Mount Escapes — 2 Basic Ways Out When You Are Stuck on Bottom
Mount is the most frustrating spot. The two core escapes, the elbow escape (shrimp) and the trap and roll (upa), plus common mistakes. Learning these before attacks helps far more in live rolling.
Getting stuck under mount (your opponent sitting on your stomach) is really suffocating. It's the position beginners end up in most and stress about most. But learn just two basic escapes and you can breathe again. Learning this before attacks helps much more in live training.
1. Elbow escape (shrimping)
The most basic one. Block your opponent's knee with your elbow while moving your hips out to the side (shrimp). Free one leg at a time to recover half guard, then full guard. The key is to create space little by little instead of rushing.
2. Upa (trap and roll / bridge)
Trap one of your opponent's arms and the leg on the same side, then drive your hips up hard toward that side (bridge) to roll them over. The point is trapping the arm so they can't post a hand.
Common mistakes
- Only pushing with your arms: pushing with strength just lets them settle in more. Use your hips and legs.
- Panicking: even if it feels like you can't breathe, stay calm. Panic only drains your energy.
- Trying to escape in one go: you come down in stages: mount, then half guard, then guard.
As a beginner, "not getting stuck and surviving" is 80% of your skill, more than flashy submissions. Escape well and sparring stops being scary, and that's when attacks start to appear.