3 Simple Escapes For BJJ With 5x World Champion Bernardo Faria

Escapes Might Not Be The "Cool" Technique To Learn, But Knowing How To Escape From A Bad Position Will Save You A Ton Of Stress And Aggravation  

In Brazil Jiu Jitsu, the art of escaping is often over looked and easily neglected. Let’s face it, escapes are pretty low on the list of impressive BJJ techniques. Who wants to focus on a hip escape when you could be learning some nasty flying arm bars or killer leg locks? Though not as attractive, escapes are a fundamental part of any well rounded grappler’s game. If you can’t escape from tough situations, you are likely to get arm barred or leg locked yourself, and how is that any fun?

With the under hook now established as the preferred position for half guard, the position changed dramatically from a pure defensive holding position to a dynamic attacking position ripe with sweeps and back takes.

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Every submission or bad position you learn in BJJ comes with an escape. We all know that getting caught in positions like kesa gatame (scarf hold) can be utterly frustrating. Or what about knee on belly? The mere thought of it makes my stomach churn. The more you think about it, the more it becomes apparent that escapes are actually quite common, and can look just as cool in a competition as an amazing submission.

If there is one person who understands the importance of effective escapes it is 5 time world Champion Bernardo Faria. Bernardo started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Juiz de Fora - MG, Brazil at the age of 14 in 2001. After receiving the Black Belt from his first instructor Ricardo Marques in 2008, He moved to Sao Paulo to join BJJ legend Fabio Gurgel and his Alliance team. After many years of training and winning many major titles, Bernardo moved to NYC in 2013 to train and teach at Marcelo Garcia Academy. In 2015 Bernardo achieved his dream of winning the IBJJF World Championship Open class title and his division, doing the double Gold and becoming the 1st in the IBJJF Ranking and was also chosen as the best athlete of 2015. Let’s check out some of Bernardo’s advice when it comes to escaping. Here are 3 simple escapes for BJJ you should know.

#1: Fix your hip escape

The hip escape, also known as shrimping, is a great way to create space and regain your guard. But if you are making this mistake you are wasting your time and energy. Watch the video below of Bernardo Faria demonstrating the biggest mistake in the hip escape and then we will discuss it below. Check it out now!

There are a few key details Bernardo shares about the hip escape. The first one is to keep your arms close. It is a common mistake for many to reach their arms out to reach when drilling, which is a bad habit. You can still do the escape by reaching out your arms but it will not work in a realistic scenario. It is more likely that you will end up getting arm locked quickly. So keep those arms tight and drill that way so that when you are scrambling you do not get caught by something easy. The second most important details is to strongly post with your leg. If you do not have a strong post you will not be able to properly escape, because you will be too weak. When you put your leg down you make a strong anchor. While this seems like a small step it is crucial to remember. The last detail is something people often forget to do. The leg not posted on the ground should be extended straight outwards. The mistake that people often do is to tuck that leg. This weakens your ability to escape by crunching up your body and hip escapes need to be explosive and powerful in order to be effective.

#2: North South Escape

North South position is one of the most challenging positions to escape from. In the video Bernardo Faria to teaches a great way to escape north south position when your opponent has an over under grip. Watch the video and then we will break down the technique. Check it out now!

In a situation where your opponent has and over under you have to be very careful because your opponent can easily keep you pinned while working for a choke. Bernardo shows us that you escape this position you first try to control his gi pants by gripping behind your opponent’s knee. Doing this ensures you are controlling your training partner’s base, and make sure his legs remain spread wide. From here, you want to wait and see what your opponent does. You have to be careful with your other arm. At any time he might go to control it and submit you with an arm bar. Or he can pin it to you with his head and chin. So before he gets a hold of that arm it is opponent to secure another grip using the gi pants, belt, or part of his gi top. From here, Bernardo brings one leg over, escapes his back leg, and then fishes his leg over his opponent’s hooking him and extending his leg in half guard.

#3: Knee on Belly Escape

When you are just starting out as a white belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the knee on belly is probably your first real exposure to how uncomfortable jiu jitsu can be at times. We have all been there before, gasping for breathing and struggling to find a way to escape, or at least get rid of the discomfort. Fortunately, Bernardo’s knee on belly is world class, and highly effective. Watch the video below and then we will break down the technique. Check it out now!

The biggest mistake people make is to place their hand on the knee to try and push it away. When you do this you are giving you training partner an easy opportunity to submit you with an arm bar. The second most common mistake is that people try to push their training partner away at their shoulder, again opening you up for a fast arm bar. To escape the knee on belly, Bernardo uses his forearm to push away at the knee. With his other hand he grabs his opponent’s ankle. From here Bernardo bridges and captures his opponent’s leg, stretching it out and establishing deep half. Simple, but much more effective than trying to push away at the knee and wasting all your energy.

The next time someone tells you learn escapes are boring, roll your eyes and then escape from their knee on belly and counter with some nasty attacks from deep half. If you liked these techniques then be sure to check out Bernardo’s excellent instructional series, “Escapes From Everywhere” available exclusively on BJJFanatics.com. It is packed with tons of great escapes that will leave your opponent unable to keep you in a position while keeping you comfortable in bad positions and giving you more maneuverability.

Did you know that The Omaplata is the easiest move in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to get?
Most guys don't know how to get the move and even more don't even know how to finish it. Bernardo Faria does.He gets it from every where, closed guard, half guard, side control, mount, transitions.

There is only one requirement for you to get it: your opponent has to have an arm.. As long as he has one, he can and will be caught. Is there a secret to getting the Omaplata? Yes, there are many and that is the topic of his 4 disc DVD set:

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