Side Control Escape — Bridge to Hip / Bridge to Knees

These escapes combine the bridging motion with lateral hip movement. In the bridge to hip escape, the defender bridges to destabilize the opponent and immediately shifts the hips out, creating space to recover full or half guard. The bridge to knees escape extends this idea by using the bridge to free the legs and return to a kneeling or turtle position, setting up a defensive posture or scramble. Both techniques are effective against opponents applying heavy chest pressure but require a strong sense of timing and coordination to avoid leaving the arms exposed.