Never Pick Up A Hitchhiker
You’ve heard the term “hitchhiker” escape.
This is an incredibly effective way to free yourself from the clutches of an armbar. Unlike more preemptive escapes, the hitchhiker is pretty much a last-ditch effort to exit the armbar just before the tap or the snap.
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Using the hitchhiker is enticing, and sometimes you may even give up the armbar to get yourself into position to execute it, but its not without risk, and on the other end of the spectrum we need to exploit that risk if possible.
The hitchhiker is not a bulletproof escape from the armbar by any means and it can be thwarted if we understand the workings of the technique. In this short video Lachlan Giles gives us some ideas on how to stave off this popular third tier armbar escape. Have a look!
So first, how does it work? As the arm becomes extended and moves into the range of danger, Giles partner begins to turn his body. He rotates towards a belly down position, turning his shoulder in an unfavorable direction for the top player and removes himself from danger.
The problem here occurs when the attacker brings the extended arm straight down the centerline of his body to pursue the finish. This essentially gives the bottom player a route to the escape. To remedy this as the arm begins to extend, Giles guides it south toward his partner legs. From here Giles can transition his legs to the other side of his partner’s head and cradles his head with his insteps. This prevents his partner from turning toward the hitchhiker route, and shuts down any hopes of escape.
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The hitchhiker escape is becoming extremely common, and for good reason. It does work, and when you commit 100% to the technique it can be incredibly effective. Because of its rise in popularity we need to have some contingencies on hand in order to deal with it. Hope this helps!
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