YR Sports Lab
The Granby roll is a shoulder roll that crossed over from wrestling into jiu-jitsu: when you are pinned in turtle, grabbed around the waist from the side, or about to have your guard passed, you roll diagonally over a shoulder and recover your guard. Its name comes from an American high school, not from a jiu-jitsu competitor. This guide covers where the name comes from, who Billy Martin Sr. was, the steps and the common mistakes, and is upfront about the gaps: no source gives a firm year of invention, and none teaches a dedicated counter.
1. Origin and Story: A Wrestling Move Named After a High School
The Granby roll is named after Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia. Both Wikipedia and BJJEE (2017) describe it as a wrestling reversal popularized there by coach Billy Martin Sr. Note the verb: both sources say "popularized". Neither calls him the sole inventor or gives a year, so this article does not claim that Martin invented the Granby roll.
LowKick MMA adds that wrestlers had used a similar movement for centuries to escape the back body lock, and credits Martin with innovating the Granby roll in modern folkstyle wrestling. The "centuries" claim comes from a single source with no citation, so it is listed here as background rather than confirmed history.
Who was Billy Martin Sr.?
According to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, William Patrick "Billy" Martin (1918–2007) compiled a 259–9 dual meet record at Granby High School, a figure the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame confirms. He was honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame says he was the first high school coach inducted into the Helms Foundation Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The two halls disagree slightly on the state titles: the national hall says 22 state team titles in 23 years, the Virginia hall says 21, and the counts of individual champions differ as well (106 on the national hall page; 69 champions winning 105 titles on the Virginia page). This article therefore uses no single figure and says only "more than 20 state titles". The national hall also names him an innovator of wrestling maneuvers including the "Granby Series", but that page never uses the term Granby roll, so the link to the roll rests on Wikipedia and BJJEE.
Once it reached jiu-jitsu, BJJEE (2019) called it one of the first movements a beginner learns, alongside breakfalls and shrimping. BJJEE (2020) adds that the Half Granby stems from the Granby roll and relays Rob Biernicki's view that if you can invert, you can do it; he reportedly teaches it to all his white belts as a fundamental.
2. Technique Breakdown: Make Space, Cross-Step, Roll Diagonally Over the Shoulder
The wrestling and jiu-jitsu descriptions differ slightly. The table below combines BJJEE (wrestling bottom version) and Digitsu (jiu-jitsu guard version). What they share: roll over the shoulder, not the neck.
| Phase | Key points | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Make space | Use a frame, a hip escape or a post on the mat to lift the hips slightly | Digitsu; Wikipedia and BJJEE say "rise slightly" |
| 2. Cross-step | Step one foot across and under your own body as the posting leg | BJJEE, Wikipedia |
| 3. Tuck chin, turn head | Tuck the chin to one side and turn the head away from the roll, ready to invert over the opposite shoulder | Digitsu |
| 4. Kick high | Kick the other leg high; both legs arc over to carry the hips past the shoulders | BJJEE, Digitsu |
| 5. Finish facing the opponent | Come out facing the opponent, insert legs as hooks or frames and recompose guard; BJJEE adds that the result can be an escape or an arm lock on the opponent | Digitsu; BJJEE (2017, 2019, 2020) |
| 6. Backup plan | If the roll stalls, return to turtle and retry or use another escape | Digitsu |
Digitsu lists three key principles: roll diagonally over the back of the shoulder, not straight over the spine; use the legs like pendulums to generate rotation; keep the elbows tight to avoid arm isolation and to protect the neck. LowKick MMA's seated version goes: sit with heels on the mat, tuck one arm behind your back or under your leg, lean toward the rolling shoulder, arc the back foot over, and grip the mat with the lead toes so the roll stays straight. Evolve MMA suggests a progression: hold the inverted shoulder position first, then move side to side, then roll from sitting, and only later add the kneeling and wall versions.
3. Entry Timing and Setup Chains
First, when you are pinned in turtle. Evolve MMA lists it among its turtle escapes: when the opponent presses from the top, use the shoulder roll and your body to block, then use the momentum to spin, recover guard or reach a more dominant position. The same article relays Marcos Tinoco's point that timing is essential, and separately says the move needs a certain level of mobility.
Second, when your guard is about to be passed. BJJEE (2017, 2020) says that in jiu-jitsu and MMA it is used to recompose guard when someone is passing it or attacking your turtle. Digitsu suggests timing the roll when the opponent commits weight forward, using their pressure to help your rotation.
Third, when grabbed at the waist or the opponent moves to take your back (the wrestling original). The wrestling original is used when the top wrestler holds your waist from the side or is moving to take your back. Evolve MMA also notes it works best when the opponent's weight is off your hip, for example when both their knees are on the mat.
Setup chains. Evolve MMA says that if the opponent chases forward as you roll, you can catch them with a triangle; modern uses include leg-attack entries, the Berimbolo, transitions into tornado guard and back attacks. Digitsu also lists positions you can use it from, including the front headlock, harness, crab ride and standing back control.
