Side to Win

This is post 4 in a 6-part series.

For self defense, simplicity is key. You cannot afford to find yourself in a fight and have too many options going through your head. You must be able to react immediately. So that said, this series will attempt to give you a breakdown of what movements you should drill until they are automatic.

Naturally, different people will have different opinions, so the techniques suggested will be drawn from those most often used with success in MMA. Additionally, there are more options from each position than could ever be presented in a single blog post, so major alternatives will be presented in a list immediately following the highlighted techniques.

Also, note that the strategy presented will be from the point of view of a jiu-jitsu fighter. A striking oriented fighter might use the major alternatives presented here as their go-to moves, while using the grappling philosophy as their backup plans. This does not indicate one style as being superior to another. Rather, it is indicative of different fighting strategies, both of which are proven and tested to be effective.

The Side

The Side offers a few offensive opportunities. One often finds himself here after passing the Guard, or after a good takedown. A good strategy would be to use the Side to wear down an opponent, then as an opportunity to get to the Mount (or Back), or to catch a submission on an unwary opponent.

Submissions
* Kata gatame - the arm triangle choke
* Ude garami - both the Americana and Kimura variations are available here.
* Also, one can move to the Mount.

Variations
* Scarf holds: the Scarf Hold is easy to transition into from the Side, and it prevents the opponent from putting you in the Guard. The Reverse Scarf Hold is easy to move into, and provides opportunity to Mount the oppoment.
* Wedge (also known as North-South): offers a great juji gatame / ude garami combo, plus the ability to transition to either Side, the Mount, and even the Back.

Escapes
One can escape by shrimping to Guard or by going to the knees. Going to the knees is by far the riskier movement.

Strikes
Mostly knees and elbows are used from the Side. There are a few (weird angle) punches, and shoulder bombs that can be employed.

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