Headquarters Position

bjjstatepasstopcontrol

State Properties

• State ID: S015
• Point Value: 2 (Moderate advantage)
• Position Type: Passing control position
• Risk Level: Low
• Energy Cost: Low
• Time Sustainability: Long

State Description

The Headquarters Position (HQ) is a fundamental guard passing control position where the top player controls one of the bottom player’s legs while establishing strong base and posture. This position serves as a central hub for multiple passing strategies, creating a systematic approach to bypassing various guard configurations. Headquarters offers exceptional control with relatively low risk, acting as a decision point from which the passer can select the optimal passing route based on the opponent’s reactions.

Key Principles

• Control opponent’s leg by pinning knee to ground
• Establish strong posting base with opposite leg
• Maintain upright posture with strong spine alignment
• Create and manipulate passing angles
• Control opponent’s hip mobility
• Neutralize opponent’s frames and hooks
• Systematically eliminate defensive options

Prerequisites

• Solid understanding of base and weight distribution
• Familiarity with guard passing mechanics
• Basic grip fighting skills
• Recognition of opponent’s defensive patterns

State Invariants

• One of opponent’s legs controlled between top player’s legs
• Supporting leg firmly posted
• Upright posture with spine alignment
• Control of opponent’s knee/thigh
• Opponent’s hips flat or controlled

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State)

• Knee Shield Recovery → Knee Shield Half Guard
• Inversion → Inverted Guard
• Shin-to-Shin Counter → Shin-to-Shin Guard
• Underhook Drive → Half Guard Bottom
• Leg Entanglement Entry → Single Leg X Guard

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

• Knee Cut Pass → Side Control
• Folding Pass → Side Control
• Leg Drag Pass → Side Control
• Smash Pass → Side Control
• Over-Under Pass → Side Control
• Body Lock Pass → Side Control
• Transition to Mount → Mount
• Long Step Pass → Side Control

Counter Transitions

• HQ Re-establishment → Headquarters Position (against recovery attempts)
• Switch Passing Side → Headquarters Position (changing angle)
• Float Pass Variation → Floating Pass (if position is compromised)

Expert Insights

• Danaher System: Emphasizes Headquarters as the central hub of a systematic passing approach, focusing on controlling the opponent’s knee-line before establishing hip control. Creates a decision tree approach where each defensive reaction from the opponent triggers a specific optimal passing response. This reduces the pass to a series of “if-then” sequences that systematically eliminate escape options.
• Gordon Ryan: Uses a floating approach to Headquarters, maintaining lower pressure initially to bait defensive movements before committing to specific passes. Emphasizes using grip configurations and weight shifting to create defensive overcommitments that open predictable passing lanes.
• Eddie Bravo: Incorporates less conventional control from the Headquarters-type position, often focusing on quick transitions to specialized control positions like the “Twister Side Control” rather than traditional pins. Emphasizes disrupting defensive frames through unique pressure angles.

Common Errors

• Poor knee control → Guard recovery opportunities
• Excessive forward lean → Vulnerability to butterfly hooks
• Insufficient base width → Instability during transitions
• Passive positioning → Giving opponent time to recover
• Telegraphing pass direction → Predictable pattern

Training Drills

• Knee pin and control maintenance against resistance
• Transition cycles between different passes from HQ
• Recovery to HQ when position is compromised
• Decision-making drills based on defensive reactions
• Hip mobility and control development

Related States

• Combat Base - Similar top position with different leg configuration
• Top Half Guard - Related control position with more entanglement
• Knee Cut Position - Dynamic passing position often entered from HQ
• Leg Drag Position - Another passing position commonly accessed from HQ
• Smash Pass Position - Pressure-based passing position

Decision Tree

If opponent frames with inside knee shield:

• Execute Knee Cut Pass or Leg Drag Pass

Else if opponent frames with outside leg:

• Execute Folding Pass or Long Step Pass

Else if opponent attempts to invert:

• Execute Leg Drag Pass → Back Step

Else if opponent establishes underhook:

• Execute Smash Pass or Over-Under Pass

Position Metrics

• Success Rate: 80% pass completion (competition data)
• Average Time in Position: 20-60 seconds
• Pass Completion Probability: 75%
• Guard Recovery Probability: 20%
• Submission Entry Probability: 15%

Optimal Paths

Primary passing path: Headquarters Position → Knee Cut Pass → Side Control → Mount → Arm Triangle → Won by Submission

Back attack path: Headquarters Position → Leg Drag Pass → Back Step → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission

Pressure passing path: Headquarters Position → Folding Pass → Side Control → North-South → North-South Choke → Won by Submission

Computer Science Analogy

Headquarters Position functions as a routing algorithm in the BJJ state graph, with high branching factor but intelligent path selection. It represents a node with multiple weighted edges to advantageous states, where the optimal edge is selected based on opponent resistance patterns. This creates an efficient traversal optimization problem, where selecting the correct passing route minimizes resistance and maximizes success probability.