BJJ Graph

Flattened Half Guard

Jun 15, 20259 min read

Flattened Half Guard

bjjstatehalfguardpassingcontrol

State Properties

  • State ID: S058
  • Point Value: 2 (Advantageous passing control)
  • Position Type: Dominant half guard position
  • Risk Level: Low
  • Energy Cost: Medium
  • Time Sustainability: Medium to Long

State Description

Flattened Half Guard represents a dominant variation of the Half Guard Top position where the top player has succeeded in breaking the bottom player’s structure, forcing them flat onto their back with minimal defensive frames and hip mobility. Unlike standard Half Guard Top where the bottom player maintains some form of defensive structure (frames, knee shield, underhook), the Flattened Half Guard creates a scenario where passing becomes significantly more probable due to the neutralization of the bottom player’s defensive capabilities. This position is characterized by the top player establishing smothering pressure while maintaining key control points that prevent the bottom player from recovering a defensive structure. The position serves as a critical transitional state between initial half guard engagement and successful guard passing.

Visual Description

You are on top in a half guard position, with one of the opponent’s legs trapped between yours, but you’ve managed to flatten them out completely on their back, eliminating their ability to create angles or use defensive frames. Your chest is pressed heavily against their torso, applying smothering pressure, while your shoulder or arm drives into their jaw or neck with a crossface, turning their head away to disrupt their posture and focus. Your free leg is often posted out wide or driving into their hip to control their movement, ensuring they can’t turn or shrimp to recover guard, and your arms secure their near-side arm or underhook to prevent any framing attempts. The opponent lies flat, struggling under your weight, with their trapped leg immobilized and their upper body pinned, unable to create space or initiate effective escapes, making them vulnerable to your passing or submission attempts.

Key Principles

  • Establish and maintain crossface/shoulder pressure against opponent’s jaw/head
  • Control opponent’s hip mobility through strategic weight distribution
  • Neutralize opponent’s frames through proper pressure and positioning
  • Prevent opponent’s ability to recover underhook or knee shield
  • Apply methodical pressure to limit opponent’s breathing and mobility
  • Create and exploit passing lanes while maintaining control
  • Maximize control surface area against opponent’s body
  • Progress systematically through passing stages

Prerequisites

  • Understanding of half guard passing mechanics
  • Recognition of defensive frame patterns
  • Knowledge of pressure distribution principles
  • Ability to maintain control through opponent’s recovery attempts
  • Awareness of common escapes and counters

State Invariants

  • Bottom player flat on back with minimal hip mobility
  • Top player with established crossface or head control
  • Top player’s weight distributed effectively for control
  • One leg of the top player still entangled in half guard
  • Bottom player’s defensive frames neutralized
  • Clear pathway to passing sequences

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • Danaher System: Views the Flattened Half Guard as a critical achievement in the half guard passing sequence, emphasizing it as the position where defensive resources have been significantly depleted, making successful passing highly probable. Focuses on precise weight distribution and continual pressure that forces the bottom player to address immediate concerns rather than focusing on guard recovery. Particularly emphasizes maintaining shoulder pressure that prevents the bottom player from turning into the top player.
  • Gordon Ryan: Approaches the Flattened Half Guard with a methodical mindset that balances between maintaining the control position and advancing to more dominant positions. Emphasizes the importance of recognizing and shutting down early stages of escape attempts rather than reacting to fully developed defensive movements. Places particular focus on controlling the bottom player’s near-side arm to prevent framing.
  • Eddie Bravo: While not as focused on top position control in his system, acknowledges the effectiveness of the Flattened Half Guard as a control position. When addressing the position from the top player’s perspective, emphasizes creating submission threats that force defensive reactions that open up passing opportunities, particularly focusing on threat chains that connect various submissions.

