The Ultimate Guide To Shrimping + 4 Best Variations To Try Today

Helio Gracie once said that the first key to victory is to not lose. Besides getting DQ-ed for an illegal leg lock, another way to lose is by tapping to a submission. Defending against a submission is essential — and it’s possible with shrimping!

Shrimping is one of the most fundamental moves to master on the mat. At the most basic level, it’s an escape from a bottom position. Mastering it further opens up a variety of escapes and even submission setups. 

In short, shrimping is important for anyone looking to improve their submission defense. By knowing how and when to shrimp, athletes can avoid submissions and attempt their own. 

Learn more about shrimping here and be bulletproof on the mats!

What Is Shrimping and When Is It Useful? 

Shrimping is a type of hip escape that allows a grappler to escape from a bottom position. There are many ways to perform the hip escape, but for the most part, shrimping involves pushing the opponent away and moving the hips to create space. 

The result is more distance between the grappler and the opponent. In the space created here, the grappler can move to a less precarious position or even a more advantageous one. 

Shrimping is useful in many situations. Often, it’s useful for getting out of bottom positions. In particular, athletes shrimp to get out of the bottom of side mount and full mount. Depending on how loose the opponent’s rear naked choke is, a grappler can shrimp and end up in a better position.  

What Are the Different Ways To Shrimp?

As mentioned earlier, there’s more than one way to shrimp. By knowing more than one shrimping technique, grapplers can choose the right hip escape for a given situation. 

Here are the different ways athletes and practitioners can shrimp and stay in the match: 

Two-legged Shrimp

The two-legged shrimp is the most basic yet effective way to escape from the bottom of side mount. To perform this shrimping method, the athlete must place one forearm against the opponent’s hip crease. The other forearm must be against the opponent’s throat to create pressure. 

The resulting pressure on the throat will cause the opponent to move away. From here, the athlete needs to turn towards the opponent and push away. While pushing the opponent, the athlete must move the hips as far away from the opponent by pushing the ground with both feet. 

The result is more space that’s just enough for the athlete to either stand back up or move to guard. Due to its simplicity, the two-legged shrimp is a move that white belts learn and apply quickly. 

Single-legged Shrimp

The execution of the single-legged shrimp doesn’t differ much from that of the two-legged shrimp. Because the athlete uses just one foot to move the hips, the single-legged shrimp is also useful for half-guard and full mount. 

From half-guard, the athlete performs the single-legged shrimp by pushing one of the opponent’s knees. As soon as the opponent’s knee moves back, the athlete must turn to the side of the knee. From here, the athlete moves the hips away by pushing the ground with one foot. The trailing foot slides past the opponent’s thigh, allowing the athlete to put the opponent in the guard position. 

Athletes can also perform the single-legged shrimp from the bottom of the full mount. To perform the single-legged shrimp from this position, the athlete needs to turn toward the side of the knee to be pushed. After turning, the athlete must push the opponent’s knee. 

The athlete must then move the hips back while sliding the leg on the same side of the opponent’s knee out. Once the leg is past the opponent’s knee, the athlete can move to half-guard. To get to full-guard, the athlete can repeat the steps on the other side. 

Forward Shrimp

The forward shrimp is another way to get out of side mount. Unlike the last two hip escapes mentioned, the forward shrimp allows the grappler to scramble out or take the opponent’s back. 

The athlete initiates the forward shrimp by sliding the arms and hands under the opponent. The athlete should have one hand on the opponent’s hip and another underneath the armpit. 

The athlete then bridges by pushing at the floor with both feet. From here, the athlete can turn to one side and push the opponent upward. 

The athlete can then choose to stand back up or take the opponent’s back. 

Side Shrimp

The side shrimp is an excellent way to get out of the knee-on-belly position. 

As soon as the opponent gets one knee on the belly, the athlete must turn toward the opponent. From here, the athlete must push the opponent’s knee off the belly. While doing this, the athlete shrimps by pushing the floor with one foot — the one that’s on the mat. The athlete must then move the body and hips away from the opponent. 

Five Ways To Mess Up Shrimping: Common Mistakes and Consequences

On the surface, shrimping may seem easier than tying a belt. Like tying a belt, it’s a simple move that we see many students get wrong. At Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu, we’ve seen three common mistakes when BJJ athletes and our students shrimp. Here they are: 

1. “Wacky Hands”

Most students and athletes easily learn to scoot the butt back, but many forget that the point of shrimping is to defend oneself from a submission attempt. Forgetting this, many BJJ practitioners push an opponent away using a wide grip — ala bench press. With the arms out in the open, the opponent can grab one and attempt a submission. 

The best way to avoid this is to push the opponent using a grip width that’s as narrow as possible. Grip widths vary from one student to another. A good rule of thumb is to push using a grip that’s narrower than the shoulders. 

By doing this, it’s easier to push an opponent away, and the student avoids an arm lock. 

2. Turning Towards the Posted Leg

When shrimping, turning to one side is a must to create space, but athletes should turn on the side of the trailing leg and not the posted leg. 

Turning towards the posted leg does two things. First, it prevents the hips from sliding on the mat. Second, because doing so inhibits hip movement, the opponent retains the top position. Worse yet, the athlete can be on the receiving end of an armbar. 

3. Shrimping Without Explosiveness

Shrimping slowly doesn’t just look silly; it’s downright useless. Without speed to the movement, the opponent will anticipate the athlete’s defensive intent. As a result, the opponent will have already transitioned to a better position before the athlete completes the shrimp. 

4. Shrimping Flat

Sometimes, a student or athlete may be shrimping correctly and quickly but remain under the opponent. When this happens, the student is often shrimping while lying flat. Shrimping flat is a common mistake for students, and it leaves them in a precarious position. 

Yes, shrimping with the back against the mat can work. However, escaping using the hips and legs is much more effective when students turn to one side as they escape. 

5. Shrimping With the Neck Sticking Out

At Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu, we teach something called the turtle defense. A turtle defense is a defensive position where the arms are tight or narrow, and the chin is close to the chest. This position protects parts of the body that are most susceptible to submission attempts: the arms and neck. 

When a student shrimps with the neck out, the student can risk getting choked. A choke is an even greater possibility if the opponent specializes in North-South chokes or D’arce chokes. 

Arms Tight. Chin Tucked. Hips Out = Staying in the Game

Shrimping is an essential move to master for any athlete looking to defend submissions effectively. It’s also a must for the BJJ athlete who loves reversals. 

In short, learn to shrimp. If you need a place to submission-proof your game, come by Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu!

Try a week of evidence-based rolling on us today!