Upa
Upa
Literally: bridge
Also known as: Bridge
Escape from mount in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, where the fighter on bottom bridges over the shoulders to flip the opponent underneath.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
A raised head that the opponent can push against, an unsecured opponent's elbow that lets the arm slip across the neck, and an insufficiently secured opponent's leg that they can push off or use to escape.
About
Upa is the Portuguese word for bridge. In Brazilian jiu-jitsu it names the technique the bottom fighter uses to flip the opponent from mount by arching the body. Before starting, they keep their elbows on the opponent's thighs to limit movement and set up an arm grip. They then trap the opponent's arm at the forearm and elbow, hook one leg over the opponent's leg at the heel, turn head and body under that arm, and arch sharply. They kick the leg as high as possible to flip the hips, sit up straight, hold the opponent's bicep, and avoid looking down. A bridge itself is a movement in which a lying fighter lifts the pelvis off the ground, carrying the weight on the shoulders, possibly the head, and the feet. Wrestling, judo, and BJJ all use it to shift the opponent's weight; in wrestling it mainly keeps the wrestler from being pinned on the shoulders. Upa, by contrast, ties to flipping from the mount: the goal is not just to escape but to move from under the opponent to on top.