The Hip Escape (Shrimp)
Ask a black belt for the single most important movement in jiu-jitsu and most will say the same thing: the hip escape. Also called the shrimp, it is the engine behind nearly every escape and guard recovery in the sport. Get it right and you become impossible to hold down. Here is how.
Why it matters: The shrimp is the foundation of escaping side control, escaping the mount, and recovering guard. Master this one movement and every escape gets easier.
What is the hip escape?
The hip escape (shrimp) is a solo movement that moves your hips away from your opponent to create space. Lying on your back, you frame, turn to your side, and push off your feet to slide your hips backward and out — opening the room you need to insert a knee, recover guard, or turn to your knees. It looks simple; doing it under pressure is what separates comfortable grapplers from panicked ones.
The details that make it work
- Move your hips, not your shoulders. The most common error is scooting the upper body while the hips stay put — that creates no useful space.
- Frame first. Use your arms to keep distance so you have somewhere to escape to.
- Push off your feet. Plant your feet, lift the hips slightly, and drive them back and away as you turn to your side.
- Face the pressure. Shrimp so you end up on your side facing your opponent, ready to recover guard.
▶ “Make Your Hip Escape (Shrimp) Unstoppable” — Henry Akins (Rickson Gracie black belt) on Bernardo Faria's BJJ Fanatics channel.
Common mistakes
- Moving the shoulders instead of the hips.
- No frames, so you escape into no space and get re-pinned.
- Flat feet. Without pushing off your feet, the hips do not travel.
- Tiny movements. One big, committed shrimp beats five small shuffles.
Frequently asked questions
What is a shrimp / hip escape in BJJ?
A solo movement that slides your hips away from your opponent to create space — the foundation of escapes and guard recovery. You frame, turn to your side, and push off your feet to move the hips back and out.
Why is the hip escape so important?
Because nearly every escape and guard recovery depends on creating space with your hips. It is the single most transferable movement in jiu-jitsu.
How do you do a hip escape correctly?
Frame with your arms, turn to your side, plant and push off your feet, and drive your hips backward and away — move the hips, not just the shoulders.
See it on The BJJ Project
Our primary video source for the encyclopedia is The BJJ Project — the channel of Rickson-lineage black belt Chris “Bones” Burns, a friend of the show. Here is that same hip movement put to work — recovering and retaining your guard:
▶ “Seated Guard Recovery — North-South” — Chris “Bones” Burns · The BJJ Project.
▶ “Fix My Jiu-Jitsu — Guard Retention” — The BJJ Project.
Learn from the source: the Rickson lineage
This emphasis on movement and framing over strength is the heart of the Rickson-Gracie approach. Go even deeper with Chris “Bones” Burns' The BJJ Project and Henry Akins' Hidden Jiu-Jitsu, and hear the philosophy on our podcast with Rickson-lineage black belts Scott Burr and James Driskill.
Part of the BJJ Encyclopedia. Videos are the property of their creators and are embedded from YouTube with credit — please support these instructors. Catch the podcast on YouTube and Spotify.