Tornado roll, Granby roll, Berimbolo roll, Inverted Roll drill
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Standard Granby Roll·Street Jitsu·Added by Admin
Coach Dennis shows you how to do the Tornado roll aka Granby roll, Berimbolo roll, Inverted Roll drill. This is a great …
Standard Granby Roll
Genusスタンダードグランビーロール(Sutandādo Guranbī Rōru)
TransliterationTranslation: standard Granby roll
Overview
The Standard Granby Roll executes the fundamental shoulder roll escape from turtle by tucking the chin, dropping the shoulder, and rolling over the shoulder and back to emerge facing the opponent in a guard position. [1] The turtled fighter initiates the roll by dropping one shoulder and inverting over it, using the rolling momentum to carry the body through and emerge on the other side facing the opponent. [1],[2] The smooth, flowing motion of the Granby roll makes it difficult for the opponent to maintain control, as the continuous rotation breaks their grip and creates separation. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The standard Granby roll is the core technique of the Granby wrestling style developed at Granby High School, adapted for BJJ and MMA turtle escapes. [1] Its influence on grappling extends beyond the specific technique to the broader principle of using inversions and rolls from bottom position. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
The Granby roll is one of the most effective turtle escapes, using a shoulder roll to create space and emerge facing the opponent in guard. [1] It is especially effective in no-gi grappling where the opponent cannot grip the clothing to prevent the roll, and in wrestling where bottom escapes are essential for scoring. [2]
Lineage
The Granby roll was developed at Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, as part of the Granby wrestling system created by coach Billy Martin in the 1960s-70s. [2] The system emphasized continuous movement and rolling from the bottom position, revolutionizing high school and college wrestling in the United States. [2]
Competition Record
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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
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
✓Standard Granby roll execution: from turtle, tuck the chin, drop the near shoulder, roll over it inverting the hips, and thread the legs to recover guard (Granby School of Wrestling technique)
✓Step 1: from turtle, identify the near shoulder — this is the one you'll roll over
✓Step 2: tuck the chin tightly to the chest — this protects the neck during the inversion
✓Step 3: drop the near shoulder toward the mat and initiate the roll
✓Step 4: as you invert, bring the hips over your head and thread the legs between you and the opponent
✓Step 5: complete the rotation to face the opponent with legs in guard position
✓Step 6: immediately establish guard (closed, half, or open) and begin offensive guard play
✓The roll should be fluid and continuous — don't pause at any point during the inversion
✓The Granby roll is one motion: drop → roll → thread → guard
✓Drill the Granby roll as a warm-up movement: 10 reps per side, without a partner, to develop the movement pattern
Common Mistakes
!Not tucking the chin — this is the most important safety element; always tuck
!Dropping the wrong shoulder — drop the shoulder closest to the opponent
!Pausing during the inversion — the roll must be continuous; stopping inverted is vulnerable
!Not threading the legs through — the legs must come between you and the opponent
!Over-rotating and ending past the opponent — control the rotation to end facing them
!Using the Granby without sufficient flexibility — develop the flexibility through progressive drilling
!Rolling flat to the back instead of establishing guard — the Granby must end in a guarding position
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] Named after Granby High School wrestling system [2] NCAA wrestling terminology
2BookMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Wrestling for Fighting (Randy Couture, 2007)
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] Named after Granby High School wrestling system [2] NCAA wrestling terminology
5CitationMastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Wrestling for Fighting (Randy Couture, 2007)
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
Can I practice the Granby roll alone, and what's a good way to drill it by myself?
Yes, you can practice solo drills on a wall, which helps with guard retention and core strength. You can go at your own pace—as fast or slow as you want—and practice in both directions depending on how much space you have available.
What should I focus on during wall drills for the Granby roll?
Keep tension in your body throughout the movement, as the right tension level varies from person to person. Bend your knees and come under as you move, adjusting your speed and direction based on your space.
What are some benefits of practicing Granby roll drills?
These drills are tremendous ab workouts and help develop guard retention, making them valuable conditioning exercises in addition to technique building.
How does the Standard Granby Roll work?
The Standard Granby Roll executes the fundamental shoulder roll escape from turtle by tucking the chin, dropping the shoulder, and rolling over the shoulder and back to emerge facing the opponent in a guard position. The turtled fighter initiates the roll by dropping one shoulder and inverting over it, using the rolling momentum to carry the body through and emerge on the other side facing the opponent.
Where does the Standard Granby Roll come from?
The standard Granby roll is the core technique of the Granby wrestling style developed at Granby High School, adapted for BJJ and MMA turtle escapes. Its influence on grappling extends beyond the specific technique to the broader principle of using inversions and rolls from bottom position.
Is the Standard Granby Roll 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 Standard Granby Roll?
Danger rating 3/10. Moderate — turtle escapes involve rolling and granby movements; neck strain risk
How do I set up the Standard Granby Roll?
The standard setup chain: Create Space → Disrupt Control → Execute Escape → Recover Position.
How do I defend against the Standard Granby Roll?
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 Granby Roll?
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 Granby Roll in competition?
The Granby wrestling system produced numerous NCAA championship-caliber wrestlers and the Granby roll became one of the most widely adopted bottom wrestling techniques in American folkstyle wrestling. It has since been adopted into BJJ and MMA as a turtle escape technique.
What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Granby Roll?
Top errors to watch for: Not tucking the chin — this is the most important safety element; always tuck / Dropping the wrong shoulder — drop the shoulder closest to the opponent / Pausing during the inversion — the roll must be continuous; stopping inverted is vulnerable / Not threading the legs through — the legs must come between you and the opponent.
What are other names for the Standard Granby Roll?
The Standard Granby Roll is also known as Sutandādo Guranbī Rōru, Basic Granby, Standard Shoulder Roll.