I don't like the hitchhiker escape

[skribs101]

I think it's somewhat common in BJJ to identify the types of techniques that tend to lead to injuries and slowly whittle those out of the competition rules, either by belt or entirely. For example, most leg attacks are only allowed at brown/black belt, kids can't pull the head on a triangle choke, you need to wait until blue belt to jump guard, etc.

Additionally, in some gyms, I know jumping guard and flying techniques in general are banned. In my gym, you're not allowed to take people down backwards from a rear body lock, because we've had a few people blow out their knees as a result of those throws.

But there's one technique I personally see a lot of injuries from: the hitchhiker escape from armbar. It's happened to me. I've done it to people. I've seen it with adults and when coaching the kids class. When trying to find the hitchhiker escape, the arm gets at just the right angle to act as an Americana and strain the muscles or tendons around the tricep/delt.

I personally don't like this escape. I feel it's already a low-percentage escape, and I feel you're more likely to get injured trying this escape than you are to get out of the armbar. Maybe this is a case of "get gud, bro", but that almost makes it worse if it's injuring the people while they're trying to learn it.

 

[dunc]

Yeah I've gravitated towards a game that is low injury risk, not reliant on speed and is focused on pressure and isometric strength (I'm much older than my sparring partners)

As a result there are many perfectly viable techniques that I've actively excluded from my game, preferring alternatives that fit better for my age and objectives
So whilst the hitchhiker is a great escape (I don't put it in the low percentage category, especially for no-gi) it's not one that I go to. For me there are better alternatives

And I think one of the strengths of BJJ is that it allows everyone to have their own style and to choose their preferred responses from a large list of viable alternatives

 

[Tony Dismukes102]

I'm not a fan of the hitchhiker escape myself, but that's because I'm not particularly good at it. Maybe if I was better at it I would like it more.

 

[drop bear103]

I'm not a fan of the hitchhiker escape myself, but that's because I'm not particularly good at it. Maybe if I was better at it I would like it more.

I had a mate of mine run me through the nuance of it. And it is a lot of creating a bunch of different angles so the arm always has a bend in it. Rather than just motoring hard in one direction.

But more importantly if training partners are getting injured. Mabye that arm bar is going on a little hard.

 

[skribs101]

I had a mate of mine run me through the nuance of it. And it is a lot of creating a bunch of different angles so the arm always has a bend in it. Rather than just motoring hard in one direction.

But more importantly if training partners are getting injured. Mabye that arm bar is going on a little hard.

It's the angles that get you, sort of like an Americana. The arm gets twisted at just the right angle to tweak the shoulder. It's not an armbar at that point. And every time I've seen folks get hurt because of a hitchhiker, the armbar is deep, but it's not being ripped.

 

[drop bear103]

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[Darren]

when someone has me in a arm bar, i start trying to get right beside them where my head is going south and there's is pointing north, when thy start executing a arm bar from side mount and they have there leg over my chest will wait till its time then use there momentum to roll on top of them, does not work for the upper upper belts though(sometimes)

 

[Xue Sheng96]

I have only one thing to say here, and then I’ll go and never darken this thread again…. I keep misreading the thread title, and keep reading it as

I don't let the hitchhiker escape​

I will go now

 

[Darren]

It's the angles that get you, sort of like an Americana. The arm gets twisted at just the right angle to tweak the shoulder. It's not an armbar at that point. And every time I've seen folks get hurt because of a hitchhiker, the armbar is deep, but it's not being ripped.

yeah! those armbars hurt!

 

[AaronHolloway]

I think it's somewhat common in BJJ to identify the types of techniques that tend to lead to injuries and slowly whittle those out of the competition rules, either by belt or entirely. For example, most leg attacks are only allowed at brown/black belt, kids can't pull the head on a triangle choke, you need to wait until blue belt to jump guard, etc.

Additionally, in some gyms, I know jumping guard and flying techniques in general are banned. In my gym, you're not allowed to take people down backwards from a rear body lock, because we've had a few people blow out their knees as a result of those throws.

But there's one technique I personally see a lot of injuries from: the hitchhiker escape from armbar. It's happened to me. I've done it to people. I've seen it with adults and when coaching the kids class. When trying to find the hitchhiker escape, the arm gets at just the right angle to act as an Americana and strain the muscles or tendons around the tricep/delt.

live betting​

I personally don't like this escape. I feel it's already a low-percentage escape, and I feel you're more likely to get injured trying this escape than you are to get out of the armbar. Maybe this is a case of "get gud, bro", but that almost makes it worse if it's injuring the people while they're trying to learn it.

I think it’s one of those techniques that works great in theory but gets messy in practice, especially at lower levels. People chase the escape without really controlling the angle, and that’s where things go wrong. It probably needs more emphasis on when not to use it, not just how to do it.

 

[skribs101]

I have only one thing to say here, and then I’ll go and never darken this thread again…. I keep misreading the thread title, and keep reading it as

I don't let the hitchhiker escape​

I will go now

That's a different forum...