Become Fighter
The granby roll: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
Spinning on your shoulders to turn your legs back towards an opponent.
The granby roll is how you turn when someone is on your side or hips and shrimping is not enough. You spin on your shoulders, bring your legs back round, and end up facing them again.
It looks odd the first time. Done slowly on a soft floor it is a safe, fun roll and one of the best ways to build mat sense alone.
Key points
- Start on your back with your knees up and your chin tucked.
- Turn onto one shoulder, never on the top of your head.
- Spin your legs over the top and finish on your hip, sitting, facing the other way.
- Keep your hands up as frames.
- Roll both ways. One side will feel strange. That is the one to practise more.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Rolling on the top of the head. Roll over the shoulder with the head off the floor. If your head takes the weight, stop and slow down.
- Using a huge, wild swing. Small arc, controlled legs. The turn comes from the shoulder.
- Stopping halfway. Finish seated and facing the way you started. A half roll leaves you exposed.
- Only practising one side. Alternate sides every rep.
Combinations that use it
- bjj-shrimp-granby: Hip escape, Granby roll
- bjj-granby-stand: Granby roll, Technical stand-up
- bjj-sit-granby: Sit-through, Granby roll
- bjj-sit-granby-stand: Sit-through, Granby roll, Technical stand-up
- 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
- The bridge: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
- Technical stand-up: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
- The sit-through: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guide
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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.