Leg Hook Top Position represents a transitional control state where the top practitioner has achieved significant advancement in passing half guard by controlling the bottom player’s leg with a hooking motion. This position occurs when the top player has managed to get their leg underneath or around the bottom player’s defending leg, creating a powerful mechanical advantage for completing the pass. The hook serves multiple purposes: it controls the bottom player’s hip mobility, prevents them from recovering full guard, and provides a stable base for the top player to advance their position. This is a critical waypoint in the passing sequence, where the top player has moved beyond the initial stages of half guard engagement but has not yet fully cleared the legs to achieve side control or mount. The position requires precise weight distribution, hip control, and timing to prevent the bottom player from using the momentary instability to re-guard or create scrambles. Understanding this position is essential for both passers who need to recognize the window of opportunity it creates, and bottom players who must understand the defensive requirements to prevent advancement.
Position Definition
- Top player’s leg is hooked underneath or around bottom player’s defending leg, creating mechanical control of the hip and limiting bottom player’s ability to recover guard or create distance
- Top player maintains forward chest pressure on bottom player’s upper body, typically with shoulder or chest pressure on the sternum or shoulder line to prevent bottom player from sitting up or creating frames
- Bottom player is on their side or back with at least one leg controlled by the hook, with limited ability to establish effective frames or create the space needed for guard recovery
- Top player’s weight is distributed between the hooked leg, grounded knee, and upper body pressure, creating a stable tripod base that resists bottom player’s attempts to off-balance or reverse
- Bottom player’s far leg (not hooked) may be free but lacks the positional leverage to effectively recover guard without first addressing the hook control
Prerequisites
- Top player has initiated half guard passing sequence and achieved initial control
- Bottom player’s leg is accessible for hooking (not deeply locked in half guard or other defensive configuration)
- Top player has created sufficient angle and space to insert the hooking leg
- Bottom player’s upper body is controlled enough to prevent immediate re-guarding attempts
- Top player has maintained base and balance throughout the transitional movement
Key Offensive Principles
- Maintain constant forward pressure with chest and shoulders to prevent bottom player from creating space or establishing defensive frames
- Control bottom player’s far hip with hand or forearm to prevent hip escape and limit their ability to turn into you or away to recover guard
- Keep the hooking leg actively engaged with pressure and tension, using it as both a control mechanism and a steering tool for the pass completion
- Distribute weight intelligently across three points of contact: hooked leg, grounded knee, and upper body, creating stable base that resists sweeps and scrambles
- Stay patient and systematic in advancing the pass rather than rushing, as premature weight shifts can allow bottom player to exploit the transitional vulnerability
- Monitor bottom player’s far leg and prevent them from using it to create butterfly hooks, push off your hips, or establish other re-guarding mechanisms
- Transition smoothly to the next phase of the pass once the hook has served its controlling purpose, typically moving to leg drag, knee slice, or direct pressure pass completion
Available Attacks
Knee Slice Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 45%
- Intermediate: 60%
- Advanced: 75%
Leg Drag Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 40%
- Intermediate: 55%
- Advanced: 70%
Leg Weave Pass → Side Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Transition to Mount → Mount
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 30%
- Intermediate: 45%
- Advanced: 60%
Back Take Generic → Back Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 25%
- Intermediate: 40%
- Advanced: 55%
Knee on Belly → Knee on Belly
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 35%
- Intermediate: 50%
- Advanced: 65%
Kimura from Half Guard → Kimura Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 20%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 50%
Darce Setup → D’arce Control
Success Rates:
- Beginner: 15%
- Intermediate: 30%
- Advanced: 45%
Decision Making from This Position
If bottom player is flat on their back with minimal defensive frames:
- Execute Knee Slice Pass → Side Control (Probability: 70%)
- Execute Transition to Mount → Mount (Probability: 60%)
Else if bottom player is on their side attempting to create frames and distance:
- Execute Leg Drag Pass → Side Control (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Smash Pass → Side Control (Probability: 60%)
Else if bottom player extends arms to push or frame:
- Execute Kimura from Half Guard → Kimura Control (Probability: 50%)
- Execute Darce Setup → D’arce Control (Probability: 45%)
Else if bottom player attempts to turn away or go to turtle:
