Hip Escape

One of the basic concepts of unarmed self-defense is creating distance between you and your attacker. This can be done vertically or horizontally. In this video, PDN Contributor Cecil Burch demonstrates a horizontal displacement move called the hip escape. It comes from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is also known as shrimping. It can be used if you are pinned on the ground by an attacker. The goal is to move the hip that is closest to the attacker as far away as possible.

How Does It Work?

Start from the survival posture and maintain it throughout the move: forearms in and between your torso and the attacker’s, and face the attacker. Do not overexpose any part of your body. To execute the hip escape, unweight your body as much as you can. Put all your weight on one shoulder and the opposite foot. Every other body part comes up off the ground. Then turn the hips and throw your butt out to the side. The farther you can move it, the more space you will create.

Like some other unarmed self-defense techniques, the hip escape may need to be executed two, three or four times — as many times as you need to create the space that allows you to implement your next move. Each time you do the move, aim to get the maximum distance. The attacker will most likely still be coming after you, and one repetition will not be enough.

Practice Techniques

When learning the hip escape, first do it by yourself with no resistance until you feel confident. Then ask a training partner to lie on top of you as dead weight, giving you just a little room to move. When you can execute it well, you’ll be ready to incorporate it with other moves in a sparring session.