Common Errors

  • Error: Insufficient head/shoulder pressure
    • Consequence: Allows defensive mobility, as the opponent can turn their head or body to create angles for escapes or frames.
    • Correction: Maintain a strong crossface or shoulder pressure against their jaw, turning their head away to disrupt their posture.
  • Error: Poor weight distribution
    • Consequence: Leads to loss of control, as improper weight placement allows the opponent to shrimp or bridge effectively.
    • Correction: Keep your chest heavy on their torso and position your free leg to pin their hip, ensuring maximum control.
  • Error: Neglecting hip control
    • Consequence: Provides recovery opportunity, as the opponent can use hip movement to regain guard or create space.
    • Correction: Drive your knee or leg into their hip to block movement, or post your free leg wide to limit their hip rotation.
  • Error: Premature passing attempt
    • Consequence: Results in position compromise, as rushing to pass without full control can lead to the opponent recovering guard.
    • Correction: Ensure all defensive frames are neutralized and pressure is maximized before initiating a pass.
  • Error: Static pressure application
    • Consequence: Causes energy inefficiency, as maintaining constant pressure without adjustment can tire you out unnecessarily.
    • Correction: Adjust pressure dynamically based on the opponent’s reactions, easing off slightly to conserve energy when control is secure.
  • Error: Focusing solely on passing
    • Consequence: Leads to missing submission opportunities, as fixating on passing can overlook openings for attacks like Kimuras or D’arces.
    • Correction: Stay aware of submission setups that arise from the opponent’s defensive reactions while maintaining control.

Training Drills

  • Control Maintenance: Practice Flattened Half Guard control maintenance against progressive resistance, focusing on crossface and hip control.
  • Transition Flows: Drill transition flows between Flattened Half Guard and passing positions like Side Control or Mount, ensuring smooth advancements.
  • Pressure Application: Work on pressure application sensitivity development, learning to adjust weight and pressure based on opponent reactions.
  • Defensive Recognition: Engage in defensive recognition and counter drills, learning to anticipate and neutralize opponent escapes or frames.
  • Control Points: Train control point maintenance against active defensive movement, focusing on securing arms and hips to prevent recovery.

Decision Tree

If opponent attempts to bridge:

Else if opponent fights for underhook:

Else if opponent attempts knee shield recovery:

Else if opponent turns away defensively:

Position Metrics

  • Position Retention Rate: Beginner 60%, Intermediate 75%, Advanced 85%
  • Advancement Probability: Beginner 55%, Intermediate 70%, Advanced 80%
  • Escape Probability: Beginner 25%, Intermediate 15%, Advanced 5%
  • Pass Completion Probability: Beginner 60%, Intermediate 75%, Advanced 85%
  • Submission Opportunity Probability: Beginner 30%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 60%
  • Average Time in Position: 20-60 seconds

Optimal Paths

Standard passing path: Flattened Half Guard → Pressure Pass → Side Control → dominant position sequence

Mount transition path: Flattened Half Guard → Flattened Half to Mount → Mount → submission options

Submission path: Flattened Half Guard → Kimura Trap → Kimura Control → Won by Submission

Historical Context

The Flattened Half Guard represents a fundamental development in the evolution of half guard passing methodology. While the half guard was once viewed primarily as a defensive or stalling position, the systematic development of pressure-based passing approaches led to the recognition of the flattened variation as a critical achievement in passing sequences. The position gained particular prominence through the influence of pressure passers like Bernardo Faria and Lucas Leite, who demonstrated the effectiveness of methodical pressure in neutralizing even highly developed half guard games. The position exemplifies the evolution of BJJ from a more movement-based approach to one that incorporates sophisticated pressure and control mechanics.

Computer Science Analogy

The Flattened Half Guard functions as a “resource exhaustion state” in the BJJ state machine, where the defensive player’s computational resources (frames, mobility, defensive options) have been systematically depleted, creating a scenario where the likelihood of transitioning to even more dominant states increases dramatically. This creates a form of “rate-limiting step” in the passing algorithm, where once this configuration is achieved, subsequent transitions become significantly more probable. The position exemplifies the concept of a “constrained optimization problem” where the controlling player methodically eliminates degrees of freedom until the problem space becomes trivial to solve.

Graph View

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