BJJ Graph

Underhook Position | BJJ Position Guide | BJJ Graph

Oct 25, 202514 min read

Underhook Position

bjjstatehalfguardcontrolunderhook

State Properties

  • State ID: S211
  • Point Value: 0 (Transitional/Controlling position)
  • Position Type: Offensive/Transitional
  • Risk Level: Medium
  • Energy Cost: Medium
  • Time Sustainability: Short to Medium

State Description

Underhook Position is a critical control configuration primarily from half guard bottom where the bottom player has secured an underhook on one of the opponent’s arms, threading their arm under the opponent’s armpit and typically gripping around the back or over the shoulder. This creates powerful offensive leverage while limiting the opponent’s ability to apply crossface pressure or establish dominant grips. The underhook is often described as the “golden ticket” in half guard because it neutralizes many passing strategies and opens numerous sweeping and back-taking opportunities.

This position represents a fundamental battle in modern BJJ, as both players understand the immense value of the underhook. Competition footage shows that the player who secures the underhook from bottom position dramatically increases their success rate in maintaining guard and executing offensive techniques. The underhook battle often determines whether the guard player will sweep or the top player will pass.

Visual Description

From bottom half guard on your side, your inside arm threads deeply under the opponent’s corresponding armpit, with your hand gripping their far shoulder, lat, or wrapping around their back. Your head is positioned against their chest or shoulder on the underhook side, using it as a frame to prevent them from driving into you. Your outside arm typically controls their wrist, sleeve, or establishes a frame against their far shoulder. Your legs maintain half guard control with your inside leg hooking their trapped leg while your outside leg may be free for knee shield or other configurations. The opponent kneels or drives pressure from above, their underhook side compromised and unable to establish the crucial crossface control. Your bodies are closely connected on the underhook side with your shoulder pressure directed upward into their armpit, creating a wedge that prevents them from flattening you. This configuration gives you the structural advantage to generate rotation for sweeps or to climb to their back.

Key Principles

  • Deep Underhook: Penetrate as deep as possible under their armpit, grip high on back or shoulder
  • Head Position: Use head as active post against their chest to prevent forward pressure
  • Hip Mobility: Stay on your side, create angles for attacks
  • Outside Arm Control: Prevent their far side grips and frames with active outside hand
  • Constant Pressure: Drive shoulder upward into their armpit, never passive
  • Grip Fighting: Opponent will fight desperately to strip underhook, defend it actively

Prerequisites

  • Half guard established
  • Understanding of framing and angle creation
  • Ability to fight for inside position
  • Hip mobility and lateral movement capability

State Invariants

  • One arm threaded under opponent’s armpit with deep penetration
  • Half guard control maintained with legs
  • Body positioned on side, not flat
  • Head acting as frame or post
  • Opponent’s crossface prevented or neutralized

Defensive Responses (When Opponent Has This State Against You)

Offensive Transitions (Available From This State)

Sweeps

Back Takes

Guard Transitions

Submissions

Counter Transitions

Expert Insights

  • John Danaher: “The underhook from bottom position is perhaps the single most important control element in half guard. It accomplishes three critical things simultaneously: it prevents the crossface which would flatten your structure, it creates a lever for generating rotation necessary for sweeps, and it provides a pathway to the back. When students ask me what to fight for in half guard, the answer is always the underhook first. Every other battle is secondary.”

  • Gordon Ryan: “I view the underhook as non-negotiable in half guard. If they get the crossface and I don’t have the underhook, I’m basically accepting that I’ll be passed. Once I have it, I’m immediately thinking about the back take rather than sweeps. Why sweep when you can take the back and strangle them? The underhook is the highway to the back in modern no-gi especially.”

  • Eddie Bravo: “The underhook is crucial, but people get it and then just hold it without attacking. That’s when you get passed. In 10th Planet, we use the underhook to set up the lockdown, to transition to deep half, or to immediately attack with the Old School sweep. The underhook is not a destination - it’s a weapon. Load it and fire it, don’t just hold it.”

Common Errors

Error: Shallow underhook without deep penetration

  • Consequence: Opponent can easily strip the underhook with good posture or by circling away. Shallow underhook provides minimal control and doesn’t prevent crossface effectively. Opponent can post their elbow to floor and create space to escape.
  • Correction: Drive your shoulder deep into their armpit, getting your hand past their shoulder line to their opposite lat or around their back. Think about trying to touch your own ear to their far shoulder. The deeper you penetrate, the harder to strip and the more control you have.
  • Recognition: If opponent can easily posture up or turn away from your underhook, it’s too shallow. You should feel their entire arm structure compromised.

Error: Static underhook without using it offensively

  • Consequence: Opponent methodically establishes secondary controls (far side grips, head control, leg positioning) that eventually allow them to neutralize or strip the underhook. Holding without attacking gives them time to solve the problem.
  • Correction: Immediately begin attacking with sweeps or back takes once underhook is secured. Use the underhook to generate rotation, climb to their back, or create off-balancing. Constant offensive pressure prevents them from establishing counters.
  • Recognition: If you’re holding the underhook for more than 3-5 seconds without attempting any technique, you’re being too passive. Opponent will start feeling stable.

Error: Allowing opponent to get chest-to-chest connection

  • Consequence: Even with underhook, if opponent drives their chest to yours and flattens you, much of the underhook’s leverage is neutralized. You lose the ability to generate rotation necessary for sweeps or back takes. Position becomes primarily defensive.
  • Correction: Use your head as an active post against their chest, and maintain hip angles by staying on your side. Never let them flatten your shoulders to the mat. Create space between your chests using head frame and shoulder pressure up into their armpit.
  • Recognition: If you’re looking straight up at the ceiling with opponent’s weight on your chest, you’ve been flattened despite having the underhook.

