How to Escape the Back EVERY TIME | Jiu Jitsu Back Escape System
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RNC Shoulder Walk Escape·Matt Arroyo Jiu Jitsu
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RNC Shoulder Walk Escape
Genus裸絞めショルダーウォーク逃げ(Hadaka-jime Shorudā Wōku Nige)
HybridTranslation: RNC shoulder walk escape
Overview
The RNC Shoulder Walk Escape uses a walking motion on the shoulders to slide the body downward and out of the attacker's back control while defending the choke. [1] The defender plants the shoulders on the mat and walks them laterally, sliding the body downward relative to the attacker's grip, which simultaneously creates distance from the choking arms and helps clear the hooks. [1],[2] The shoulder walk is particularly effective because it works against both the choke and the positional control simultaneously. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The shoulder walk escape became a widely adopted back escape technique through competitive BJJ and MMA, where fighters needed efficient methods to escape back control while defending the RNC. [1] Its effectiveness at addressing both the choke and the position made it a standard back escape methodology. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
The shoulder walk RNC escape uses shoulder-walking to slide down and escape the choking position. [1]
Lineage
Shoulder walking was adapted from wrestling escapes into RNC defence. [1]
Competition Record
Used in MMA and BJJ competition. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Creating space and movement to transition from an inferior to a neutral or superior position
Joints Involved — Hips (primary escape engine through bridging and shrimping), elbows (frames), knees (guard recovery)
Force Vector — Bridging (upward), shrimping (lateral), or inversion (rotational) — creating space is the fundamental escape principle
Escape Mechanic — Timing the escape with the opponent's weight shift or attack attempt maximises success rate
Position & Entry
From bottom (opponent has back control) — Fight the hands to prevent the choke, slide hips to the mat on the choking side, escape the hooks and turn into the opponent
From standing (opponent has back clinch) — Drop the hips, peel the hands, turn and face the opponent
From body triangle — Address the body triangle first by positioning the trapped leg to pry it open, then escape the hooks
Variants
Slide to side (choking-arm side) — fighting hands and sliding hips to the mat on the choking side
Peel-and-turn — stripping the seatbelt grip and turning into the opponent
Trap-arm escape — trapping one arm and rolling to pin the opponent's back
Body triangle escape — addressing the body triangle lock before escaping the hooks
Videos
The First 10 Bjj Submissions You Should Learn
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RNC Shoulder Walk Escape·Jedi Does Jiujitsu
In today’s video I’ll be giving you the 10 first bjj submissions that every white belt should learn. These are the submi…
Top 4 Jiu-Jitsu Techniques to Escape Rear Choke
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RNC Shoulder Walk Escape·TRITAC Martial Arts
Ready to finish fights faster? Level up your ground game with a FREE custom 14-day Jiu-Jitsu training plan – take the su…
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The RNC Shoulder Walk Escape is a defensive technique executed when an opponent secures back control and threatens a rear naked choke. Matt Arroyo Jiu Jitsu emphasizes the foundational mechanics: establishing a baseball grip on the choking arm's wrist to prevent the choke from tightening, clamping the bottom arm with the elbow to restrict opponent mobility, and falling toward the underhook side rather than the choke side. The escape proceeds by kicking out the bottom hook with the foot, trapping the opponent's heel against their own buttock, then using the floor or wall to scrape the opponent off the back through repeated body rotations. Once the back is completely flat against the ground, the defender turns into the opponent (never away, which risks back retake) and can transition to guard or half guard. Arroyo stresses that the choke arm's direction indicates the safe escape direction and demonstrates managing the common follow-up where the opponent attempts to transition to mount by bridging the hips high. TRITAC Martial Arts presents related standing escape variations including the Ipan Seo Inagi (dropping base and bowing forward), Osoto Gari (stepping and sweeping the leg), Judolock position (controlling the arm with two hands underneath), and Yoko Wakari (side fall sacrifice throw), though these address standing rear choke defenses rather than the ground-based shoulder walk scraping method. Jedi Does Jiujitsu covers the rear naked choke as an offensive submission from back control but does not detail this specific escape sequence. All instructors agree on the critical importance of hand defense before attempting positional escape.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Matt Arroyo Jiu Jitsu — How to Escape the Back EVERY TIME | Jiu Jitsu Back Escape System: Provides detailed step-by-step RNC Shoulder Walk Escape mechanics including baseball grip, elbow clamp, hook removal, floor scraping, and turning into opponent; emphasizes underhook side preference and managing mount transition.
- TRITAC Martial Arts — Top 4 Jiu-Jitsu Techniques to Escape Rear Choke: Demonstrates standing RNC escape variations (Ipan Seo Inagi, Osoto Gari, Judolock, Yoko Wakari) that share defensive hand control principles but apply primarily to standing positions rather than ground-based shoulder walk mechanics.
