Escaping to better positions

Can you give an example of some of the sequences that are causing you problems?

In general a skilled top player will be applying one sub, anticipating how you'll defend to get the next one to tap you.

One example for me failing to capitalise on my escape, is say I'm on the bottom of an arm bar. I might manage to get my elbow down and start my roll towards my opponent...but if they're strong they flatten me out again even when I get frames up. So i've started to come up on my toes more as i roll towards them, but the strong guys can still flatten me again.

This is something I struggle with. In particular with bigger training partners, I would pass their guard get to mount or side control and be reversed almost immediately. When playing guard, the bigger ones usually just smash guard pass me. I wonder if there is any particular course or tips here to keep in mind when training with partners who are 30+ lbs. heavier than you.

robertohdz, post: 64484, member: 34023

This is something I struggle with. In particular with bigger training partners, I would pass their guard get to mount or side control and be reversed almost immediately. When playing guard, the bigger ones usually just smash guard pass me. I wonder if there is any particular course or tips here to keep in mind when training with partners who are 30+ lbs. heavier than you.

Thank you, @@JuisMa . I will start by studying the Collar & Sleeve Guard here by Jonathan Thomas.

I’m not entirely clear on what you’re asking, but of your question is “how do I recover top position against bigger opponents while escaping their submissions, like their top side armbar?” honestly speaking that can be very difficult. Really, the best solution is to not get stuck in a deep submission to begin with.

You can try a couple of escapes that you know, but don’t be too worried if they fail and you have to submit; if your larger training partner is doing everything correctly, you’re not supposed to be able to escape consistently. You’re only supposed to be able to escape when they are making a mistake that is big enough for you to capitalize on.

A lot of submissions, including the topside armbar, can be defended by getting on top of them and “crowding them” or stacking them on their neck. But as you‘ve probably already discovered, their size advantage makes it harder for you to maintain your balance as you try to stack them. It can be done, but it requires good balance, precise body positioning, and knowledge of how to adjust your position in response to their adjustments. The bigger the size difference, the smaller your margin of error will be.

So in general, if they are similarly skilled and bigger than me, coming on top and stacking them is usually not my first escape option vs their top side armbar. I might choose to stack them if I know they are less skilled than me though, and I am confident I can maintain my precise positioning even as they try to extend me away and/or spin underneath me for the belly-down armbar.

But realistically speaking, I think the best solution is to avoid getting put into a deep armbar to begin with.

As a 155 lbs guy whose two main training partners both outweigh me by 80+ lbs I can say escaping pins and subs by a much larger stronger skilled training partner is hard as hell. In my experience, going to your knees is a more successful strategy than going to guard. Having your legs under you puts you in a more mobile athletic explosive position than being on your back. Yes, there are other dangers you will expose yourself to, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch. You will get choked a bunch going to your knees, but figure it out and get good at defending your neck and life will be better.

By the way, going to your knees means both turning in AND turning away. Broadly speaking, turning away works better for me than turning in to larger training partners. Yes you are exposing your back, however, there is no large human blocking your path when you turn away. You’re gonna need to get good at back and turtle defense because you will make mistakes and get caught there plenty. When you start getting good at turning away, your training partners will counter in a way that allows you to turn in. Going to your knees rather than guard allows you to try to wrestle up first and failing that drop back to guard rather than just concede being in guard. Yeah guard is an improvement, but you still have a large human being on top of you and that can be no fun, particularly if you’ve only been able to recover to half guard without a knee shield. I would rather have to opportunity to get on top or take the back from an escape. Again, easier said that done, but you can always go to guard if that fails.

Please don’t think any of this is easy. It’s hard enough escaping against a skilled practitioner your size, and even more so against the big boys. You will fail way more than you succeed. So be it. You’re not supposed to get out of pins if your partner is doing things right. Create movement away and in that give your training partners opportunities to make mistakes and then you need to have great timing and technique to take advantage of those brief windows. On top, with the advantage of weight, strength, mobility, and gravity, your training partner has a WAY bigger margin for error than you. Just know that and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in theory.