Side Control Escapes

I hate being in side control. I hate it more than if my back is taken. I hate it more than if I am mounted. I hate it the most. One of the reasons I hate it the most is because my opponent can put all kinds of pressure on me, switch to a knee ride, North South, and even switch to the other side. It is all because I, on the bottom, have no control over his hips. If he has my back or if I am mounted, I have some control over my opponent's hips so that I can isolate one side and escape. Not so in side control. If he is in a good position and locks in the position, I have to work VERY hard AND my opponent needs to make a mistake before I am getting out.
So, like most people, I look to find that magic bullet escape that will always work. There isn't one, but the following series, by Dennis Asche a black belt out of Connection Rio, really seems to be working for me lately.

The first one only works on lower belts that don't really know what is going on, or the body mechanics involved. Higher level people immediately figure out what is going on and move to defend.


Higher level opponents realize what is going on when you entrap the arm and will typically switch to a kesakatama position to free up their arm, but knowing that allows you to be ready for that movement and implement the defense when their hips break over. Otherwise just continue with the technique as shown. The real problems with this occur when the guy pushes forward and his arm ends up on the other side of your head. BUT Dennis has a fix for that:


But, you say, what if I am not able to hit the Americana part and they establish the cross face? Well, Dennis comes through again. If you didn't watch the whole thing, fast forward to 1:30 and he shows how this technique can be done if the guy has the cross face.

The REALLY important thing to realize with this technique is that you have to chain it immediately off the previous technique. Why? Because the flaw with this technique, as with all rolling escapes from side control, is that the person on top can base out with the arm that is not trapped and stop the roll. If you chain this technique together with the other one, you can hit the roll and be past the point of no return before your opponent knows what is going on and bases out with their arm. But, again that helps me, because with his arm away from my hip I am able to get my hips out, create space and get my inside knee inside on to his hips and start my return to guard.

Here is another cool reversal from Dennis:


I like this one, because it is much less likely for the guy to be able to base out with the arm that isn't trapped.