Off the Fence
The worst place in the cage, and the two ways out of it.
Off the Fence
Video · 11:00 · coming soon
In this lesson
- Recognise the fence before your back is flat on it
- Escape by turning the corner rather than pushing back
- Use the level change as an alternative exit
Coaching cue — Turn the corner or change levels. Standing still is the third option and it loses.
How you end up there
Almost nobody walks backwards into the fence deliberately. It happens because retreating in a straight line is the natural response to pressure, and the cage is a circle — retreating in a straight line always ends the same way.
By the time your back touches it you have already made three or four small errors. The best fence defence is footwork that never gets there.
Why it is bad
- You cannot move backwards, so half your defensive options are gone.
- They can lean their weight into you and rest while you carry them.
- Every strike they throw has a wall behind you to stop you rolling with it.
- The referee will not help. The cage is part of the sport.
Exit one: turn the corner
The most reliable escape. You are not trying to push them off — that is a strength contest against someone whose weight is already committed.
- Get an underhook on the side you intend to travel toward.
- Frame with the other forearm across their chest or hip, creating just enough room.
- Circle your hips out, walking your feet toward the open cage, using the fence to slide along.
- Finish with their back to the fence, not just with you off it.
Exit two: change levels
If they are heavy on your upper body, the space is underneath.
- Drop your level sharply, hips down, head over hips.
- Take a leg or a body lock as you come underneath, or simply drive out through the gap you have created.
- Come up at an angle, not straight back into them.
What not to do
| Mistake | What happens |
|---|---|
| Pushing straight forward | They post, you tire, nothing changes |
| Squaring up flat on the cage | Every strike lands, both hips are available |
| Turning your back to escape | The fastest route to being controlled from behind |
| Waiting for a break | Rounds are long, and you are being scored against |
If you have been on the fence for more than ten seconds without attempting one of the two exits, you have chosen to be there.
Drill it
Two rounds starting with your back on the wall, partner applying steady pressure with no strikes. Your only job is to turn the corner. Two rounds where you must use the level change instead. Two rounds where they choose which pressure to apply and you choose the exit. Time each escape — under five seconds is the target.
Next, the takedowns course covers the level change properly, from both sides.