Last updated: June 9, 2026
Quick Definition
Shrimping is a hip-escape movement in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu used to push the hips away from an opponent and create space on the ground. It takes its name from the curling, shrimp-like motion the body makes.
What is shrimping?
Shrimping is how a grappler on the bottom gets their hips out from under pressure. By pushing off the feet and shoulders, the practitioner slides the hips to one side and away from the opponent, opening up the room needed to recover guard or work toward an escape. Most BJJ players learn it in their first week, usually as a warm-up drill where everyone wriggles backward across the mat.
The movement goes by several names. Coaches call it the hip escape, the elbow escape, or sometimes snaking, and all of these point to the same basic action. Its roots trace back to judo groundwork, where similar hip movements were used to slip out of pins. In BJJ, the idea carries over almost unchanged: space beats strength, and the hips are the tool that makes space.
Why does any of this matter to a beginner trying to follow a class or a fan watching a match? Because almost every bottom-position escape starts here. Without the ability to move the hips, a pinned grappler stays flat and stuck. With it, frames start to work, and transitions open up.
How shrimping works
The motion looks small from the outside. A grappler lying on their back turns slightly onto one shoulder, plants the feet, and pushes the hips backward and to the side. The body bends at the waist for a moment, which is the curl that gives the technique its name, then straightens out a little further away from where it started.
Two details separate a working shrimp from a flailing one. The first is direction. Hips travel best on a diagonal, slipping around pressure rather than driving straight into it. The second is connection to the mat. A grappler who stays flat on their back creates too much friction and barely moves, while turning onto a shoulder frees the hips to slide.
Power comes from the legs and core, not the arms. That is why a smaller person can shrimp out from under someone much heavier, as long as the timing and angle are right.
Shrimping vs. bridging
These two escapes get confused constantly, partly because they often happen one after the other. The difference comes down to what moves. A bridge moves the opponent. A shrimp moves you.
| Shrimping (hip escape) | Bridging (upa) | |
|---|---|---|
| What moves | Your own hips slide away | The opponent gets lifted or shifted |
| Direction | Hips travel backward and to the side | Hips drive up toward the ceiling |
| Main job | Create space and recover guard | Off-balance the opponent, make room |
| Power source | Legs and core, on an angle | Hips and legs, driving upward |
| Common pairing | Follows a bridge to exploit the space | Sets up the shrimp that comes next |
A typical mount escape uses both. The bottom player bridges to disrupt the opponent’s base, then immediately shrimps into the gap that opens. Trying to shrimp first, with the opponent’s full weight settled on the chest, rarely works, which is one of the most common reasons beginners feel stuck.
Types of shrimping
Most gyms drill three variations, and knowing them helps a viewer recognise the movement in different situations.
| Type | Also called | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Backward shrimp | Standard shrimp | The body slides away from the head, the version taught first |
| Forward shrimp | Reverse shrimp | The hips move up toward the head instead of away |
| Lateral shrimp | Sideways shrimp | The hips shift side to side, useful for following a passing opponent |
The backward version shows up most in warm-ups and basic escapes. The forward and lateral variations come into play during guard retention, when a grappler has to chase a moving opponent and keep their hips facing the threat.
Why shrimping matters in BJJ
Shrimping appears in nearly every defensive sequence on the ground, which is why coaches drill it so early and so often. A few of the most common situations:
- Escaping side control, where the hip escape opens room to insert a knee and rebuild guard.
- Escaping mount, usually after a bridge breaks the opponent’s balance.
- Defending the back, where moving the hips helps a grappler turn in and stop hooks from settling.
- Retaining guard, where shrimping lets the bottom player follow a passing opponent and reset their frames.
Instructors at BJJ Graph describe a competent hip escape as a baseline expectation by blue belt, and the underlying movement pattern carries into more advanced techniques such as technical stand-ups and granby rolls. The mechanics never get left behind. A black belt is still shrimping, just faster and with better timing than the white belt drilling it for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shrimping the same as a hip escape?
Yes. Hip escape, elbow escape, and shrimping all describe the same movement of sliding the hips away from an opponent. Snaking is another informal name for it.
Why is it called shrimping?
The body curls at the waist during the movement, bending much like a shrimp does. The name comes from that visual resemblance.
Is shrimping only for beginners?
No. It is one of the first things a white belt learns, but advanced grapplers rely on it constantly to create angles and recover guard under pressure.
Should shrimping be explosive?
Not usually. Controlled, well-timed hip movement works better than raw speed, and small repeated shrimps often beat one big lunge.
Sources
- Evolve Daily. “How to Use Shrimping in BJJ to Create Space and Escape.” Accessed June 2026.
https://evolve-mma.com/blog/how-to-use-shrimping-in-bjj-to-create-space-and-escape/ - Elite Sports. “BJJ Shrimping Guide: How to Shrimp & What to Avoid.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.elitesports.com/blogs/news/bjj-shrimping-guide-how-to-shrimp-what-to-avoid - NAGA Fighter. “How to Shrimp in BJJ” and “What Is Bridging in BJJ?” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.nagafighter.com/how-to-shrimp-in-bjj/ and https://www.nagafighter.com/what-is-bridging-in-bjj/ - BJJ Graph. “Hip Escape | BJJ Technique.” Accessed June 2026.
https://bjjgraph.org/Transitions/Hip-Escape - Grapplearts. “The Ultimate Guide to Developing BJJ Hip Movement Through Shrimping.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.grapplearts.com/ultimate-guide-developing-bjj-hip-movement-shrimping/
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