### Escape to the Underhook Technique #### Positions: - **Half Guard** - **Side Control** #### Japanese Name: - N/A --- ### **Overview** "Escape to the Underhook" is a versatile technique commonly used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to regain control and initiate an offensive position from either being under pressure in half guard or side control. ### **Step-by-Step Instructions: Side Control to Underhook Escape** 1. **Frame and Elbow Block** - While in side control, match your arms in a frame against your opponent's neck and shoulder. - Position your elbow connecting closely to the hip of your opponent to restrict movements. 2. **Hip Escape (Shrimp)** - Perform a small hip escape by pushing off with your feet, sliding your hips slightly away from the opponent. - **Key Point**: Maintain your frames to keep pressure off your chest and neck. 3. **Create Space** - As you move your hips away, create sufficient space to slide in your near-side knee close to your opponent's body. - Try to engage with your knee along your opponent's side or waist area. 4. **Insert the Underhook** - Once your knee is in, turn towards your opponent slightly and slide your arm under their far-side armpit. - Reach up with your underhooking arm, aiming to grasp around the back or shoulder. 5. **Transition to Knees** - Using your underhook for leverage, push off the ground with your back foot and work towards getting onto your knees. - Rotate your hips to face inward, continuing to maintain the underhook securely. 6. **Establish Control** - With your underhook in place, you can begin to establish a strong position like a single-leg takedown from a kneeling position or move into advantageous guard positions. - Keep your posture low to prevent losing the underhook. --- ### **Step-by-Step Instructions: Half Guard to Underhook Escape** 1. **Frame and Control Opponent's Neck** - While in half guard, frame against your opponent’s neck using your forearm. This prevents them from further applying pressure. 2. **Bottom Leg On-Caperty** - Adjust your bottom leg to prevent them from sliding past it to improve your half-guard retention. 3. **Activate the Underhook** - Begin to create an angle by scooting hips, inserting your far-side arm under your opponent's armpit effectively. 4. **Elbow Reinforcement** - Use your elbow to engage tightly to avoid losing the underhook while trying to come up on one side. 5. **Go to Your Side** - Use the underhook to pull yourself slightly sideways while attempting to establish posture on your elbow. 6. **Achieve Top Position (Optional)** - With the underhook engaged and solid base creation, you can transition into sweeping your opponent or resuming different dominant positions. --- ### **Pro Tips** - Focus on maintaining frames and proper positioning to avoid unnecessary energy expenditure. - Continuously work towards getting your hips closer to your opponent's. - Prioritize maintaining control of the underhook. Always be mindful of losing this control, as it can directly dictate the pace of the positions or transitions. This technique emphasizes controlling movement and offering pathways toward offensive positions efficiently. Practice consistently to adapt this escape into fluid match-play effectively.