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Purple belt · Escape · Key

Crucifix escape

How to stop and escape the crucifix: protect the arm in turtle, then neck first and turn into them. Use it when they trap your arm with their legs from turtle.

Back taken Turtled

Every BJJ White Belt Needs to Know This Crucifix Escape | Quick Tutorial · BIG OSS Jiu-Jitsu Channel · YouTube · shown in the gi; the mechanics carry over

Step by step

  1. Prevent it: in turtle, keep your near elbow tight to your knee. The crucifix starts when they trap that arm with their legs.
  2. If they hook your arm with a leg, pull the elbow back to your knee before they lock their legs on it.
  3. If they roll you onto your back, tuck your chin and get your free hand to your neck. Their free arm will go for a choke or your wrist.
  4. Keep your trapped arm bent. A bent arm can't be armlocked.
  5. Walk your feet and turn your chest toward them so your back comes off their chest. As their legs loosen, pull the trapped arm out and come up to your knees.
  6. Tap if your trapped arm is straight and they pull on it, or the choke gets under your chin.

Details that make it work

  • Stop the arm trap in turtle. Escaping a settled crucifix is much harder.
  • Neck first, then the arm, then turn.

Common mistakes

  • Reaching out to post your free hand, which lets them trap it too.
  • Bridging straight up, which exposes your neck.

Drill it

Partner sets the crucifix from turtle at 50%: 5 arm-trap stops each side. Then 3 × 1 min from a settled crucifix.

If it fails, or what comes next

This defends against

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