- Jedi Does Jiujitsu — The First 10 Bjj Submissions You Should Learn: Covers rear naked choke as an offensive submission from back control with emphasis on hand placement and finishing mechanics; does not detail escape techniques.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
Submission escapes carry risk of injury if executed too late; timing-critical
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
✓The RNC shoulder walk escape uses alternating shoulder shifts to incrementally slide out of back control while maintaining hand-fighting defence on the choke (Marcelo Garcia, Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 2011)
✓The shoulder walk: shift weight to one shoulder, then the other, each time gaining a small amount of lateral displacement
✓Walk the shoulders toward the bottom hook side — this positions you to clear the hook and escape
✓Each shoulder shift creates 1-2 inches of displacement — the escape is cumulative over 10-15 shifts
✓The shoulder walk is particularly effective against the body triangle — it works when hip scooting is blocked
✓Combine with hand fighting throughout: the shoulders walk while the hands defend the neck
✓The shoulder walk is the most energy-efficient rear mount escape method
✓After displacing enough to loosen the bottom hook, transition to the standard turn-and-face escape
Common Mistakes
!Walking too fast and becoming predictable — vary the rhythm to prevent the opponent from adjusting
!Not combining with hand fighting — the choke threat is constant; hands must stay on defence
!Walking in the wrong direction — walk toward the bottom hook to position for its clearance
!Expecting fast results — patience is key; 10-15 walks may be needed
!Not transitioning to the turn after sufficient displacement — at some point, commit to the turn
!Walking the shoulders without engaging the core — the core drives the lateral movement
!Ignoring the hook positions — the goal is to displace enough to clear the bottom hook
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] Back Attacks: Enter the System (John Danaher, 2018) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
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] Back Attacks: Enter the System (John Danaher, 2018) [2] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
5CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Community
Athletics
Requires
grip fighting ability, hip mobility for sliding to the mat, chin defence
Favours
strong hands for grip fighting, flexible hips
Key muscles
forearms (grip fighting), core, hip flexors, neck
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the first thing I should do when someone takes my back?
According to Matt Arroyo, the first step is to protect your neck before thinking about any escape. Use a baseball grip to prevent the rear naked choke and stop your opponent from getting their thumb in.
Which direction should I fall when escaping the back?
Matt Arroyo recommends falling to the underhook side—the side where your opponent's arm is under your armpit—because it makes it harder for them to finish a choke and keeps you safer during the escape.
How do I remove the bottom hook during a back escape?
Reach up and find your opponent's heel, then punch it to the floor. Bring your knee through and place your foot over their ankle to prevent them from re-inserting the hook into your inner thigh.
Which way should I turn when I get my back to the wall?
Matt Arroyo emphasizes never turning away from your opponent when your back is against the wall, as this leads to back retake. Instead, scrape them off and turn into them to escape safely.
How does the RNC Shoulder Walk Escape work?
The RNC Shoulder Walk Escape uses a walking motion on the shoulders to slide the body downward and out of the attacker's back control while defending the choke. The defender plants the shoulders on the mat and walks them laterally, sliding the body downward relative to the attacker's grip, which simultaneously creates distance from the choking arms and helps clear the hooks.
Where does the RNC Shoulder Walk Escape come from?
The shoulder walk escape became a widely adopted back escape technique through competitive BJJ and MMA, where fighters needed efficient methods to escape back control while defending the RNC. Its effectiveness at addressing both the choke and the position made it a standard back escape methodology.
Is the RNC Shoulder Walk 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 RNC Shoulder Walk Escape?
Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — submission escapes carry risk of injury if executed too late; timing-critical
How do I set up the RNC Shoulder Walk Escape?
The standard setup chain: Create Space → Disrupt Control → Execute Escape → Recover Position.
How do I defend against the RNC Shoulder Walk 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 RNC Shoulder Walk Escape?
Common variants: Slide to side (choking-arm side) (fighting hands and sliding hips to the mat on the choking…); Peel-and-turn (stripping the seatbelt grip and turning into the opponent); Trap-arm escape (trapping one arm and rolling to pin the opponent's back); Body triangle escape (addressing the body triangle lock before escaping the hooks).
How effective is the RNC Shoulder Walk Escape in competition?
Used in MMA and BJJ competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the RNC Shoulder Walk Escape?
Top errors to watch for: Walking too fast and becoming predictable — vary the rhythm to prevent the opponent from adjusting / Not combining with hand fighting — the choke threat is constant; hands must stay on defence / Walking in the wrong direction — walk toward the bottom hook to position for its clearance / Expecting fast results — patience is key; 10-15 walks may be needed.
What are other names for the RNC Shoulder Walk Escape?
The RNC Shoulder Walk Escape is also known as Hadaka-jime Shorudā Wōku Nige, RNC Shoulder Slide, Rear Choke Shoulder Walk.