The bench press escape from north south works like this. Plant your feet, bridge your hips up and bench press his chest at the same time to make space, slide your knees in, grip his arms near the wrists, then rock down and dump him off to the side so you finish on top.
Fair warning up front — this isn't Scott's favorite. He'll tell you straight up. It's one people teach, and if you nail the first part it will work, but the knees-in phase is the hard part and there are easier escapes from here. He's showing it for completeness, because some guys are really good at it.
Here's why hand position matters so much for this one. If your arms are flared out wide, you have nothing to press against. You can't bench press his body without your hands being in tight by his chest or belly. That's the whole first lesson — get your hands in before you get trapped.
Step one. Feet on the ground. Bridge your hips up and bench press at the same time. The bridge alone isn't enough. The bench press alone isn't enough. Together they make just enough space.
Step two. Knees in. Tuck them up into the slot you just opened. This is the sticky part. Some guys hit it every time, most guys struggle here.
Step three. Grip his arms. Wrists are best. Elbows work but not as well — the lower the better. With a gi, this gets way easier because you get cloth to grab. No gi, you're fighting for raw wrist control.
Step four. Rock down with all that weight controlled, push him off to the side, and come up on top.
Actually, if you're having trouble with the knee insertion every rep, go back and drill the leg-swing escape first. It has a higher hit rate for most people and the mechanics come together faster. This bench press version is worth knowing, but it shouldn't be your A-option.
For the full breakdown of the position and its attacks, check our complete north south choke guide. The rest of the escape system is inside Scott Sullivan's BJJ 101 System.