Error: Ignoring opponent’s far side controls

  • Consequence: While focused on maintaining underhook, opponent establishes dominant grips or positions on your far side (controlling your head, gripping your far arm, establishing far side underhook). These controls can override your near side underhook advantage.
  • Correction: Your free hand must actively fight their far side attempts. Frame against their far shoulder, control their wrist, or prevent head control. Both sides of your body must work together - underhook creates leverage, outside arm creates structure.
  • Recognition: If opponent has secured your far side while you’re holding your underhook without effectiveness, you’ve neglected the other side of the battle.

Error: Losing hip position and getting flattened

  • Consequence: Underhook loses nearly all effectiveness once you’re flat on your back. Can’t generate rotation for sweeps, can’t climb to back, can’t create angles. Essentially become pinned with one arm trapped under them.
  • Correction: Constantly maintain side position with active hip movement. If they start flattening you, immediately shrimp out and recover your angle. Your outside leg (knee shield or butterfly hook) must support your hip position.
  • Recognition: If your back is flat on the mat and you can’t turn your hips, your underhook has been neutralized by their pressure game.

Training Drills

Drill 1: Underhook Maintenance Battle

Start in half guard bottom with underhook secured. Top partner attempts to strip underhook using various methods (posturing, circling, whizzer, pressure) at progressive resistance (50%, 75%, 90%). Bottom person defends underhook while staying mobile and maintaining structure. 3-minute rounds. Focus: Grip endurance, understanding different stripping attacks, maintaining depth of underhook penetration, using head frame actively. If underhook is stripped, bottom person must immediately re-secure it.

Drill 2: Underhook Sweep Chain

Establish underhook from half guard bottom. Attempt first sweep (Old School, Underhook Sweep, or Waiter). If top person defends properly, immediately chain to second sweep option based on their defensive movement. Continue chains of 2-3 sweeps. Progress from 0% to 75% resistance. 5-minute rounds. Focus: Reading opponent’s base and weight distribution, smooth transitions between sweeps, maintaining underhook throughout chain, using opponent’s defensive reactions to set up next attack.

Drill 3: Underhook to Back Take Progression

From underhook position in half guard, practice various back take entries. Start with basic climb (using underhook to climb to back as they square up), then progress to rolling back take (when they drive into you), then to more advanced entries based on their defensive posture. Begin at 50% resistance, build to 90%. 4-minute rounds alternating positions. Focus: Recognizing opportunities for back exposure, maintaining underhook grip throughout climb, proper hip positioning for back entry.

Drill 4: Bottom Half Guard Battle for Underhook

Start in half guard bottom WITHOUT underhook established. Both players fight for inside position - bottom wants underhook, top wants crossface. Whoever wins the battle holds that control for 10 seconds then resets. Progress from positional starting point to allowing scrambles. 5-minute rounds. Focus: Hand fighting skills, creating entries for underhook, blocking crossface attempts, understanding the critical nature of this initial battle.

Drill 5: Underhook Attack Flow Under Pressure

Establish underhook. Top person provides 80% resistance and actively tries to pass while defending sweep/back take attempts. Bottom person must continuously attack with different techniques (sweeps, back takes, deep half entries) without ever becoming static. If passed, note what broke down and reset. 5-minute rounds. Focus: Maintaining offensive pressure under realistic resistance, transitioning between techniques fluidly, never accepting stalemate, conditioning underhook-side shoulder and grip.

Optimal Submission Paths

Fastest path to submission (direct attack): Underhook Position → Guillotine Setup → Guillotine Control → Won by Submission Reasoning: If opponent’s head becomes available (ducking under, driving forward), guillotine is immediately accessible. Requires precise timing and proper head position.

High-percentage path (positional dominance): Underhook Position → Back Take from Underhook → Back Control → Rear Naked Choke → Won by Submission Reasoning: The underhook creates natural pathway to the back, and back control is the highest percentage finishing position in BJJ. More reliable than direct submissions from bottom.

Alternative submission path (sweep first): Underhook Position → Old School Sweep → Mount → Armbar from Mount → Won by Submission Reasoning: Old School is one of the highest percentage sweeps from underhook position, and mount provides multiple high-percentage submissions. Systematic approach through position before submission.

Control-based path (systematic dominance): Underhook Position → Underhook Sweep → Top Half Guard → Knee Cut Pass → Side Control Top → Americana from Side Control → Won by Submission Reasoning: Direct sweep to top position, then systematic passing and control before submission. Most methodical and lowest risk approach.

Decision Tree

If opponent postures up and tries to create distance:

  • Execute Old School Sweep → Mount (Probability: 70%)
    • Reasoning: Posturing loads their weight backward over your underhook, perfect for rolling sweep
  • Or Execute Waiter Sweep → Top Position (Probability: 60%)
    • Reasoning: Distance creation exposes their base for waiter-style off-balancing

Else if opponent drives heavy pressure forward:

Else if opponent squares up their hips to yours:

Else if opponent attempts to strip underhook:

Else (balanced stalemate):

Position Metrics

  • Success Rate: 62% retention (competition data)
  • Average Time in Position: 30-90 seconds (typically transitional)
  • Sweep Probability: Beginner 42%, Intermediate 56%, Advanced 68%
  • Back Take Probability: Beginner 30%, Intermediate 45%, Advanced 58%
  • Submission Probability: Beginner 20%, Intermediate 32%, Advanced 45%
  • Guard Pass Probability (opponent success): Beginner 38%, Intermediate 28%, Advanced 18%

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