Introduction to Mount Escapes

The bridge and roll, knee elbow escape, and hip bump escape form the foundational mount escape toolkit for beginning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. While these techniques require significant refinement to work against experienced opponents, they provide the most reliable paths to escape mount position when rolling with fellow beginners.

Bridge and Roll: Hand Trapping

The bridge and roll begins by establishing a trap on the opponent's limbs on one side of their body. Multiple hand trap variations are available: pinning the hand with the elbow collected behind, using both hands for the trap, or establishing an overhook if the opponent has grabbed around the head. The non-trapping hand should remain tight to the body to minimize exposure on the opposite side.

Bridge and Roll: Foot Positioning

Proper foot positioning is critical for an effective leg trap. Rather than trapping from center, where the opponent can stay low and hide the trapped foot, the practitioner should shift their hips and turn their knees inward before pulling the heel to the buttocks. This adjusted positioning creates a significantly more effective trap without requiring the trap to be held indefinitely—only long enough to generate momentum toward the top position.

Bridge and Roll: Execution

The escape requires looking back over the shoulder and driving backward at a diagonal angle rather than rolling sideways. The bridge and roll should be executed as one fluid, continuous movement rather than two separate actions. This unified approach substantially increases the technique's success rate against resisting opponents.

Knee Elbow Escape: Frame Setup

The knee elbow escape becomes the primary escape choice as practitioners advance in skill. When the opponent's weight is distributed high and they are attacking the practitioner's hand, the practitioner should shift their upper body and tuck their elbow inward. This creates a frame on the opponent's opposite hip externally while maintaining an internal frame, without pushing the opponent away.

Knee Elbow Escape: Leg Positioning

With the opponent's weight elevated, their leg becomes lighter and easier to manipulate. The practitioner shifts their hips away once or twice to flatten their own leg between the opponent's thighs. Once positioned correctly, they can place their foot under the opponent's ankle to set up the escape.

Knee Elbow Escape: Completion

The knee elbow escape is executed by pulling the knee and elbow back together in a coordinated motion, driving the opponent into half guard. The practitioner should already have an underhook prepared on the half guard side before turning onto the opposite hip to secure the escaped position.

Hip Bump Escape: Hand and Elbow Frame

The hip bump escape, also called the kipping escape, begins by maintaining the same survival posture used in previous escapes: a frame across the opponent's far hip combined with an internal elbow frame. The internal elbow positioning is essential to prevent the opponent from manipulating the position into an arm triangle submission.

Hip Bump Escape: Execution and Follow-Up

The practitioner bumps the opponent forward with their bottom knee while simultaneously rolling backward over the shoulder and pulling their top knee inward to re-establish guard. If the opponent creates space, the practitioner can establish double butterfly hooks for a dominant attacking position. Alternatively, they may transition immediately to leg lock attacks.

The First 3 Mount Escapes You Need To Know in BJJ

Brandon Mccaghren

Standard Leg Over

3 min read·9 key moments·PT4M45S video

Key Takeaways

•Introduction to Mount Escapes
•Bridge and Roll: Hand Trapping
•Bridge and Roll: Foot Positioning
•Bridge and Roll: Execution

When you first start Jiu Jitsu, you're gonna be getting stuck in the bottom of mount. A lot. Even by people who aren't very good yet lol Take these 3 simple movements and add them to your game so you can give yourself a better chance of getting back to a winning position. If you need more in depth instruction and coaching, on this topic or any other in BJJ, from myself and a team of killer black belts visit https://bit.ly/3PqO348 Join this channel to get access to Members Only Perks such as: - Weekly Live Classes - Members Only Chat - Exclusive Members Only Videos - Access to the PGF Archive - Custom Badges and Emojis and more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr7VU0Cnef4AhQk7Pe_9nTA/join

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this video teach about standard leg over?

This video covers introduction to mount escapes, bridge and roll: hand trapping, bridge and roll: foot positioning. It provides detailed instruction from Brandon Mccaghren.

How long does it take to learn standard leg over?

The basic mechanics can be understood in a single session, but developing reliable execution requires consistent drilling over weeks of practice. This 9-part breakdown helps structure your training by isolating each phase of the technique.