Does Improved Grapple's bonus to CMD apply to preventing escapes from my grapple?

Question

I am aware that there are ways to get out of a grapple.

1. use the escape artist skill
2. break free rolling CMB vs. CMD

I have the improved grapple feat which states:

You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you.

My question is, do I get that +2 bonus to CMD if my enemy is trying to break free from my grapple? He's simply trying to break free, he's not trying to reverse the grapple and become the primary grappler (in which case I suspect I would get the +2 bonus to CMD).

Answer 1

Yes, it does.

All attack bonuses that you gain on your grapple checks are applied to your CMD against grapples. That includes the CMD to escape your grapples.

The check to escape a grapple is also a grapple check:

If you are grappled, you can attempt to break the grapple as a standard action by making a combat maneuver check (DC equal to your opponent's CMD; this does not provoke an attack of opportunity) or Escape Artist check (with a DC equal to your opponent's CMD). If you succeed, you break the grapple and can act normally.

This can be easily seen on any bestiary creature that has improved grapple, also on nearly all npcs from the npc codex that got improved grapple as a feat.

Example: the Trox (B4):

Base Atk +1; CMB +9 (+11 grapple); CMD 18 (20 vs. grapple)

Feats Improved Grapple B, Power Attack

Answer 2

RAW, no. The circumstances under which Improved Grapple increases your CMD are stated clearly. Since breaking your grapple is wholly unrelated to "an opponent [trying] to grapple you", the bonus does not apply.

RAI, possibly. The Improved Grapple feat is supposed to, well, improve your grapple. Like all RAI arguments, it would have to be up to your GM, but I'd consider this a reasonable argument.

Answer 3

As ShadowKras points out, the check you are making when you try to escape a grapple with a combat maneuever is a grapple check, so any bonuses to CMD the controlling grappler has would apply.

---

To confirm what you were thinking, it would apply in the situation where your enemy is trying to become the controlling force within the grapple, as at that point they are rolling a grapple against you.