All-fours survival
Turtle is when you are on your elbows and knees with someone on top of you. This tutorial shows how to protect your neck, stop the hooks, and when to roll to your back.
The shell
Turtle (also called all fours): you are on your elbows and knees with your head tucked. It is not a good place, but it is safe if the shell is tight.
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This is turtle: you are on your elbows and knees, head down, with them on top. Turtle in the library ›
- Elbows touching your knees.
- Knees under your hips, hips low.
- Chin down.
- Hands guarding your collar.
You protect two things: your neck and your hips. If no hand reaches your neck and no hook reaches your hips, the turtle holds.
What the attacker wants
The attacker wants the seatbelt grip, then the hooks. Seatbelt plus hooks is back control: 4 points, and the choke is next.
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This is the seatbelt they want: one arm over your shoulder, one under your arm. Seatbelt in the library ›
The near hook usually comes first. It goes in on the side where their knee already touches your hip.
Your partner has the seatbelt. Their knee is tight against your right hip. You keep your right elbow on your right knee. There is no space for their foot to slide in.
Deny the hook
- Close the shell before they open it.
- Block any hand that goes to your neck.
- Keep your elbow on your knee on the hook side.
- Hand fight the arm over your shoulder.
- If they push forward, walk your knees back under your hips.
When to roll to your back
Once a hook is in, the turtle is gone. If you stay on your knees, they flatten you onto your belly with both hooks in.
So roll to your back yourself, before they flatten you. Land in the back survival position.
- Hands at your neck first.
- Roll over your shoulder onto your back.
- Scoop your hips down.
- Hand fight the choking arm.
The back survival position is in Back survival.
How the shell breaks
- Lifting your head to look. Your chin opens and a hand reaches your neck.
- Letting your hips go flat. The hooks go in for free.
- Posting your hands out wide. Your elbows leave your knees.
- Reaching back to grab their leg. The hook goes in anyway.
- Hips high with knees far back. There is a gap for a hook.
You are in turtle. You lift your head to see where your partner is. Their hand slides under your jaw. In the gi, this becomes the clock choke.
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This is the clock choke you are trying to stop: their arm is across your neck. Clock Choke in the library ›
You are in turtle. Your partner is at your side with the seatbelt, and their foot is not in yet. What stops the near hook?
Train it on the Path
Reading is the first step. The All-fours survival unit has 5 short lessons: you see a position and pick the best move.
The Path goes in order: start free from lesson one and you reach All-fours survival on the way. With Rolla Plus you can jump straight here.