In general in BJJ, if is very good to be aware of they direction your hips are pointing in relationship to you opponent. These half guard passes are no different. We’ll go over 4 variations.

But first one critical point: As Saulo Ribeiro says “The problem is not the pass, it’s how you start the pass.” It’s easy to think of half guard as a transitional position that you’re in while you’re on your way into a better one. However you think of half guard, you have to remember that even though you may be excited about geting closer to a dominant position, you still have to be smart and cannot afford to rush things. Back to Saulo’s wisdom…You have to remember to start you pass properly. This means flattening your opponent. Your opponent should be flat on their back before you start your pass.

Start in Half Guard. You are on top trying to pass. Your right leg is in their half guard.

1. – Flatten your opponent. Under hook them with your top (left) arm and grab their collar behind their neck as you circle your hips towards them. (you’re stepping into them on your knees)

2 – Once they are flat, “back turn”. Flop onto your outside hip and face their legs with your chest. Move your left arm grip down to their belt or the waist of their pants. With your other arm, apply pressure with your forearm to their top knee. From here, there are 3 options:

#1 – BACKTURN to MOUNT

IF they do not have an under hook with their top arm THEN

3 – Scoot your butt up towards their armpit on your near side and creep your elbow up on the far side as you try to elevate their arm and fold it over their face. As you go, grab their gi with your hand so that they cannot push your elbow down. When your armpit is just below their chin, reach around with that arm and grab the back of their collar, trapping their arm against their face. This is very uncomfortable for your opponent.

4. drop your trapped leg knee on the other side of their hips as you sit up to mount.

5. With your free ankle, press down on the top of their thighs to free your trapped ankle.

6. you now have the mount. Why not finish with a head and arm?

#2 – BACKTURN to SIDE CONTROL

IF they get and under hook THEN (You were going for #3 above but somehow their arm escaped and they got an under hook with their top arm)

4. Quickly under hook their under hook with your top arm and reach behind their neck and grab their collar.

5. Over hook their bottom arm with your other arm, judo side control style. as you post out with your free leg and turn your hips to face their head.

6. slide your trapped knee forward towards you posting foot. * If you need to free it, use your free foot to apply pressure to their legs where they are crossed. This will open up their half guard and free your legs.

7. End up in side control.

#3 – BACKTURN to NORTH SOUTH
IF they have an under hook way back at step 2, when you have reached back to grab their belt THEN (Remain back turned for the entire pass)

3. Try to keep their under hook trapped against their body as you scoot your butt up towards their armpit.

4. free your knee of the trapped leg by walking your foot up towards their butt. And pressing down on their bottom knee.

5. When your knee is free, pop the knee of your free leg in between your trapped leg and their hips.

6. pop the trapped leg out and circle to north south or establish side control.

#3 – SWITCH SIDES to SIDE CONTROL

IF they have a deep under hook way back at step 2 THEN
3. Over hook their top arm and grab the back of their jacket in the middle of their back.
4.Rotate your trapped leg so that it is parallel top their spine.
5.Post out with your free leg as you pop-up and sit onto of their top leg just above the knee.
6. Kick your free leg over, while you keep your head close to their chest pinning them down on their back as you switch sides.
7. Once you have cleared to their other side, grab their top knee with your free hand and scoot your butt up and frre your leg.
8. End in side control on their opposite side.

Key points:

Must flatten opponent before you start your half-guard pass.

Separating your opponents elbow from their side greatly weakens their ability to defend. (In the above examples, you do this by scooting your butt up towards their armpit and by creeping your own elbow up underneath theirs)

Sometimes it helps to start a pass with your end position in mind as your goal. “Okay I am starting this pass (#1) and I am going to end up mounted. Oh crap. They just got an under hook. Now I am going to change my plan and end up in side control. #2.”

Gi, deep half guard, half guard, passing »

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.

Gi, deep half guard, turtle »

This is a great sweep that I notice more experienced people doing to me way too often. ha.

(Start on the ground with your opponent Standing trying to pass your guard, stepping forward or with one leg forward. )Moves 1 through 3 happen very quickly.

1 – As your opponent steps in (with thier left leg in this example), attach your self to their near leg. Do this by setting a butterfly hook with your right leg and wraping your right arm tightly around the back of their left knee.

2 – Next kick your other leg between their legs and hook their right leg with it. Simultaneously, with your left arm, reach between their legs and under hook their other leg and bring your head close to their thigh so you don’t get underhooked.

3 – As you do this spin on the small of your back to get your body underneath them, breaking their base. *Remember to keep their leg tightly trapped while you do this.

4 – Get your right arm out of danger. If they are really strong, like Clay Burwell, your arm could be in danger. Lift their leg up a little by extending your legs. When their leg is up, reach inside their legs with your right arm and grab the outside of their left thigh.

5 – You are now ready to sweep them. Depending on how they are basing, you can finish the sweep in several ways:

They’re basing far out on your right > Kick your legs up & Roll to your right and back out to take their back.

They’re basing close on your right > Kick your legs up & Hip escape under them. For your hip escape position, grab (or chop) their basing left arm with your right hand and Roll to your right hitting a fireman’s carry, and completing the sweep, achieving side control.

They’re basing heavy on top of you > Kick your legs up & Roll to your left Your head will be between their legs, pass it towards their chest to achieve side control.

I think this is a pretty technical move, but it’s dope and helps you understand the power of a butterfly-style hook (your right leg) and how useful it can be in a sweep.

Guard, deep half guard, sweep »