[FIGHT] Strapple: Escapes from Half-Guard Bottom (and Bonus)

Harada half-guard escape #1

With your left arm against top guy's throat, push up. Your right hand pushes away on top guy's left upper thigh (but be careful to keep five fingers straight together to avoid a thumb injury). It's very important to hook around the back of top guy's right knee with your right leg to keep from getting passed. If necessary, push off with the sole of your left foot and shrimp onto your right ribs to create some space, then slide your left foot inside of top guy's right hip. Lift up while pushing up and to the right with your left forearm and right hand.

Even if your opponent posts his left arm out to avoid getting swept, he's now given you the space to retract your right leg inside of his frame.

Harada half-guard escape #2

Use this escape when your opponent's butt is moving to your right for the pass, i.e., he has rotated his hips and puts weight on his left knee. Put your right hand on his left hip, dig your right elbow into the mat as a stopper. Your left arm is in the same position as Harada half-guard escape #1, digging under top guy's chin. As a wrinkle, squeeze your legs hard on top guy's right thigh, look to the left and rotate your whole body in that direction. Just as your opponent reacts to your feint and lurches back towards your right side, shift your right foot, hitherto hooking his right leg, and instead plant it outside (to the left of his left foot). Plant your left foot as well and bridge to your right, removing the stopgap at exactly the same time.

Skirt tug

Loosen top's lower right skirt, then pull it over to his opposite left shoulder. Your right arm should control the skirt but at the same time be under top guy's left arm or armpit and hoist it up. Bridge over to the direction in which you are pulling the skirt. (Is your left foot planted or hooked under top guy's right thigh or hip?)

Shrimp to basic pull-in sweep

From bottom, shrimp onto your right side (don't forget to push your groin into the air first). Push off with your left hand on top's left shoulder, right hand on his pant leg. Take grips while sneaking your left lower leg into top's tummy. Pull in close and roll him off to your left side.

Kimura from half-guard bottom to sweep

Assuming you are on your back trapping top guy's right leg, go to the opposite arm (his left). Top guy will straighten up his posture to avoid it. Unhook your left leg, plant your left foot into the ground and kick off. Raise the same leg into the air and lift your hip into top guy's torso to get the sweep.

Kimura from half-guard bottom with extra leverage

Start at the same place as the previous position, i.e., look to wrap up top guy's left arm. As top guy defends, thread your left leg through his chest cavity -- if he has posted his right arm out -- then hook the back of your left knee around the left side of his head and push. If this still doesn't force his arm out, bring your left leg all the way down and around the back of your opponent's left shoulder blade, and place your left foot on his left hip to maximize your leverage in pulling the arm free.

BONUS: Finishing katahajime from backmount

If you choke from the left side of his neck (grip on his right lapel), the victim's proper escape is to move to his right, since he never wants to put his neck in closer to the V in his assailant's elbow. Keep control by pulling on him (maybe with the assistance of your right hand tugging on his right pant) enough to shift your base back under him. Keeping a grip on his pants, rotate off to your right side enough to hook your left calf over his left shoulder. You should be in almost T orientation. Thread your right arm through the underside of his right knee from the outside, and hook in the cranny of your bent arm. Pull closer to add pressure to the choke going on on your left side.