North-South Escapes Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Escaping North-South." Print it. The article explains why the choke sets the clock and why the spin-out and the knees are the two doors. This book trains them: choke-defense standards prin…
| Art | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
|---|---|
| Family | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Level | beginner |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | groundwork, safety, training-plans |
Mat Manual companion guide to "Escaping North-South." Print it. The article explains why the choke sets the clock and why the spin-out and the knees are the two doors. This book trains them: choke-defense standards printed on every escape card, escape progressions at rising pressure with the feeder's dosage written out, chain maps to turtle and guard, and positional-sparring gates that open in order, defense-only rounds first.
Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Current grade: ______________ Coach: ______________ Starting side tested first (defense left / right): ______________
BEFORE ANYTHING: SCOPE AND SAFETY ☐ The north-south choke is the clock in every part of this book. Choke defense is taught and checked before any escape is drilled, and the choke-defense standard is printed on every escape card. No card may be run without it. ☐ Tapping is correct technique, not failure. Tap early, tap clearly, with a hand, a foot, or your voice. A tap ends the rep at once, at any stage, and nobody argues with a tap. ☐ Chokes in drilling are applied slowly, at the stage's stated pressure, and released the instant the tap or the coach's word arrives. A feeder who squeezes to finish in a defense drill has failed the drill, whatever the bottom player did. ☐ Neck pain that is sharp, radiating, or still present the next day ends choke work for the day and is reported to your coach. Muscle effort and pressure discomfort are training; joint and nerve symptoms are information. ☐ Positional rounds in this book start from the pin as stated. No strikes, no slams, no neck cranks, no twisting the head to finish a choke. The choke is an arm and shoulder position or it is not trained here. ☐ Your coach's version of each escape governs in your room. Note variations on the cards and train the version you will be graded and coached on.
Part 1: The Position Card
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | North-south: top player chest to chest over the bottom player, head toward the bottom player's hips, legs spread toward the bottom player's head |
| Bottom player's first problem | The north-south choke: an arm wrapping the neck, closed by shoulder and chest pressure |
| Bottom player's second problem | Weight settled high on the chest and head, frames pointing the wrong way for side-control habits |
| Survival posture | Forearms framing the neck and jaw, elbows tucked to the ribs, chin down, feet planted, knees bent (Part 2) |
| Choke-defense standard | Printed on every card in this book: face turned toward the wrapping arm, chin down, nearest hand inside the gap before it closes, second hand protecting the far side |
| Door one | The spin-out: bridge, turn, spin under the chest, come up to the knees (Part 5) |
| Door two | Going to the knees: frame, bridge and shrimp, turn to a tight turtle (Part 6) |
| Destinations | Turtle as a pause, then guard, standing, or a re-guard roll (Part 7) |
| The position is escaped when | The bottom player reaches knees, turtle with the neck safe, or guard, with no choke grip still closed |
| Your coach's variations | Spin finish: ______________ First turtle exit taught: ______________ Gi grips allowed in feeding: ______________ |
North-South Escapes Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "Escaping North-South." Print it. The article explains why the choke sets the clock and why the spin-out and the knees are the two doors. This book trains them: choke-defense standards printed on every escape card, escape progressions at rising pressure with the feeder's dosage written out, chain maps to turtle and guard, and positional-sparring gates that open in order, defense-only rounds first.
What's Inside
- Part 1: The Position Card
- Part 2: The Survival Posture Standard
- Part 3: The Choke-Defense Card
- Part 4: Framing Lanes
- Part 5: The Spin-Out Card
- Part 6: Going to the Knees Card
- …and 22 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: Escaping North-South — the full article, free in full.
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