4. Strengths and Limits
| Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|
| One of the first movements beginners learn, easy to drill solo on the mat or against a wall | Needs enough mobility to keep the toes on the mat while inverted (Evolve MMA), plus an inversion feel |
| The same roll serves turtle, waist grabs and guard passes | Bad timing or heavy pressure on the hip and back can leave you stuck in side control (Evolve MMA) |
| When it works you land back in guard, sometimes with an arm lock or a follow-up attack | Failing to recompose guard right after the roll hands the exposed back to the opponent (Digitsu) |
5. Common Mistakes and How Opponents Respond
First, a gap in the sources: none of the pages consulted (accessed 2026/10) teaches a dedicated counter to the Granby roll, and neither BJJEE nor Digitsu mentions one. What follows are the failure modes the sources do describe; the suggestion for how an opponent might respond is an inference from those failure conditions, not something the sources state.
First, rolling straight backward. Digitsu says this stalls the roll and exposes the neck to chokes.
Second, rolling without creating space. Without a frame or hip escape you can be flattened mid-inversion (Digitsu).
Third, not recomposing guard immediately. The opponent gets a chance to re-establish control over your exposed back (Digitsu).
If you stall halfway or get chased
If it stalls: return to turtle and retry, or use another escape (Digitsu).
If the opponent chases forward: a triangle is an option (Evolve MMA).
From the top player's side (inference, not stated by the sources): since the roll works best when the opponent's weight is off your hip, putting weight back onto their hip and back the moment they start to roll is the most direct way to block it.
6. How Often It Shows Up in Competition
I found no IBJJF, ADCC or third-party media statistics on how often the Granby roll is attempted or how often it works (accessed 2026/10). Event organizers mostly publish placings and brackets, so this article gives no percentages.
Only qualitative information is available: BJJEE (2019) lists it as a foundational beginner movement and calls it a wrestling takedown defense useful to both BJJ and MMA. As for points, the Granby roll itself is an escape and guard-recovery movement; whether anything scores depends on where you land afterwards under the current IBJJF rulebook, and this article does not repeat any scoring claim without a clear source.
7. Safety Notes
The core risk is the neck: LowKick MMA stresses rolling over the shoulder, not the neck; Digitsu stresses rolling diagonally over the back of the shoulder rather than straight over the spine, and warns that rolling straight back exposes the neck to chokes. Evolve MMA advises starting slowly and speeding up only as you progress. I also searched for research on neck injury risk specific to the Granby roll and found no dedicated evidence, so no injury rates are quoted. For the broader picture of defending turtle, see our turtle defense guide; for the wrestling-style takedown it often answers, compare the Double Leg.
・Drill solo first, slowly, from seated and kneeling positions, and confirm the shoulder (not the neck) lands on the mat
・Keep the chin tucked and the head turned away from the roll so the crown of the head never bears weight
・With a partner applying pressure, start light and add pressure gradually
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called the Granby roll?
It is named after the wrestling program at Granby High School in Norfolk, Virginia, where coach Billy Martin Sr. popularized the shoulder roll. Wikipedia and BJJEE say only "popularized"; LowKick MMA goes further and says he developed the roll. No source gives a year.
Can white belts drill the Granby roll?
Yes. BJJEE lists it among the first movements beginners learn, next to breakfalls and shrimping. Start slowly from a seated position and roll diagonally over the shoulder, never straight onto the neck.
What is the difference between the Granby roll and the Half Granby?
The Half Granby stems from the Granby roll and is used to keep your guard against passes. BJJEE describes framing first to gain distance, protect the back and build a base, then rolling over the shoulder rather than the neck.
What if I get stuck halfway through a Granby roll?
Return to turtle and try again, or use another escape (Digitsu). Rolling under heavy pressure on your hip and back tends to leave you stuck in side control (Evolve MMA), so create space before you roll.
References
1. Wikipedia. Granby roll. en.wikipedia.org (accessed 2026/10; supports the Granby High School naming, Billy Martin Sr. popularizing it, and the movement description; the entry flags itself as needing more citations and gives no year)
2. BJJEE. Four articles: The Impassable Guard: White Belt Granby Roll (2017/09/06) link; Granby Rolls in MMA (2019/05/03) link; How to Stop The Guard Pass? The Half Granby (2020/07/06) link; Never Get Your Guard Passed: Granby Rolling Against Pressure Passes (2020/08/16) link (accessed 2026/10; the 2017, 2019 and 2020 pieces support the origin account, steps and guard recomposition; the 2019 piece supports the beginner-movement claim alongside breakfalls and shrimping; the 2020/07 piece supports the Half Granby and Rob Biernicki remarks)
3. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. William Martin (Billy). nwhof.org (accessed 2026/10; supports 1918–2007, the 259–9 record, 22 state team titles, the 1980 Distinguished Member honor and the Granby Series)
4. Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. William "Billy" Martin Sr. vasportshof.com (accessed 2026/10; supports the 259–9 record, 21 state titles, and being the first high school coach inducted into the Helms Foundation Wrestling Hall of Fame)
5. LowKick MMA. Granby Roll: BJJ Technique. lowkickmma.com (accessed 2026/10; supports the seated drilling order, shoulder-not-neck, and the "centuries" remark, which is single-sourced)
6. Evolve MMA. How To Use The Granby Roll For BJJ link; 5 Best Turtle Escapes In BJJ link (accessed 2026/10; supports the solo drill progression and turtle timing (the 5 Best Turtle Escapes piece relays Marcos Tinoco's timing point and separately notes the mobility requirement), the side-control warning and modern uses)
7. Digitsu. Granby Roll. digitsu.com (accessed 2026/10; supports the jiu-jitsu guard-version steps, key principles and common mistakes; the page has no origin or counter information)