Hip Movement
Hip movement enables you to create space, apply leverage, and control your opponent with efficiency and precision. Whether escaping, attacking, or transitioning, mastering hip movement will significantly improve your game and make you a more effective grappler.
Why Hip Movement Is Important in BJJ
Escapes
- Effective hip movement is critical for creating space and breaking free from bad positions.
Examples
- Shrimping
- Moving your hips away from your opponent allows you to escape side control or mount and recover guard.
- Bridge and roll (Upa)
- Driving your hips explosively upward is the primary motion to initiate the escape from mount.
Your hips are your engine for generating the space and leverage needed to escape dominant positions.
Guard Retention
- Maintaining and recovering guard relies heavily on precise hip movement to adjust angles, block passes, and create space.
Examples
- Hip shifting
- Moving your hips laterally helps you realign and recover guard when your opponent is trying to pass.
- Leg pummeling
- Combining hip mobility with leg movement stops your opponent's progress during a guard pass.
Active hips are key to retaining guard and neutralizing passing attempts.
Sweeps
- Hip movement generates the leverage and momentum needed to off-balance your opponent and execute sweeps.
Examples
- Scissor Sweep
- The swinging motion of your hips is what helps off-balance your opponent and complete the sweep.
- Butterfly Sweep
- Elevating your opponent’s hips with your own while angling correctly ensures a smooth sweep.
Efficient hip motion turns sweeps into high-percentage techniques by maximizing leverage.
Submissions
- Many submissions require precise hip alignment and motion to isolate limbs, apply pressure, or secure control.
Examples
- Armbar
- Moving your hips under their shoulder provides the leverage needed to hyperextend the arm.
- Triangle choke
- Adjusting your hips to a perpendicular angle tightens the choke and makes it harder for your opponent to escape.
Hip alignment and elevation amplify pressure in most submission techniques.
Transitions
- Dynamic transitions between positions depend on your ability to move your hips smoothly and efficiently.
Examples
- From side control to mount
- Sliding your hips over their torso allows for a seamless transition to mount.
- From mount to back control
- Rolling your hips correctly enables you to secure hooks and maintain control during the transition.
Smooth hip transitions maintain control and prevent counters during positional changes.
Generating Power
- The hips are the center of your body’s strength. Proper hip movement allows you to apply force efficiently during attacks and defenses.
Examples
- Bridging
- Driving with your hips generates the explosive force needed for positional escapes.
- Guard attacks
- Hip elevation adds power to submissions like armbars and triangles.
Use your hips to engage your entire body, rather than relying on upper-body strength alone.
Creating Angles
- Hip mobility helps you adjust angles, giving you better leverage and opportunities for attacks or sweeps.
Maintaining Pressure
- When on top, hip movement is key to adjusting your pressure and staying heavy on your opponent.
Examples
- Knee-on-belly
- Adjusting your hips keeps your weight centered and prevents your opponent from escaping.
- Side control
- Hip adjustments help you stay connected and control your opponent’s movement.
Hip positioning ensures consistent pressure, making it harder for your opponent to create space.
Balance and Base
- Good hip movement helps you maintain balance and recover your base when under pressure or during scrambles.
Examples
- Defending a sweep
- Shifting your hips quickly helps you stay stable and resist being swept.
- While passing guard
- Adjusting your hips allows you to stay balanced and avoid counters.
Hip mobility keeps your base stable, even when your opponent tries to disrupt it.
Guard Passing
- Many guard-passing techniques rely on precise hip movement to bypass your opponent’s legs and control their torso.
Examples
- Knee slice pass
- Driving your hips forward creates the pressure needed to cut through their guard.
- Torreando pass
- Using lateral hip movement to adjust your angle ensures a clean pass.
Active hips help you clear their guard and establish control during passes.
How to Improve Hip Movement in BJJ
Drill shrimping
- Shrimping drills build muscle memory for creating space and escaping.
Practice bridging
- Incorporate explosive bridges into your warm-ups to strengthen your hips.
Focus on guard drills
- Work on hip positioning and adjustments during guard retention and sweeps.
Yoga and flexibility training
- Improve your hip mobility and range of motion to make movements smoother.
Live rolling
- Pay attention to how your hips feel during rolls and focus on keeping them active.