How To Escape Side Control Against A 300lbs Wrestler

How to escape side control against a 300lbs wrestler. This was the question I got recently. It’s a good question too.

As I’ve said previously on other posts. Wrestlers naturally favor side control. It’s very similar to a pinning position and it’s where they feel comfortable, especially early on. I say this from personal experience and those of many people I’ve trained or trained with over the years.

I’ve seen several wrestlers over the years able to pin black belts to the mat to the point where they couldn’t move. So telling someone how to escape side control against a good wrestler is tough. But I think it can be done easier than you think.

I Had To Find A Side Control Escape

When I start BJJ I had the “pleasure” of having my face smashed into the by several D1 wrestlers daily. We had a bunch of wrestlers who trained BJJ at my original gym, and back in the day there weren’t a lot of training partners. So, I was stuck against guys like this a lot. It was a blessing though because it forced me to deal with the situation and find a way to solve it. Over the years I was able to fine tune my sort of “anti-wrestler” game plan.

For me, the traditional frame and hip escape just didn’t seem like an option. As much as I tried it, it just never worked. I’m definitely not the most flexible guy in the hips so twisting my body around just isn’t on the table for me, at least not at the moment. Maybe as I keep doing Yoga I’ll have some options open up with new found flexibility.

So going back to the question. How to escape side control against a wrestler. In my opinion the most effective way to do this is to sneak out the back door and get a solid under hook. I’ve used this escape countless times against high level wrestlers and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitors in matches and just in training.

Using The Escape In the Absolute Divisions

I always seem to end up against big wrestlers in the absolute divisions of tournaments. One time in particular when I was a brown belt was against a 315lbs ( I know because I asked him) wrestler in the finals of the Arnold classic in no gi. He was fresh out of college wrestling and was incredibly fast. The beginning of the match started with me having to just survive. He powered through my guard and was able to pass the legs, but by using good body and hand positioning I was able to deny him the control of the position. This happened several times. Then right around the 4 minute mark he slowed down and I was able to take the match to him and use my half guard to sweep.

I ended up winning the match by submission. But using the under hook to escape side control saved me.

So if you’re up against a bigger, stronger person and keep getting stuck. Try this escape.

Remember though, if possible, be first. If you feel yourself losing the passing battle. Abandon it and setup your defenses against their side control.

Anyways, enjoy the video, and I hope it helps!

-Chewy