Gordon Ryanshared valuable insights on mount escapes. Ryan’s straightforward breakdown focused on effective escape techniques when an arm is trapped over the head.
Ryan begins by addressing a common scenario: when the bottom grappler has an arm isolated over their head. His first key point focuses on what to do with the free hand, which depends on elbow and knee positioning:
“If my elbow, my right elbow can get inside of my partner’s knee from here, then I go with the hip post. If my partner’s knee is inside my elbow, now the hip post is ineffective and I have to go to a cross hip post,” Ryan explains.
This positioning battle establishes the foundation for successful escapes.
Once the correct hand position is established, Ryan emphasizes the importance of bridging: “The first thing I want to do is I want to start giving a bridge up and over my left shoulder.”
This bridging action forces the opponent to base out, creating an opportunity to bring the trapped elbow back to an inside position. Ryan notes that the bridge shifts the opponent’s weight onto one knee, creating leverage for the escape.
After successfully bridging and freeing the trapped arm, Ryan offers two follow-up strategies:
– Using two hands on the opponent’s hips (when the elbow is inside)
– Going hand-over-hand on the opponent’s hip
From these positions, the bottom grappler can either kip to bring their knees back inside or execute inside elbow escapes by shrimping away and bringing the knee to an inside position.
Ryan explicitly criticizes what he considers ineffective technique, specifically addressing a common mistake he observed: “Please never do this where you just place your hand around your partner’s back and hug them as tight as you can. It is completely and utterly useless.”
By providing these clear distinctions between effective and ineffective techniques, Ryan offers valuable guidance for practitioners at all levels looking to improve their mount escapes.
