Learn how to shrimp escape side control and re-guard
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Standard Shrimp Escape·Baltimore Martial Arts·Added by Admin
Professor Kristina Barlaan & Garcia Junior teach you how shrimp escape side control and re-guard. Adult Brazilian Jiu-J…
Standard Shrimp Escape
Genusスタンダード海老逃げ(Sutandādo Ebi Nige)
HybridTranslation: standard shrimp escape
Overview
The Standard Shrimp Escape from north-south frames against the opponent's hips, bridges to create space, then hip escapes to one side, turning the body to create enough angle to reinsert a knee and recover guard. [1] The frame must push the opponent's hips away first to relieve the chest pressure, then the shrimp creates the lateral displacement needed to thread the legs back between the fighters. [1],[2] The escape finishes with the defender establishing half guard or full guard on the escape side. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Effectiveness
The standard shrimp escape is the baseline hip escape from north-south. [1]
Lineage
A fundamental BJJ 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 side control — Create frames with the forearms against the opponent's neck and hip, hip escape (shrimp) to create space, insert the knee to recover guard
From underhook escape — Swim the near arm to an underhook, bridge into the opponent and come to knees or reverse
From opponent's transition — When the opponent moves to mount or north-south, use the movement to create space and escape
Variants
Shrimp to guard — framing and hip-escaping to recover full guard or half guard
Underhook escape — winning the underhook and coming to knees or reversing
Bridge to knees — bridging into the opponent and transitioning to turtle or single-leg
Ghost escape — inverting under the opponent to re-guard from the opposite side
Videos
1 video
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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 technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— IBJJF — Legal — escapes and sweeps are fundamental to BJJ...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— 4 from mount/back
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— FIAS Combat Sambo — Legal
FIAS Combat Sambo RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Standard shrimp escape from north-south: frame both forearms on the opponent's hips, shrimp to one side to create an angle, thread the legs between you and the opponent, and close guard (Saulo Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University, 2008)
✓Step 1: establish forearm frames on both of the opponent's hips
✓Step 2: shrimp explosively to one side — this begins rotating your body
✓Step 3: repeat the shrimp 2-4 more times until your body reaches approximately 90 degrees (perpendicular)
✓Step 4: thread the near-side leg through the space between you and the opponent
✓Step 5: use the leg to hook the opponent's body and begin closing guard
✓Step 6: once both legs are through, close guard and establish controlling grips
✓The forearm frames remain active throughout — they maintain the space while you shrimp
✓The escape ends when you're fully facing the opponent in a guard position
✓Drill: start in north-south, escape to guard — 10 reps per side
Common Mistakes
!Removing the frames during the shrimp — the frames must stay on the hips throughout
!Shrimping without the correct hip movement — the shrimp is a lateral hip escape, not a scoot
!Trying to thread both legs at once — get one leg through first, then the second
!Not closing guard once the legs are through — an open guard from a recent escape is vulnerable
!Only shrimping in one direction — if one side is blocked, switch to the other
!Using a single large shrimp instead of multiple controlled ones — several incremental shrimps are more reliable
!Not immediately establishing offensive guard after the escape — transition from defensive escape to offensive guard right away
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Frame on Hips — place forearms against the opponent's hip and shoulder to create space
2Hip Escape (Shrimp) — push off the frames and slide hips away from the opponent
3Insert Knee — bring the inside knee in as a shield between you and the opponent
4Recover Guard — pull the leg through to re-establish guard position
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)
2BookMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
3OtherJapanese Martial Arts Hybrid Terminology
Mixed Japanese-Western terminology — combines traditional Japanese terms with katakana loanwords
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)
5CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip escape (shrimping) speed, framing strength, timing
Favours
flexible hips and quick lateral movement
Key muscles
hip flexors, obliques, triceps (framing), core
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I set up before attempting a shrimp escape from side control?
You need to establish your frames before your opponent locks in a solid side control, as it becomes much harder to create them after they've already settled into position. You should also keep one knee up to prevent your opponent from advancing to knee on belly or mount.
How do I create space to execute the shrimp escape?
Bridge over your shoulder into your opponent rather than bridging straight up, and move your outside leg away to create room for your legs to work. This angled bridge generates the space you need to escape.
How do I prevent my opponent from following me during the escape?
Hook onto your opponent's leg as you escape to trap their foot and prevent them from following you to the same side. You only need to trap the foot—you don't need to stretch them hard.
How does the Standard Shrimp Escape work?
The Standard Shrimp Escape from north-south frames against the opponent's hips, bridges to create space, then hip escapes to one side, turning the body to create enough angle to reinsert a knee and recover guard. The frame must push the opponent's hips away first to relieve the chest pressure, then the shrimp creates the lateral displacement needed to thread the legs back between the fighters.
Where does the Standard Shrimp Escape come from?
The standard shrimp escape from north-south is the fundamental escape technique for this position in BJJ, applying the art's most important movement — the hip escape — to the specific challenges of head-to-head control. It is the first north-south escape taught in most curricula.
Is the Standard Shrimp Escape legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal — escapes and sweeps are fundamental to BJJ, sweep from bottom scores 2…; IJF: legal — Legal; ADCC: legal — Legal, sweep scores 2 points (4 from mount/back); FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; FIAS Combat Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Standard Shrimp 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 Standard Shrimp Escape?
The standard setup chain: Frame on Hips → Hip Escape (Shrimp) → Insert Knee → Recover Guard.
How do I defend against the Standard Shrimp Escape?
Standard counters include: Heavy Hips — maintain low hip pressure and wide base to absorb the bridge / Grapevine — hook legs inside opponent's thighs to neutralize hip movement / Post Hand — post arm on the mat in the direction of the bridge to maintain balance.
What are the variants of the Standard Shrimp Escape?
Common variants: Shrimp to guard (framing and hip-escaping to recover full guard or half guard); Underhook escape (winning the underhook and coming to knees or reversing); Bridge to knees (bridging into the opponent and transitioning to turtle or…); Ghost escape (inverting under the opponent to re-guard from the opposit…).
How effective is the Standard Shrimp Escape in competition?
Used in BJJ competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Shrimp Escape?
Top errors to watch for: Removing the frames during the shrimp — the frames must stay on the hips throughout / Shrimping without the correct hip movement — the shrimp is a lateral hip escape, not a scoot / Trying to thread both legs at once — get one leg through first, then the second / Not closing guard once the legs are through — an open guard from a recent escape is vulnerable.
What are other names for the Standard Shrimp Escape?
The Standard Shrimp Escape is also known as Sutandādo Ebi Nige, Basic North-South Shrimp, N-S Hip Escape.