Hip movement is one of the foundation movements of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and plays an important role in the effectiveness of both offensive and defensive techniques. This fundamental principle is so central to BJJ that it’s often taught as one of the very first skills a new white belt must learn. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, refining your ability to control and move your hips can significantly elevate your grappling game. In today’s article, we will take a look at why hip movement is such a central part of BJJ and grappling as a whole.

Why Hip Movement Is Fundamental To BJJ

BJJ is often referred to as “the gentle art” because it emphasizes leverage and technique over brute strength. Among these, hip movement is known as a big ingredient because it allows you to generate space for either offensive or defensive techniques. Proper hip movement can dictate the flow of the match and determine whether you remain in a dominant or inferior position.

One of the essential reasons why hip movement is so critical in BJJ is that it enables you to make efficient use of your body mechanics. By utilizing your hips, you create a bridge between your upper and lower body, allowing for smooth transitions and a greater range of control over your opponent. The ability to adjust your hips while maintaining balance and posture provides you with more options in both attack and defense.

Hip movement is also vital for off-balancing (Kuzushi) your opponent, whether you’re trying to pass their guard, control them in side control, or escape from a disadvantageous position. Without precise hip movement, many techniques in BJJ would be impossible to perform with any real effectiveness.

Using Hip Movement To Escape Pins

To understand the importance of hip movement in BJJ, let’s consider one of the most basic escapes – the shrimp or hip escape from bottom side control. Often taught to beginners in their first few classes, the shrimp escape is a prime example of how proper hip movement can turn a bad situation into an opportunity to regain control.

When you’re in bottom-side control, your opponent is pinning you with their weight, controlling your upper body and limiting your ability to move. Without effective hip movement, you may feel stuck and unable to escape. However, by executing the shrimp escape, you create space to recover your guard or shift to a more favorable position, as shown in the video above. The general premise is to simply establish frames at the onset to create some room to breathe. Once this is in place, you can hip escape at an angle to move your body away from the pin. From here, you can then move to guard or disengage.

Using Hip Movement In Guard Retention And Sweeps

Beyond escapes, hip movement plays a vital role in guard retention and sweeps. Whether you’re defending against a guard pass or looking to set up a sweep, your ability to control your hips will determine how effectively you can control the pace and positioning of the match.

In guard retention, you often use your hips to angle your body, ensuring that your opponent cannot bypass your legs. For example, when your opponent tries to pass your guard by moving to the side, you can use a hip escape to square your body with theirs and prevent them from establishing side control. By continuously shifting your hips and adjusting your body, you create a dynamic movement that makes it difficult for your opponent to pin you down or pass your guard.

Hip movement also plays a critical role in maintaining an offensive guard. For example, in an open or half guard, your ability to move your hips allows you to create the necessary angles for sweeps and submissions. A lack of mobility in the hips would render these guards ineffective.

When executing sweeps, you must first create an angle using your hips to off-balance your opponent. If your hips are not positioned correctly, your sweep will lack the leverage and force needed to succeed. Sweeps rely on precise hip movement to create angles and make your opponent off-balance, making it easier to reverse positions and end up on top.

Hip Movement In Guard Passing And Submissions

Just as hip movement is vital for defense, it’s also crucial for executing guard passes and submissions effectively. When passing an opponent’s guard, you need to maintain control of your hips while neutralizing the opponent’s movement. One example is the long step pass, which requires you to shift your hips at a backward angle to pass the opponent’s guard. Without efficient hip movement, your pass will not work.

In submissions, hip movement is what generates the necessary torque or pressure to finish a technique. In an armbar, for example, your hips are what traps your opponent’s arm, creating opportunities for the tap. The same goes for triangle chokes, where your hips play a big role in tightening the submission.

Drills To Improve Hip Mobility

To improve your BJJ game, you need to train your hips for both mobility and explosiveness. There are a variety of drills that can help you develop the necessary range of motion and strength in your hips for better control on the mat. Here is an excellent example of drills you can do at home to improve mobility and flexibility. Remember to do these regularly to see rapid improvement.

Conclusion

Hip movement is an essential and fundamental aspect of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Whether you are escaping from bad positions, executing sweeps, passing guard, or applying submissions, your ability to control and move your hips effectively will make a world of difference in your grappling game. By continuously practicing and refining your hip movement, you’ll find yourself becoming a more technical grappler over time. If you are a beginner in the art of BJJ, we encourage you to implement movement drills as part of your training as soon as possible.

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