Gummy Bear Escape

Student Objectives:

  1. The student will distinguish between the Over Under, Double Under and Double Over arm positions with someone on their back.
  2. The student will recognize the value of using the floor to defend their back.

Teaching Cues:

  • Gummy Bear
  • Hands to the Knee
  • Walk the Feet
  • Wave to the Rainbow
  • Thread the Needle
  • Combat Base

Lesson: Gummy Bear Escape

The practicing student will sit on the floor with their legs in the butterfly stretching position.  Their arms should be gently lifted to expose the space under their armpits.  The assisting student will sit directly behind the practicing student and wrap their legs around the waist.  The assisting student will then enter into a gentle hug, clasping their hands around the torso.  Remind the assisting student to be a good training partner and to start the practice of the technique with a gentle hug as it will give the practicing student some time to build an understanding of how the technique works.

Once in the starting position the practicing student will take both hands and make a grip on the knee of the assisting student.  This position is symmetrical and either knee can be chosen.  Once the knee has been controlled the practicing student will start to shuffle their feet to the same side as the knee they are controlling.  This should slightly angle their back towards the floor.  

The practicing student should continue to angle their back towards the floor until their back makes contact with the floor.  Encourage the practicing student to shimmy/wiggle their back towards the floor.  These movements, combined with walking their feet towards the grip on the knee, should make it possible to get their back to the floor.  Note: the practicing student may be laying on top of the arm of the assisting student.  

The grip on the knee is extremely important in preventing future opponents from mounting.  Control of the knee should be maintained throughout the technique.

Once the back is on the floor, the practicing student will let go with the inside hand (arm closest to the partner) and wave that arm between the bodies.  This will allow the practicing student to switch their hips and turn into the guard to come up on top.  The other hand should still maintain the grip on the knee to prevent the assisting student from putting them in closed guard.

The ending position can change depending on the spacing, and how hard they switch their hips when they come up.  The two most common ending positions are Combat Base and Closed Guard.

Possible Extensions:

  • Once the student comes up into the combat Base position they can easily complete the Knee Cut. There should be a focus on the grip of the pants when they switch their hips.  If they push too hard on that grip it can make the Knee Cut difficult.
  • If the practicing student knows how to do the Body Shuck or the Double Under Pass, these both pair well with the Gummy Bear Escape.
  • Have the students start in the Gummy Bear position with the assisting student having their hooks.  The assisting student should thread their hand around the neck as if they are attacking a Rear Naked Choke.  The practicing student will then hand fight to take a cross grip on the wrist as it is coming around the neck and separate the arm from the body.  Then the practicing student can bring their other hand cose to the body (like the Home Alone Hand) and slide it between the practicing student’s arm and their body.  This will thread the second arm into the armpit and allow the Gummy Bear Escape as before.

Possible Refinements:

  • Often students will struggle with walking their legs to make the angle for their back to hit the floor.  While arching the upper body and attempting to put it on the floor is important, that space is made through walking the feet.  If there is any doubt about this portion please reference the videos or graphics to gain a better understanding of the pathway of the feet.
  • Some students struggle with understanding the arm positioning and the resulting implications of various hand and arm positioning.  This technique is a good time to discuss the limitations of escapes depending on arm positioning.
  • When “waving to the rainbow” make sure the practicing student picks a pathway that allows them to turn into their partner.  This should also be done in a controlled manner as to avoid chopping their partner in the face.

Reference materials:

Teaching Reflections:

  • How did I do teaching?
  • What could I do better next time?
  • Did the student gain proficiency in lesson material?

‍