ESCAPE North:South Position!
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North-South Escape·TeachMeGrappling Coach Brian
This video is a continuation of our last video on basic north/south escape using the pendulum swing. Check out the deta…
North-South Escape
Family南北逃げ(Nanboku Nige)
TraditionalTranslation: north-south escape
Overview
The North-South Escape family covers techniques for escaping the north-south position, where the opponent controls from head-to-head with their chest on the defender's chest, facing the opposite direction. [1] North-south is a particularly oppressive control position because the opponent's weight is directly on the defender's chest and the position limits hip movement, making the standard shrimp difficult. [1],[2] Primary escapes include shrimping to create angle and reguarding, and inversions that use the defender's flexibility to recover guard. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
North-south escapes use framing, turning, and reguarding techniques to escape the north-south pin. [1]
Lineage
North-south escapes were developed in BJJ as the position became more commonly used. [1]
Competition Record
Used in BJJ and MMA 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 north-south — Frame with the arms, turn to the side and create space, transition to turtle or guard
From opponent's choke attempt — When the opponent reaches for the north-south choke, use the opening to turn and escape
Videos
How to escape North South efficiently
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North-South Escape·Simplicity Jiu Jitsu
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Bottom escapes from mount/side control; bridge and hip escape mechanics (Ribeiro 2008)
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Beginner
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
✓North-south escape addresses the 'reverse' pin where the opponent is chest-to-chest facing your feet — a position used for kimuras, armbars, and north-south chokes (Saulo Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University, 2008)
✓The primary escape method: frame on the opponent's hips, shrimp to create an angle, and recover guard by inserting the legs
✓In north-south, the opponent controls your upper body while your legs are free — use the legs to create space
✓The inversion escape turns your body by inverting (granby-like motion) to recover guard facing the opponent
✓Frame strongly on the opponent's hips — this is your primary space-creation tool from north-south
✓North-south is a transitional position — the opponent is usually setting up a submission; escape with urgency
✓In MMA, north-south is less common but the north-south choke and kimura threats are real
✓Direction of escape: shrimp toward either side and work to get your body perpendicular, then thread legs through
Common Mistakes
!Lying flat without framing — the opponent will flatten and control you; immediate framing is required
!Pushing upward instead of framing on the hips — hip frames create the space needed for the shrimp
!Not using the legs — your legs are free in north-south; use them to hook, push, and create angles
!Trying to bench-press the opponent off you — this wastes energy; technical frames and shrimps are more effective
!Giving up the arms to escape — the opponent will take kimuras and armbars on extended arms
!Turning to turtle from north-south — this gives up the back; shrimp to guard instead
!Not training north-south escapes specifically — this position is different from side control and requires its own techniques
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
Mastering Jujitsu (Renzo Gracie & John Danaher, 2003)
1BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Kodokan Judo (Kano, 1986) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
2BookMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Standard Japanese martial arts terminology (kanji/hiragana)
4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Kodokan Judo (Kano, 1986) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
6CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip mobility, explosive bridge/shrimp power, timing
Favours
flexible hips and strong glutes for escape movements
Key muscles
glutes, hip flexors, core, triceps (framing)
Sub-techniques
Inversion North-South Escape
SubFamilyThe Inversion North-South Escape uses an inversion — rolling onto the upper back and elevating the hips — to recover guard from the north-south position. [1] The inversion exploits the fact that the opponent's weight is on the chest, which means the defender's hips have relatively more freedom to elevate. [1,2] By inverting and bringing the legs over, the defender can hook the opponent's body or arms with the legs and recover a guard position. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Shrimp North-South Escape
SubFamilyThe Shrimp North-South Escape uses hip escape movement to create enough angle and distance to recover guard from the north-south position. [1] The shrimp from north-south is more challenging than from side control because the opponent's weight distribution pins the chest directly, making initial hip movement difficult. [1,2] The escape requires creating initial space through framing and bridging, then executing the hip escape to create the angle needed to reinsert the legs for guard recovery. [2,3]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Notes
North-south escapes rely on creating space by framing on the opponent's hips and bridging to create angles for turning into guard. One of the more difficult escapes because the opponent's weight is directly on the chest/face. (Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University)
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the key body position to use when escaping North-South?
According to Simplicity Jiu Jitsu, your shoulders are extremely important—think of them as two nodes that need to be offset so your opponent can't flatten you out. By offsetting your shoulders and creating wedges with your arms, you create a stronger frame that makes the escape much harder to defend.
How do I escape North-South if my opponent has an over-under grip?
Simplicity Jiu Jitsu teaches that with an over-under grip, you rock your body, pull your shoulder back, and switch your hips to create frames. Once your shoulder gets away from their control, you can start the pendulum motion to work your escape and get back to guard.
What should I do if my opponent has double-under hooks instead?
According to Simplicity Jiu Jitsu, with double-unders you block your opponent's head and use a pendulum motion with your legs, rocking side to side. You can choose whichever side is easier—always escape toward the direction your head is already facing, since rocking the opposite way won't work.
Is the North-South escape a modern technique?
Coach Brian at TeachMeGrappling notes that this escape is very old and was the predominant way to escape North-South in the mid-1990s, so it's a time-tested fundamental rather than a new invention.
How does the North-South Escape work?
The North-South Escape family covers techniques for escaping the north-south position, where the opponent controls from head-to-head with their chest on the defender's chest, facing the opposite direction. North-south is a particularly oppressive control position because the opponent's weight is directly on the defender's chest and the position limits hip movement, making the standard shrimp difficult.
Where does the North-South Escape come from?
North-south escapes were developed as the position gained recognition as a control and submission platform in BJJ competition. The position's restrictive nature drove the development of specific escape techniques distinct from side control escapes.
Is the North-South Escape 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 North-South Escape?
Danger rating 3/10. Moderate — bottom escapes from mount/side control; bridge and hip escape mechanics (Ribeiro 2008)
How do I set up the North-South Escape?
The standard setup chain: Create Space → Disrupt Control → Execute Escape → Recover Position.
How do I defend against the North-South Escape?
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 North-South Escape?
Common variants: Standard escape (primary escape mechanic using frames, bridges, or hip mov…); Combination escape (chaining two escape directions or methods); Counter escape (using the opponent's attack attempt to create the escape …); Competition variation (modified for rule-set optimisation).
How effective is the North-South Escape in competition?
Used in BJJ and MMA competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the North-South Escape?
Top errors to watch for: Lying flat without framing — the opponent will flatten and control you; immediate framing is required / Pushing upward instead of framing on the hips — hip frames create the space needed for the shrimp / Not using the legs — your legs are free in north-south; use them to hook, push, and create angles / Trying to bench-press the opponent off you — this wastes energy; technical frames and shrimps are more effective.
What are other names for the North-South Escape?
The North-South Escape is also known as Nanboku Nige, Kami Shiho Gatame Escape, North South Escape.