Side Control to Mount & Mount to Back | MMA Fighting
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Standard Scoot And Turn·Howcast
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Standard Scoot And Turn
Genusスタンダードスクートアンドターン(Sutandādo Sukūto Ando Tān)
TransliterationTranslation: standard scoot and turn
Overview
The Standard Scoot And Turn slides the hips downward along the attacker's body while simultaneously turning toward the bottom hook side, working to slip below the attacker's control and turn to face them. [1] The defender uses the hands to defend the choke while the hips scoot down and to one side, eventually sliding low enough to turn and face the attacker, recovering half guard or full guard. [1],[2] The scooting motion must be persistent — small incremental slides rather than one big movement — to avoid giving the attacker space to readjust their control. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
The standard scoot and turn is the baseline version of this back escape. [1]
Lineage
A fundamental BJJ back escape. [1]
Competition Record
Used in BJJ competition. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Breaking the opponent's leg control to advance to a more dominant position
Joints Involved — Hips (posture and pressure), knees (opening the guard with knee-in or standing), hands (grip fighting)
Force Vector — Forward pressure (stack/smash) or backward posture (stand-up break) to open the closed guard
Passing Mechanic — Once the guard is opened, speed passing, pressure passing, or toreando passing advances the position
Position & Entry
From bottom mount — Use bridging, framing, and hip escape (shrimping) to create space and recover guard or reverse the position
From the opponent's attack — When the opponent reaches for a submission from mount, use the opening to escape
Variants
Bridge and roll (upa) — explosive bridge trapping arm and leg to reverse position
Elbow-knee escape — framing and shrimping to recover guard
Foot drag escape — dragging the opponent's foot with the heel to create space for knee insertion
Combination escape — bridging to force a reaction, then shrimping when the opponent posts
Videos
De La Riva Pass Rommel Pass
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Standard Scoot And Turn·Great Grappling
Another move shown to me by one of my Professors in Brazil, the Rommel pass is a great way to deal with a strong DLR gam…
2 videos
What Instructors Say
The Standard Scoot and Turn escape represents a fundamental positional transition within rear-mount escape sequences, though the provided instructional videos address different technical contexts that do not directly align with this specific escape technique. Howcast's content emphasizes the hierarchical progression of dominant positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—from side control to mount to back mount—establishing conceptual frameworks about positional priority and control philosophy, but does not detail the scoot-and-turn escape mechanics from rear mount. Great Grappling's transcript focuses on the Rommel Pass (Hummel Pass) for addressing De La Riva guard, discussing guard passing mechanics, base management through proper squatting posture, and lapel control strategies during positional transitions. While neither video directly instructs the Standard Scoot and Turn escape specifically, both instructors emphasize common principles applicable to escaping compromised positions: maintaining solid base through proper leg positioning (Howcast's positional hierarchy; Great Grappling's emphasis on squatting versus waist bending), establishing control through strategic gripping (lapel control in Great Grappling), and understanding positional sequencing. Both videos reinforce that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prioritizes position over submissions and that controlled transitional mechanics are essential for effective escapes and dominant positioning.
Synthesized from 2 instructors
- Howcast — Side Control to Mount & Mount to Back | MMA Fighting: Establishes positional hierarchy and dominance principles; discusses systematic progression from inferior to superior positions; emphasizes back mount as optimal control position.
