Turtle is a weak position and often a precursor to getting your back
taken. Here are two defenses from turtle.How close your opponent is and how much pressure they are leaning into you will determine which to use.

Start in Turtle wth your opponent to your side in wrestling “top position” their back arm is wrapped around your waist and the are gripping your lapel.

1. reach back with your near arm and grab their near knee

IF your opponent is not too close and you have some space:

2. post with your far arm, pushing yourself up, as you kick your near leg back and post on it. (your are still facing forward at this point).

(steps 3 -6 are fast)

3. kick your far leg under you as you rotate into them. As you face them, hook this leg in between their legs to establish half guard.

4. Let go of the knee and move this arm up to an underhook.

5. Move your posting arm to and underhook under their far leg (the one you don’t have the half guard on).

6. From here you can roll them either way and sweep them.

*It is a good idea to try to get an underhook, under their other leg, the trapped leg, with your far arm, since this arm is vunerable to attack in this position.

IF your opponent is leaning hard on you and you don’t have much space:

2. Roll into them, forward at a diagonal, on the near shoulder, the one your grabbing their knee with.

3. As you roll, keep pressure against them with your near calf. You want to be pulling them towards you. windmill your legs around so that you spin around to face them and your other leg lands around them on the other side, putting them in your guard.

* If you are leggy or they are leaning into you hard, you may also come to rest with them in a loose triangle, which you can finish.