Pull Turtle To Escape
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Turtle Escape·SBG PDX & Vancouver BJJ and MMA Videos
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Turtle Escape
Group亀逃げ(Kame Nige)
TraditionalTranslation: turtle escape
Overview
The Turtle Escape group encompasses all techniques for escaping the turtle position — the defensive curled-up posture on hands and knees where a grappler protects against attacks from the opponent on top or behind. [1] Turtle escapes are critical because while the turtle position prevents immediate submissions and pins, it is a fundamentally defensive position that scores negatively in many rulesets and leaves the bottom fighter vulnerable to back takes, turnovers, and ground-and-pound in MMA. [1],[2] This group covers sit-out escapes, rolling escapes (Peterson roll, snap roll), guard pulls from turtle, and stand-ups from turtle, each offering a different pathway back to a neutral or advantageous position. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Turtle escapes have roots in wrestling, where the referee's position (similar to turtle) is a standard starting position and escape techniques are fundamental skills. [1] Judo also developed turtle escapes as responses to turtle (known as 'matamori' in judo). [2] BJJ adapted and expanded turtle escapes, particularly as the turtle position became a transition point between guard pulls, takedown defence, and back control in modern competition. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Lineage
Competition Record
Turtle escapes are essential in judo (to avoid osaekomi) and in wrestling (to avoid riding time). [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 (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
Videos
The 5 Best Ways To Escape The Turtle Position
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Turtle Escape·Ritchie Yip
Turtle Sweep. The longer the lever, the greater the torque. With my partner’s centre of gravity so far away from me, th…
2 videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Turtle escapes involve rolling and granby movements; neck strain 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— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDF— NCAA Folkstyle — Legal, escape scores 1 point, reversal s...
NCAA Wrestling Rules 2025-26PDFTraining Notes
✓Turtle escapes recover guard, standing, or offensive position from the turtle (all-fours) position — a critical transitional skill (Marcelo Garcia, Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 2011)
✓The turtle is a defensive but vulnerable position — it protects against guard passes but exposes the back and neck
✓The three escape directions from turtle: (1) sit out to guard, (2) stand up, (3) roll to guard
✓The sit-out is the most fundamental turtle escape — sit through to face the opponent and establish guard
✓The Granby roll uses inversion to recover guard by rolling through the opponent's control
✓Standing up from turtle (technical standup or switch) returns the fight to the feet
✓In wrestling, the turtle (referee's position) is a starting point — wrestlers have extensive escape systems from this position
✓Speed is essential — the opponent is working to take your back; every second in turtle is dangerous
Common Mistakes
!Staying in turtle too long — turtle is transitional, not a resting position; escape immediately
!Flattening out from turtle to belly-down — a flat position is the worst outcome; maintain the all-fours structure
!Not protecting the neck in turtle — keep the chin tucked and hands near the neck to prevent chokes
!Exposing the back while escaping — many turtle escapes create back-take opportunities if done incorrectly
!Using only one escape from turtle — the opponent reads single-pattern escapes; vary between sit-out, roll, and standup
!Not training turtle escapes against active opponents — a partner who is trying to take your back makes the escape realistic
!Reaching backward for the opponent — keep your arms in front of you; reaching back exposes the neck and arms
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 (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia (Welker, 2010)
2BookMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia (Petrov, 1977)
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] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia (Welker, 2010)
6CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia (Petrov, 1977)
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
Sub-techniques
Guard Pull From Turtle
FamilyThe Guard Pull From Turtle family covers techniques for transitioning from the turtle position directly into a guard position, typically half guard or full guard. [1] Rather than standing up or rolling away, guard pulls from turtle involve the turtled fighter sitting through to establish a guard, converting a defensive position into an offensive one where sweeps and submissions become available. [1,2] This approach is particularly popular in BJJ where the guard is a strong offensive position, making the turtle-to-guard transition an efficient escape that immediately creates attacking opportunities. [2,3]
1 subfamilies·2 techniquesExplore
Roll Escape
FamilyThe Roll Escape family covers turtle escapes that use rolling mechanics to reverse the position, moving the turtled fighter from a bottom defensive position to a more favourable one through rotational momentum. [1] Roll escapes are derived primarily from wrestling, where rolling from the referee's position is a fundamental escape technique. [1,2] This family includes the Peterson roll (a shoulder roll that reverses the position) and the snap roll (a quick, explosive roll to create space), both of which use the opponent's top pressure against them by redirecting it through the roll. [2,3]
