The Back Step Pass is a critical guard passing technique used to escape leg entanglement danger when facing inverted guards like Grasshopper Guard. Unlike forward-pressure passes that feed into the bottom player’s sweeping and leg attack mechanics, the back step uses retrograde movement to extract your leg from entanglement while simultaneously creating a passing angle toward side control.
This technique operates on a fundamental principle: when your leg becomes endangered by hooks, threads, or rotational attacks, stepping backward removes the lever the opponent needs to complete their technique. The back step is not merely a defensive retreat—it’s a positional repositioning that converts defensive necessity into passing opportunity. As your stepping leg clears the entanglement zone, your weight shifts forward over the opponent’s torso, flattening their inverted posture and establishing the perpendicular alignment characteristic of side control.
The back step is particularly valuable against modern leg lock systems where practitioners use inversions to access heel hooks and kneebars. Against a skilled grasshopper guard player, the window for executing this pass is narrow—you must recognize the entanglement attempt early and initiate the back step before they can fully establish control. Timing the back step to coincide with their inversion transition maximizes success probability, as their legs are temporarily in flux between configurations.
From Position: Grasshopper Guard (Top) Success Rate: 58%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Side Control | 65% |
| Failure | Grasshopper Guard | 25% |
| Counter | Ashi Garami | 10% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Initiate the back step before the opponent fully establishes… | Follow the retreating leg with your hips and hooks rather th… |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
-
Initiate the back step before the opponent fully establishes leg control, not after
-
Step backward and away from the entanglement direction rather than pulling straight back
-
Maintain low hip position throughout the movement to avoid being elevated
-
Use the clearing motion to immediately transition weight forward over opponent’s torso
-
Keep the non-stepping leg as a base point while the endangered leg extracts
-
Drive crossface pressure as you complete the pass to flatten opponent’s inversion
-
Time the back step to opponent’s leg reconfiguration moments for highest success
Execution Steps
-
Recognize entanglement: Identify that opponent’s legs are threatening to establish hooks behind your knee, thread between yo…
-
Shift weight to base leg: Transfer your weight to the non-endangered leg, creating a stable base point from which to extract t…
-
Execute back step: Step the endangered leg backward and away from the opponent’s body in an arc motion, clearing their …
-
Clear opponent’s legs: As your leg extracts, use your hands to strip, redirect, or pin any remaining leg contact. Push thei…
-
Drive forward: Immediately convert the backward momentum into forward pressure, driving your chest and shoulder tow…
-
Establish crossface: As you drive forward, establish crossface control with your forearm or bicep pressure across their n…
-
Consolidate side control: Complete the pass by establishing perpendicular chest-to-chest positioning with your hips low agains…
Common Mistakes
-
Pulling leg straight backward instead of stepping at an angle
- Consequence: Opponent’s entanglement follows your movement and may actually tighten, completing the leg attack or sweep you were trying to avoid
- Correction: Step at a 45-degree angle backward and away from opponent, creating lateral distance that prevents their legs from tracking your movement
-
Initiating back step too late after opponent has full leg control
- Consequence: The pass becomes a desperate escape rather than a passing technique, and opponent can complete their attack during your retreat
- Correction: Recognize leg entanglement attempts early and initiate back step during their entry phase, not after they’ve established deep control
-
Standing up tall during the back step motion
- Consequence: Creates opportunity for opponent to elevate your hips and complete sweeping techniques as you become top-heavy and unstable
- Correction: Keep hips low throughout the back step, almost sprawling as you extract the leg to maintain stable base and prevent elevation
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
-
Follow the retreating leg with your hips and hooks rather than letting the connection break passively
-
Reinvert or roll toward the stepping direction to maintain leg contact during the extraction arc
-
Shoot for leg entanglement entries during the passer’s weight transfer phase when their balance is transitional
-
If the leg clears, immediately address the incoming forward drive with frames against the shoulder before crossface establishes
-
Never accept a flat position under the forward drive—turn to a side or recover butterfly hooks immediately
-
Use the passer’s committed stepping direction to predict their passing angle and preposition your guard recovery
Recognition Cues
-
Passer shifts weight noticeably onto one leg while the other becomes lighter in your hooks, indicating preparation to extract the light leg backward
-
Passer’s upper body rises slightly or their hips lower into a squat as they prepare the stepping motion, changing their center of gravity before the arc begins
-
Passer’s hands begin actively pushing or stripping your leg contact rather than posting for base, signaling imminent extraction effort
-
Passer’s torso begins rotating away from the entangled side, creating the angular clearance needed for the 45-degree back step arc
Defensive Options
-
Chase with reinversion - roll your shoulders and reinvert toward the direction of the retreating leg, threading your hooks to reestablish grasshopper guard contact - When: Immediately upon recognizing the back step initiation, before the passer’s leg clears your hook range. Most effective when you still have at least one hook behind their knee.
-
Shoot legs through for ashi garami - as the passer’s weight shifts to their base leg, thread your legs around the stationary base leg to establish inside or outside ashi garami - When: When you detect the weight transfer to the base leg and recognize you cannot follow the retreating leg. The base leg becomes momentarily vulnerable as it bears full weight.
-
Frame and recover butterfly guard - immediately create forearm frames against the passer’s shoulders as they drive forward, then insert butterfly hooks before they consolidate side control - When: When the back step has already cleared the entanglement and the forward drive is beginning. This is the last-resort defense when reinversion and leg threading windows have closed.
Position Integration
The Back Step Pass is a cornerstone technique in the guard passing toolkit against inverted and leg-entanglement guards. It represents the systematic approach to leg safety that allows aggressive passers to engage with modern guard systems without constant submission risk. The technique chains directly from any standing or combat base engagement with grasshopper, K-guard, or similar inverted positions. After successful completion, you arrive in side control with all the offensive options that position provides—Americana, kimura, arm triangle, mount transitions, and north-south attacks. The back step also integrates with leg drag and knee slice passing systems, allowing you to flow between techniques based on opponent reactions. Mastery of this pass is essential for anyone training against practitioners who utilize leg lock systems and inverted guard recoveries.