From the bottom perspective, being caught in Rodeo Ride represents a challenging defensive scenario where the opponent has established dynamic control over your turtle position. Unlike more stable top positions where you can wait for specific openings, Rodeo Ride’s transitional nature means the top practitioner is constantly threatening multiple attacks and positional advancements. Your primary defensive objectives are to prevent back exposure, avoid submissions, and work systematically toward guard recovery or standing escape.
The fundamental challenge of defending Rodeo Ride is that traditional turtle defensive principles—keeping elbows tight, head protected, and base wide—are necessary but insufficient. The top practitioner’s perpendicular positioning and constant pressure adjustments mean you must be equally dynamic in your defensive responses. Every movement you make to defend one attack potentially opens you to another, creating the dilemma-based scenario that makes this position so effective for the attacker. Understanding this dynamic is crucial: you cannot simply defend passively and wait for the position to resolve itself.
Successful escape from Rodeo Ride requires a systematic approach that prioritizes maintaining defensive structure while creating opportunities for movement. The key is to recognize which defensive priority is most urgent at any given moment—sometimes you need to protect your neck from choke attacks, other times you need to prevent the seat belt grip that leads to back control, and still other times you must address the near-arm control that’s limiting your mobility. Advanced practitioners develop the ability to read the top player’s weight distribution and grip configuration to anticipate their next attack and position themselves to counter it preemptively rather than reactively.
Position Definition
- Bottom practitioner in turtle position with hands and knees on mat, attempting to maintain protective posture with elbows tucked close to body and head protected while bearing top practitioner’s dynamic pressure across back and shoulders
- Top practitioner’s hips loaded on bottom practitioner’s back or side torso, with chest making contact with shoulder area and one leg posted for base while other applies pressure to hip or thigh, creating asymmetric weight distribution
- Near-side arm controlled or threatened by top practitioner through wrist control, elbow control, or shoulder pressure, limiting bottom practitioner’s ability to post and create defensive frames on that side
- Bottom practitioner’s base under constant attack from top practitioner’s pressure adjustments and grip fighting, requiring continuous micro-adjustments to prevent being flattened or rolled over
- Neck and collar area under threat from top practitioner’s choking attempts or collar grips, requiring bottom practitioner to maintain chin protection and prevent deep grip penetration while working on escape mechanics
Prerequisites
- Bottom practitioner has entered turtle position from guard, takedown defense, or scramble situation
- Top practitioner has established initial control over bottom practitioner’s upper body or near arm
- Bottom practitioner unable to immediately recover guard or stand up due to top pressure
- Sufficient space exists between bottom practitioner’s hips and mat for top practitioner to load pressure
Key Defensive Principles
- Maintain defensive turtle structure with elbows tight and head protected even while attempting escapes
- Never allow both arms to be controlled simultaneously—always keep one arm free for posting and framing
- Create movement toward guard recovery rather than attempting to stand against established control
- Protect neck and prevent deep collar grips that enable choking attacks
- Use explosive timing when top practitioner shifts weight or adjusts grips to create escape windows
- Prioritize preventing back exposure over all other defensive concerns
- Accept temporary exposure in less critical areas to defend most urgent threats
Available Escapes
Turtle to Guard → Closed Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 50%
Technical Stand-up → Standing Position
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 25%
- Advanced: 40%
Granby Roll → Open Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 10%
- Intermediate: 20%
- Advanced: 35%
Rolling to Guard → Half Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 45%
Elbow Escape → Half Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 12%
- Intermediate: 25%
- Advanced: 40%
Sit Through Escape → Butterfly Guard
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 10%
- Intermediate: 20%
- Advanced: 35%
Standing up in Base → Combat Base
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 8%
- Intermediate: 18%
- Advanced: 30%
Decision Making from This Position
If top practitioner establishes seat belt grip or hooks threatening back control:
- Execute Fight Hands → Maintain Turtle Structure (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Roll to Guard → Half Guard (Probability: 40%)
If top practitioner attacks with clock choke or collar choke:
- Execute Chin Protection → Defensive Position (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Explosive Stand → Standing Position (Probability: 30%)
If top practitioner’s weight is high on shoulders with minimal hip control:
- Execute Granby Roll → Open Guard (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Sit Through → Butterfly Guard (Probability: 45%)
If top practitioner controls near arm but far side is free:
- Execute Roll to Free Side → Half Guard (Probability: 55%)
- Execute Technical Stand-up → Standing Position (Probability: 40%)
Escape and Survival Paths
Primary escape to safety
Rodeo Ride Bottom → Rolling to Guard → Half Guard → Guard Recovery
Standing escape path
Rodeo Ride Bottom → Technical Stand-up → Standing Position → Guard Pull
Defensive guard recovery
Rodeo Ride Bottom → Turtle to Guard → Closed Guard → Posture Recovery
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 30% | 20% | 5% |
| Intermediate | 45% | 35% | 10% |
| Advanced | 65% | 50% | 15% |
Average Time in Position: 45-120 seconds before resolution
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
Defending Rodeo Ride requires understanding that you are in a transitional disadvantage where the opponent has multiple high-percentage paths to superior positions. The critical defensive concept is maintaining what I call ‘structural integrity under dynamic pressure’—your turtle position must remain fundamentally sound even as you make the small movements necessary to create escape opportunities. The biomechanical challenge is that traditional static turtle defense is insufficient here; you must develop the ability to maintain defensive structure while creating movement. Focus on the relationship between your elbow position and your knee position—these must remain connected to prevent the opponent from inserting hooks or achieving back control. When escaping, your primary mechanical objective is to create a rotational moment that moves your hips away from the opponent’s control while simultaneously recovering a guard position. The timing of this rotation is crucial: wait for the opponent’s weight to shift forward toward your shoulders, then use that moment to rotate your hips back and recover guard.
Gordon Ryan
From the bottom of Rodeo Ride against high-level opponents, you need to accept that you’re in a bad position and your goal is damage control, not heroic escapes. The mistake I see constantly is people trying to explode out immediately, which just gives the top player what they want—movement they can capitalize on. Instead, stay heavy in your turtle, make them work for every inch of control, and wait for specific moments to attempt escapes. Against someone like me who’s good at this position, your best bet is usually to roll to half guard when I commit my weight high attacking your neck. If I’m staying patient with good weight distribution, you might need to accept the back take and focus on defending the choke instead. In competition, I’d rather give up back control on my terms (when I’m ready to defend hands) than get caught in a clock choke or bow and arrow from turtle. The other key detail: never let your far arm get trapped. I can finish you from so many positions if I secure that crucifix control.
Eddie Bravo
The Rodeo Ride bottom position is actually an opportunity if you’ve trained the 10th Planet turtle game. Most people panic here and that’s exactly what gets them in trouble. What we teach is to stay calm, maintain your turtle structure, and use the lockdown mindset even though you’re in turtle—control what you can control. When the top guy attacks, that’s your window. If they go for the clock choke, that’s when you sit through to butterfly. If they commit to taking the back, you can sometimes catch them with a rolling reversal if your timing is sharp. The Granby roll is one of our primary escapes here, but it has to be explosive and committed—half-speed granby rolls just give up your back. Another underutilized option is the technical stand-up when they get too focused on upper body control. If you can get your hips under you and create that initial space, you can often disengage completely. The key is not being predictable—if you always try the same escape, good top players will anticipate and counter it. Mix up your timing and your escape selection.