Saulo's back escape

Does anyone here escape from back like Saulo teaches? I'm no good at describing it but he tries to get away from opponent (ass to the mat) and then spins to one leg. If you are good with this move please share (waiting a video from Jeff, Leo or Aesopian)...

I've never trained with Saulo and have only dabbled in these moves, but in my limited experience of drilling and trying Saulo's back escapes, I found that they can be effective, but you cannot let your opponent take hold of a collar or control your upper body. When someone has control of my neck, then I will use other escapes (bridge up and hip escape).

If they can't control your body and neck, then it is possible to scoop your body down and break a hook.

From reading the book, it appears you need to get correct survival escape position before you attempt the escape.

Roughly speaking there are two good methods to escape the back:

A: Saulo method - slide out

B : traditional method - bridge in


A: works best if your opponent HAS NO GRIPS on your torso YET. You defend your collars, keep the elbows in and sit on your ass, slide your hips out and away (like you're sliding down a playground slide), and kick out with one leg to remove on of his hooks. Then you roll over your opposite shoulder (towards the hook that is still in place) and end up in to half guard. This works great

HOWEVER!

IF your opponent has a lapel grip, over/under, or one of your arms trapped... DO NOT USE THIS ESCAPE! you wil ltake away your entire base and will most likely get choked (bow & arrow) or armlocked.


In that case, you have to use
Option B: protect your neck and arms by keeping a tight posture, bridge INTO your opponent's torso, force your shoulders over him and into the mat, then block his attempt to mount with your hooks, either end up passed or in half guard.

I prefer option B.


Daniël / Carlson

Great answers, thanks! I've not drilled this escape much but I have similar experiences. Because Saulo likes this move so much I was wondering if I've missed something important. It's pretty hard to get all opponent grips off...

The difficulty is preventing your opponent from getting any solid grips. Preventing any solid grips from the back is tough enough. Just keep your neck covered and everything tight. That is what makes having your back taken a bitch to escape from. Also, with any of the escapes, I feel I am prone to transitions and other attacks. Sometimes, your back escape ends up with the person mounting you.

I've tried it a few times with limited success. But the times where I couldn't get it to work are when people had grips of some type. Fortunately, trying the escape didn't get me choked, I just wasn't able to scoot down since they were holding me.

is it the 1 you scoot your body dn get a uderhook on 1 leg then turn over and grab the single leg?if so, i like it.


my son likes to get his back to the mat and deal with the mount attemp

Very few people like the back escape the way Saulo teaches it. It works well for him and he has the perfect body type and game to use it. It is a move that you either love or hate so I wouldn't spend a lot of time working on it if it isn't working for you. Even Xande doesn't like it.

I like Saulo's eacape provided the grips are right, in other words no harness or collar choke position.

If a harness or coller choke grip, I do basically what Saulo show by getting on my side, Mike Jenn teaches the same body position in these condiditons.

I do not like bridging my weight on top the guy, he has way to much control over me that way.

Frankly all of Saulo's escapes are based on the presumption that your opponent has JUST moved into the position and has neither grips nor solid position.

Good luck with the scoop, the running escape, or the bridge escape from side-control if the guy is even a little bit set.

I'm a little annoyed with Saulo right now.

I know, I know; he's a world champion so who am I to criticize? No one. But I'm telling you, his escape advice has not helped me one iota.

^Dont pretty much all escapes work better if you start when your opponent has just moved into position, or even before he has moved into position?

For some positions there is no magic escape if your opponent is set, you may have to wait for them to move before they give you an opening.

Just a thought

you have to limitate your opponents grips on you.

shadallion - 

Good luck with the scoop, the running escape, or the bridge escape from side-control if the guy is even a little bit set.

I'm a little annoyed with Saulo right now.

I know, I know; he's a world champion so who am I to criticize? No one. But I'm telling you, his escape advice has not helped me one iota.


I was frustrated with Saulo's sidemount escape for a while...then I added the elbow-knee connection. Now it works much better for me.

You have to bridge into the guy to move him away then shrimp back faster than he follows you to create a bit of space...that space is all you need to touch your elbow and knee together. then you can replace guard or go belly down depending on your opponent's position.

the quick shrimp back, then connect your knee and elbow make a big difference

i actually got the book and its one of the things i have been working on. I plan on doing the bud cup on the 17th and im sure im gonna need it.It works for me so far,except like someone else said if the harness is on. IMO if you get your back taken you should already be trying to escape,but if your caught with the harness your game pan changes

also the quick shrimp back and the knee/elbow connect is spot on

Saulo taught me the back escape described in the original post back in 2000 and from the DVD's I watched that he has on the market; he hasn't changed the position.

Saulo stressed the importance of controlling your hips by sitting up. When people press backward, the oppoent will control the position better. If the oppoent doesn't have a grip on the collar or the harness position, sit up with good posture, your feet should be used to pull yourself downward like sliding to create a lot of leverage on the oppoent's legs.

Pick a side to escape to next. If it is the right leg for example, bring your right elbow inside his leg to press against it while at the same time straighting your right leg to the mat and turning your hip on the same side. When done properly, this should lose the opponent's right hook. The spin is the easy part.

After you free the hook on the right side, bring your left elbow to your body and to the inside position. Lastly, spin to your left side all the way to your knees; you can even control the opponent's left leg from here with a leg trap. You should end up in a guard passing situation. A lot of times, the opponent will be sitting up too. This will give you a change to pass during the transitions as you pressure your head against the center of his chest using an under/over the leg pass with a high step out.

To stop all this from the back position: control the elbows :-)!

Hope this helps,

"little" Tony Pacenski
Impact Gym---BJJ Revolution Team- Redondo Beach Academy
1400 Aviation Blvd Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Phone: 310.480.2046
www.soulfight.net

yep its one of my favorites. kind of like a new toy when i was a child lol.

Little Tony,
GREAT explanation there. I just performed it sitting on my floor, I think I'm ready to pull it off now! haha. Thanks for that though

t

i find the saulo method the only one i really use.

i also stress that HE stresses SURVIVAL prior to that escape. he talks about surviving w/ someone on your back. survive, then escape. seems fair to me. i also bridge, but most people will harness me and i find saulo's method is the only way to escape a good harness. at least for me.