[Keekaw]

I have seen the standard bridge and roll escape from the mount ("upa") taught in basically two different ways:

1) bridge your hips straight up as high as you can; when you have reached the point that your hips cannot go any higher, roll the opponent to one side.

2) Instead of bridging your hips straight up, bridge directly over your shoulder to the side you will roll the opponent.

I experimented with both these variations and it seems there are pros and cons to both. Mainly, method #1 allows for a much higher and more powerful bridge, but sometimes seems to make it harder to roll them since once you have bridged as high as possible, you are already fully extended and have no "push" left in your legs to roll them over against resistance. It also seems that this method allows the opponent to shift their hips off to the opposite side easier and prevent you from rolling them over.

The problem with method #2, however, is that the bridge itself always seems a lot less powerful.

Anyone have any thoughts/experiences/advice/observations on this?

Thanks

[The Jake]

Number 1 is also hard if you have hamstring/knee/back problems. I've torn hammies trying this as well has strained my knee countless times. I tend to try and combine the two which works ok most times.

Just FYI.

- J.

[flyingknee16]

I've been taught to bridge straight back first, then turn.

works for me.

[Yamato Damashii]

I go straight up to about half way and then twist over my shoulder. You get the innitial power to shift their weight and the rolling movement is much easier when you go over your shoulder. Obviously it has to be done in one smooth movement.

[J0NNY BOY]

Originally Posted by Yamato Damashii

I go straight up to about half way and then twist over my shoulder. You get the innitial power to shift their weight and the rolling movement is much easier when you go over your shoulder. Obviously it has to be done in one smooth movement.

same here. try bumping at a 45 degree angle, up and over your shoulder

[ClubberLange]

I try to bump them over my shoulder on an angle too. I think of trying to get their head to touch the mat over my shoulder.

[Yozigi]

Number one is the one I use. I don't know why, but I'm quite good at bridging. If I'm being pinned by an opponent anywhere near my weight (+10kg>) I'll just bridge my way out. No matter what the teachnique is I'm being pinned with - the only thing I have to do is to stand on my head and turn the guy under me. Being flexible and having a strong neck propably helps a lot. So I highly recommend stretching and strentghening one's neck as bridging is more than useful in grappling.