Become Fighter
The bridge: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
The upa: driving your hips up and over to throw weight off you.
The bridge is the other half of escaping from underneath. The shrimp slides your hips away. The bridge drives your hips up and forward to unbalance someone sitting on you.
Alone, you train the shape: strong feet, high hips, safe shoulders. It also builds the back, glutes and neck muscles that keep you comfortable on the floor.
Key points
- Feet flat and close to your hips, knees bent and pointing up.
- Drive through your feet and lift your hips as high as you can.
- Land on your upper back and shoulders, not your head. Keep your chin tucked.
- Bridge to the side by turning your hips and rolling onto one shoulder.
- Return to the floor with control. Do not drop.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Bridging up onto the head. Keep your chin tucked and your weight on your upper back. If you feel pressure on your head, bring your feet closer and go lower.
- Feet too far from the hips. Bring the heels in. The closer they are, the higher your hips go.
- Pushing with the arms. Your arms are frames, not props. All the drive comes from the feet.
- Dropping from the top. Lower your hips under control. A dropped bridge is a bruised tailbone.
Combinations that use it
- bjj-bridge-shrimp: Bridge, Hip escape
- bjj-bridge-shrimp-stand: Bridge, Hip escape, Technical stand-up
- bjj-bridge-roll: Bridge, Bridge and roll from mount
- bjj-bridge-shrimp-granby-stand: Bridge, Hip escape, Granby roll, Technical stand-up
Related techniques
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Solo movement module of Jiu-jitsu foundations.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Solo movement
- Technical stand-up: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
- The granby roll: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
- The sit-through: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
← All Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.