- Great Grappling — De La Riva Pass Rommel Pass: Details proper base mechanics (squatting vs. waist bending), knee-elbow connection for stability, and lapel control strategy during positional transitions and guard passing.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
Back escapes must address choke threat while escaping; urgency increases injury risk
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— Unified MMA — Legal defensive/transitional technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— IBJJF — Legal
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— UWW — Legal
UWW International Wrestling Rules, January 2026PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Standard scoot-and-turn execution: protect the neck, scoot hips incrementally toward the opponent's feet until the bottom hook clears, then execute a fast turn to establish guard (Saulo Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University, 2008)
✓Step 1: establish neck defence — same-side hand on the choking wrist, cross-hand blocking the secondary
✓Step 2: begin scooting by performing small shrimps toward the opponent's feet — each shrimp angles the hips slightly lower
✓Step 3: repeat the scoot 4-8 times until your hips have slid below the bottom hook
✓Step 4: when the bottom hook is displaced, immediately rotate your hips to face the opponent
✓Step 5: as you turn, push the top hook off with your hand and close your guard around the opponent
✓The scoot rhythm: scoot → pause to check hand position → scoot again
✓The turn at the end is explosive — the scooting is patient, but the final turn must be fast
✓Drill the complete sequence: 10 reps from fully locked rear mount, alternating sides
Common Mistakes
!Scooting without maintaining hand defence — the opponent will choke you during the scoot if the neck is unprotected
!Performing the scoots too far apart — each scoot should flow into the next with minimal pause
!Turning before the bottom hook is fully cleared — premature turning gets you caught halfway
!Not using the shrimping hip motion — flat scooting without hip angles doesn't create progress
!Turning slowly — the final turn must be fast and committed
!Not closing guard immediately upon turning — open guard after the turn allows the opponent to re-take the back
!Only drilling the scoot-and-turn in one direction — practice toward both sides
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Create Space — use frames, hip movement, or leverage to generate room to move
2Disrupt Control — break or weaken the opponent's grips and weight placement
3Execute Escape — apply the specific escape mechanic with timing and commitment
4Recover Position — establish a safe position (guard, standing, or top)
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Renzo Gracie & Royler Gracie, 2001)
2BookBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Gracie & Gracie, 2001)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Renzo Gracie & Royler Gracie, 2001)
5CitationBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique (Gracie & Gracie, 2001)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Community
Athletics
Requires
explosive hip bridge power, shrimping ability, timing
Favours
strong glutes and hip extensors for powerful bridges
Key muscles
glutes, hip extensors, core, quadriceps
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the most common mistake people make when doing the scoot and turn?
People often bend at the waist instead of getting a proper squat with their legs, and they over-commit by reaching without maintaining connection between the knee and elbow, which leaves them vulnerable to triangles and armbars.
How do I control my opponent's posture during the scoot and turn?
Grab and hold the lapel—it's an excellent control point that allows you to lift his shoulders off the floor, crunch him slightly, and use your knee to drive his back toward the floor while powering up your crossface.
What should I do with my knee and elbow positioning during this technique?
Keep your knee and elbow connected as you reach with your free hand; this connection is critical to prevent your opponent from escaping into submissions like triangles or armbars.
How does the Standard Scoot And Turn work?
The Standard Scoot And Turn slides the hips downward along the attacker's body while simultaneously turning toward the bottom hook side, working to slip below the attacker's control and turn to face them. The defender uses the hands to defend the choke while the hips scoot down and to one side, eventually sliding low enough to turn and face the attacker, recovering half guard or full guard.
Where does the Standard Scoot And Turn come from?
The standard scoot and turn has been a foundational back escape technique in BJJ, taught as one of the first back escape methods to beginners and refined through competitive experience. Its reliability has made it a universal back escape across all grappling disciplines.
Is the Standard Scoot And Turn legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive/transitional technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal; IJF: legal — Legal; ADCC: legal — Legal; UWW: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Standard Scoot And Turn?
Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — back escapes must address choke threat while escaping; urgency increases injury risk
How do I set up the Standard Scoot And Turn?
The standard setup chain: Create Space → Disrupt Control → Execute Escape → Recover Position.
How do I defend against the Standard Scoot And Turn?
Standard counters include: Maintain Pressure — keep consistent weight distribution to limit escape space / Anticipate Direction — read escape attempt direction and block early / Transition — flow to a new position when the current one is threatened.
What are the variants of the Standard Scoot And Turn?
Common variants: Bridge and roll (upa) (explosive bridge trapping arm and leg to reverse position); Elbow-knee escape (framing and shrimping to recover guard); Foot drag escape (dragging the opponent's foot with the heel to create spac…); Combination escape (bridging to force a reaction, then shrimping when the opp…).
How effective is the Standard Scoot And Turn in competition?
Used in BJJ competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Scoot And Turn?
Top errors to watch for: Scooting without maintaining hand defence — the opponent will choke you during the scoot if the neck is unprotected / Performing the scoots too far apart — each scoot should flow into the next with minimal pause / Turning before the bottom hook is fully cleared — premature turning gets you caught halfway / Not using the shrimping hip motion — flat scooting without hip angles doesn't create progress.
What are other names for the Standard Scoot And Turn?
The Standard Scoot And Turn is also known as Sutandādo Sukūto Ando Tān, Basic Scoot Escape, Slide And Face.