Bottom side control is one of the most difficult positions to be stuck in during a fight. With gravity working against you and an opponent looking to apply pressure, strikes, or submissions, survival and escape require a blend of patience, technique, and strategy.

Avoid flatness at all costs; staying on your side, even slightly, allows for better mobility and escape potential. A well-timed bridge, shrimp, or underhook can create space to recover guard or initiate a reversal, but these movements must be efficient and calculated, as reckless energy expenditure can leave you more vulnerable.

The key to excelling from bottom side control lies in the patience game—staying composed, absorbing your opponent’s pressure intelligently, and waiting for the right moment to escape. Many practitioners panic in this position, leading to reckless movements that expose them to submissions or being mounted.

Using deceptive movements—faking a bridge to elicit a reaction or baiting them into shifting weight incorrectly—can set up effective escapes. A strong defensive mindset, combined with a willingness to ride out the storm and capitalize on small windows of opportunity, can turn a bad position into a winning strategy.

In a fight, bottom side control is never ideal, but with the right mindset and technique, it can be a temporary stop rather than a place to be finished.