attacker to unload the elbowSuloev Stretch EscapeSuloev stretch escape — never leave the trailing leg straight under the backpack, step through or sit down to kill the extension, and curl tTarikoplata EscapeTarikoplata escape — a kimura grip reinforced by a leg. Your self-grip is what the leg is coming to break, so read the switch and extract thTechnical Mount Escape TechniquesTechnical mount escape — spin out to re-flatten, roll back to half guard, reverse-technical when the opponent stays high.3/4 Armbar Escape3/4 armbar escape — the bent arm that beat the armbar is the entry. Elbow-tuck denial, grip interlace and stack back in, hitchhiker rotationToe Hold EscapeToe hold escape — deny the grip, straighten the knee, rotate the foot internally, stack and counter. Elevated-risk leg lock defence.Tren Lock EscapeTren lock escape — deny the reap its path, attack the free leg with a yoke lock while the V is forming, and clear the knee before the triangTriangle Choke EscapeTriangle escape — posture, hide the arm, spin before the lock, double under, tilt, stack and walk. Early defence is essential.Turtle Escape TechniquesTurtle escape techniques — Granby roll, sit-out, switch, Peterson roll, hip heist. Transitional position exit.Twister EscapeTwister escape — keep the near leg tight in turtle, tuck the chin to kill the head-control half, and strip the hook to spin out of the truckVon Flue Choke EscapeVon Flue escape — you only meet it while holding an arm-in guillotine, so the defence is to let go. Release on the shoulder drop, turn into Woj Lock EscapeWoj lock escape — hide the heel, rotate the hips toward the entangled side and extract. Do not bridge: hip extension is what finishes it. NoWristlock EscapeWristlock escape — straight wrist and fist discipline, withdraw the hand the moment it is gripped, and stack the knuckles with the forearm aZ-Lock EscapeZ-lock escape — deny the diagonal-ashi geometry at entry, rotate the hip internally to close the abduction angle, belly-turn into the attackCatch the Knee CrossFrom the catalogCaught in 70/30 — Escape and ReverseFrom the catalogFinishing the Escape — From the BackFrom the catalogFront Headlock Bottom TurnFrom the catalogHead-and-Arm Tackle DefenseFrom the catalogMount EscapeFrom the catalogNorth-South DenialFrom the catalogRebuilding Behind a FrameFrom the catalogRecovering From FlatFrom the catalogSide EscapeFrom the catalog

Games

Back EscapeEscapes · PinsCatch the Knee CrossEscapes · RetentionCaught in 70/30 — Escape and Reverse70/30 · escape · reverse · inside-entanglement · ladder · CLA · nogi-friendlyFinishing the Escape — From the Backback-escape · seatbelt · finish-first · ladder · CLA · nogi-friendlyFront Headlock Bottom Turnfront headlock · turtle · escape · CLA · nogi-friendlyHead-and-Arm Tackle DefenseEscapes · PinsMount EscapeEscapes · RetentionNorth-South DenialEscapes · Guard retentionRebuilding Behind a Frameguard-retention · frame · elbow-knee · entanglement · ladder · CLA · nogi-friendlyRecovering From Flatguard-retention · flat · re-face · entanglement · ladder · CLA · nogi-friendlySide EscapeEscapes · Guard retention