2 subfamilies·4 techniquesExplore
Sit-Out Escape
FamilyThe Sit-Out Escape family covers turtle escapes where the turtled fighter sits the hips out to one side, rotating the body to face the opponent and create a more favourable position. [1] Sit-out escapes are among the most fundamental and widely used turtle escapes in all grappling disciplines because they use a simple, powerful hip motion to escape the turtle while maintaining the ability to face the opponent. [1,2] This family includes the standard sit-out (sitting the hips through to face the opponent) and the Granby roll (a shoulder roll that combines inversion with a sit-out motion). [2,3]
2 subfamilies·4 techniquesExplore
Stand Up From Turtle
FamilyThe Stand Up From Turtle family covers techniques for transitioning from the turtle position directly to a standing position, escaping the ground entirely. [1] Standing up from turtle is particularly important in MMA, where returning to the feet can be the highest-priority escape goal, and in wrestling, where the stand-up is a primary escape from the bottom position. [1,2] This family includes the switch (a direction-changing standup) and the technical standup from turtle, each providing a different pathway to the feet while defending against the opponent's attempts to maintain ground control. [2,3]
2 subfamilies·4 techniquesExplore
Notes
Turtle escapes — sit-outs, rolls, stand-ups, and guard pulls from turtle — are fundamental wrestling and BJJ skills. Turtle (362 passages across 80 books) is the most common defensive recovery position in grappling. The sit-out and granby roll are the two primary wrestling turtle escapes. (80 books; Gable, Coaching Wrestling Successfully)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main escape options when trapped on bottom in cross-side position?
There are three fundamental escapes: pull guard, get to your hands and knees into turtle position, or roll them. According to SBG PDX & Vancouver BJJ, it's difficult for your opponent to stop both pulling guard and going to hands and knees simultaneously, so every practitioner needs to develop both options.
How do I prevent my opponent from getting an underhook when transitioning to turtle?
When your opponent is passing your guard, glue your forearm to your thigh on the side they're passing. This prevents them from getting the underhook and makes it much harder for them to pin you down, according to SBG PDX & Vancouver BJJ.
What's the key body position principle for escaping turtle?
Ritchie Yip emphasizes that your spine should be parallel to your opponent's spine, not perpendicular. By positioning yourself as close as possible to your opponent and aligning your spine parallel to theirs, you can execute a turnover from bottom turtle position.
How can I use my opponent's leg against them from turtle position?
According to Ritchie Yip, you should trap your opponent's knee and ankle, keeping their leg completely off the ground, which converts their leg from a frame into a lever you can use to your advantage for escaping or attacking.
How does the Turtle Escape work?
The Turtle Escape group encompasses all techniques for escaping the turtle position — the defensive curled-up posture on hands and knees where a grappler protects against attacks from the opponent on top or behind. Turtle escapes are critical because while the turtle position prevents immediate submissions and pins, it is a fundamentally defensive position that scores negatively in many rulesets and leaves the bottom fighter vulnerable to back takes, turnovers, and ground-and-pound in MMA.
Where does the Turtle Escape come from?
Turtle escapes have roots in wrestling, where the referee's position (similar to turtle) is a standard starting position and escape techniques are fundamental skills. Judo also developed turtle escapes as responses to turtle (known as 'matamori' in judo).
Is the Turtle Escape legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive/transitional technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal; IJF: legal — Legal; ADCC: legal — Legal; UWW: legal — Legal, escape scores 1 point (freestyle), reversal scores 1 point; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal; NCAA Folkstyle: legal — Legal, escape scores 1 point, reversal scores 2 points
How dangerous is the Turtle Escape?
Danger rating 3/10. Moderate — turtle escapes involve rolling and granby movements; neck strain risk
How do I set up the Turtle Escape?
The standard setup chain: Create Space → Disrupt Control → Execute Escape → Recover Position.
How do I defend against the Turtle 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 Turtle 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 Turtle Escape in competition?
Turtle escapes are essential in judo (to avoid osaekomi) and in wrestling (to avoid riding time).
What are common mistakes when doing the Turtle Escape?
Top errors to watch for: Staying in turtle too long — turtle is transitional, not a resting position; escape immediately / Flattening out from turtle to belly-down — a flat position is the worst outcome; maintain the all-fours structure / Not protecting the neck in turtle — keep the chin tucked and hands near the neck to prevent chokes / Exposing the back while escaping — many turtle escapes create back-take opportunities if done incorrectly.
What are other names for the Turtle Escape?
The Turtle Escape is also known as Kame Nige, Turtle Recovery, All-Fours Escape.