100% It's a lesson taught by the masters to the beginners, but even the masters sometimes forget it too. It seems to apply to almost everything. I know 'Mechanical Advantage' is obvious to everyone here, but to really get the true sense of someone who has a solid grasp of it, you see the way Cruz, Dillashaw, Lomachencko, Johnson apply it. If they can't fight from the superior angle, they take steps to change it - even use fakes just to get there. I'm not a wrestler but I see how well those guys use angles and levers to ply thier trade. BJJ is seemingly all about it too, the way Marcelo just slices through guards at an angle is a thing of beauty. I used to get stuck in crucifixes alot and I never saw this escape. I'll be sure to remember it! My current one involves going the other way and trying to kinda corkscrew towards thier head side, using these little bridges and shrimps. It's akin to a dying fish. Worked - but this looks much more elegent and does not rely on size!
So ...I just got a Black Friday deal on the Kimora Trap System. I view one technique called the “Avellan Pin” and I was thinking why would I ever want to do that? The counter to your escape with a Kimora grip is the Avellan Pin. In your escape you need to hook the bottom leg, not so much to prevent an arm break but to prevent a back take. If you hook the top leg the Avellan Pin is designed to take your back.
There is one piece that is missing, These details will aid your escape IF the offensive player is not hunting the choke and armlock simultaneously. I have been absolutely obsessed with finishes from the Crucifix for a couple of years and it has been my absolute primary submission focus in all my training round for several months. As Kurt Osiander would say, “You F*ck up a long time ago”. Focus on not giving up your back but by the time both arms are trapped and the neck is wrapped, you should practice tapping out. Just saying.
My friend... I’m a BJJ black belt and achieve this position with some regularity. And Ritchie uses this exact strategy to escape from my crucifix with some regularity as well!
