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Submission escape
Escape the calf slicer
Start here: your partner has the calf slicer set but not finished.
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Caught in
Escape to
Before it’s locked
- Don’t let them thread a shin behind your knee from the truck or the back
- Keep your knee from being folded tight
- Protect your legs whenever your back is being attacked
The main escape
- Straighten your leg early, before the shin wedge is set
- Stay relaxed; a tense leg makes the compression worse
- Push their wedging shin out from behind your knee
- Free the leg and turn to face them or recover guard
Escape roadmap
The seven stages of this escape. Work from the top: the earlier you act, the less you need the later stages.
- 1Prevent
- Don’t let a shin get behind your knee
- Protect your legs when your back is attacked
- 2Defensive posture
- Keep the leg straight
- Stay relaxed
- 3Hand fight
- Grab the leg wedging behind your knee
- Stop them pulling your foot
- 4Make space
- Push their shin out from behind your knee
- Turn toward them
- 5Clear the structure
- Straighten the leg out of the wedge
- Free your foot
- 6Late escape
- Relax the leg and straighten
- Tap when the leg is folded over their shin and pressure builds
- 7Back to safety
- Turn to face them or recover guard
- Protect your back as you turn
Escape options
Straighten earlyBefore the wedge is set
Push the shin outThe shin is behind your knee
When to tap
If your leg is folded over their shin and you feel crushing pressure in the calf or knee, tap.
Common mistake
Tensing the leg and fighting the squeeze.
Drill it
Partner starts in the truck with their shin behind your knee, not pulling yet. Round 1 at 30% resistance, round 2 at 60%, then live. Your partner applies the finish slowly; you tap the moment you reach the “when to tap” point. Switch roles each round.
How they apply itRead about itGrapplearts articlesBJJ Heroes
My notes
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Quick checkEscape the calf slicer quick check4 questions
How it connects
- The attack
- Calf slicer
- Caught in
- Leg lock defense
- Escape to
- Half guard