- Execute Back Take Generic → Back Control (Probability: 65%)
- Execute Darce from Turtle → D’arce Control (Probability: 55%)
Else if bottom player is actively trying to recover full guard:
- Execute Pressure Pass → Side Control (Probability: 60%)
- Execute Leg Weave Pass → Side Control (Probability: 55%)
Optimal Submission Paths
Shortest path to submission
Leg Hook Top → Kimura from Half Guard → Kimura Control → Kimura
High-percentage darce path
Leg Hook Top → Darce Setup → D'arce Control → Darce Choke
Back attack path
Leg Hook Top → Back Take Generic → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke
Position advancement to submission
Leg Hook Top → Knee Slice Pass → Side Control → Kimura from Side Control
Mount finish path
Leg Hook Top → Transition to Mount → Mount → Armbar from Mount
Success Rates and Statistics
| Skill Level | Retention Rate | Advancement Probability | Submission Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 60% | 50% | 15% |
| Intermediate | 70% | 65% | 25% |
| Advanced | 80% | 75% | 35% |
Average Time in Position: 15-45 seconds
Expert Analysis
John Danaher
The leg hook in half guard passing represents a critical mechanical leverage point where you transform the bottom player’s defensive structure into a controlled pathway for advancement. The hook itself is not the destination but rather a systematic tool for managing the bottom player’s hip mobility while you progress through the passing sequence. From a biomechanical perspective, the hook creates a mechanical disadvantage for the bottom player by controlling their hip from underneath, limiting their ability to generate the rotational force needed for guard recovery while simultaneously providing you with a stable base for applying forward pressure. The key technical consideration is understanding that the hook must be integrated into a complete control system that includes upper body pressure, far hip control, and systematic progression toward pass completion. Many practitioners make the error of viewing the hook as a static position rather than as one phase in a dynamic passing sequence. The hook’s primary value lies in its ability to neutralize the bottom player’s most powerful re-guarding mechanisms—hip escape and rotation—while creating the spatial and temporal window needed to complete more traditional passing techniques such as the knee slice or leg drag.
Gordon Ryan
In competition, the leg hook position is incredibly valuable because it puts you in a dominant transitional state where you’re clearly advancing the pass but you haven’t yet committed your weight in a way that makes you vulnerable to scrambles or reversals. What makes this position so effective at the highest levels is that it gives you multiple high-percentage finishing options depending on how the bottom player defends. If they stay flat and try to prevent the pass defensively, you have clean entries to knee slice or leg drag passes. If they turn away or try to come up, you have immediate back takes or front headlock positions available. If they make the mistake of extending their arms to frame or push, you have darce, anaconda, and kimura submissions readily available. The psychological pressure this creates is significant—the bottom player knows they’re in a bad spot but any movement they make can lead to an even worse position or a submission. In my experience, the key to using this position effectively in competition is staying patient and not rushing the pass completion. Use the hook to control their hip, maintain constant forward pressure with your chest, and wait for them to make a defensive error that opens up your highest percentage finishing technique. The competitors who struggle from this position are those who try to force the pass before they’ve fully established the necessary control points.
Eddie Bravo
The leg hook top position is interesting because it represents a moment where the traditional passing game intersects with more creative control options and submission threats. From a 10th Planet perspective, we recognize that the bottom player in this position is often going to attempt aggressive guard recovery techniques—deep half entries, butterfly hooks, lockdown attempts—and those attempts create specific windows for counters and submissions. What I teach my students is to use the leg hook as a trigger point for reading the bottom player’s defensive strategy. If they’re trying to get deep on you, you can use that forward motion to set up guillotine or darce chokes. If they’re trying to create distance and frames, that’s when you have optimal conditions for the knee slice or leg drag passes. One thing that’s often overlooked is the submission game from this position—when you have the hook established and you’re controlling their hip, they often have to use their arms in defensive ways that create vulnerabilities. The kimura is obviously there if they reach to defend or frame, but the darce and anaconda become available when they try to turn away or address the hook. The key is staying loose and fluid in the position rather than getting rigid and static. Keep your weight moving, pressure constantly shifting, and be ready to flow into whatever opportunity they give you. That’s how you maximize the offensive potential of what might seem like just a transitional passing position.