Why is it critical to block the far hip before initiating the leg extraction?

Blocking the far hip prevents the bottom player from executing a hip escape (shrimp) that would follow your leg movement during extraction. Without the hip block, the opponent can shrimp toward you as you create the extraction angle, maintaining the hook or recovering enough space to re-establish frames and knee shield. The hip block removes their primary defensive movement and makes the extraction significantly higher percentage.

What is the optimal direction to drive your knee during extraction and why?

Drive your knee diagonally across the opponent's thigh toward their far hip rather than pulling straight back. This diagonal angle works with the geometry of the hook rather than against it, making extraction require minimal force. Pulling straight back tightens the hook through the opponent's reflexive clamping response and telegraphs your intention, while the diagonal slice changes the angle of your leg relative to the hook in a way that the hook cannot effectively grip.

Your opponent catches your ankle with a re-hook as you attempt extraction. How do you respond?

Do not pull the leg back and reset. Instead, drive your hips forward to maintain pressure and re-attempt the knee slice from the new angle created by your initial extraction attempt. The forward hip drive prevents the opponent from consolidating the re-hook, and the adjusted angle makes the second extraction attempt higher percentage. If re-hooking persists, switch to a hip switch extraction or backstep variant to change the extraction geometry entirely.

Why should you curl your heel toward your buttock during extraction rather than extending the leg straight?

Curling the heel makes your lower leg compact and spherical, which is extremely difficult for the opponent to catch with a last-ditch re-hook. An extended straight leg presents the ankle and calf as easy targets for re-hooking. Additionally, the curled position places your leg in the correct configuration for establishing side control base immediately upon clearing the hook, eliminating the pause between extraction and position consolidation.

What is the primary risk of lifting your chest during the extraction attempt?

Lifting the chest creates space between your torso and the opponent's body that they will immediately fill with frames, typically an elbow wedge or knee shield insertion. This single error can reset the entire passing sequence, returning the opponent to active half guard with defensive structure intact. All the work invested in winning the underhook battle, establishing the crossface, and flattening the opponent is lost in the moment you lift your chest.

How do you time the extraction attempt for maximum success probability?

Initiate the extraction when your opponent is focused on managing your upper body pressure rather than actively defending the leg hook. After establishing heavy crossface and chest pressure, wait for your opponent to adjust their breathing or attempt to move their head, then begin the extraction during that moment of divided attention. Avoid attempting extraction when the opponent has just settled into a defensive posture with full attention on maintaining the hook.

Complete Pass from Flattened Half Attacker | BJJ Technique Guide

As the attacker executing the Complete Pass from Flattened Half Guard, you have already accomplished the hardest part of the pressure-passing sequence: collapsing your opponent’s frames, establishing the crossface, and driving them flat. The remaining challenge is extracting your trapped leg from their half guard hook without surrendering any of the positional advantage you earned. This requires understanding that the extraction is not a separate event from the pressure maintenance but rather a continuation of the same systematic pressure that got you here. Every movement must serve the dual purpose of advancing the pass while sustaining the control that keeps your opponent pinned. The moment you separate these objectives and focus solely on freeing your leg, you create the space your opponent needs to recover frames and reset the entire passing sequence.

From Position: Flattened Half Guard (Top)

Key Attacking Principles

What are the key principles for executing Complete Pass from Flattened Half?

Maintain chest-to-chest pressure throughout the entire extraction sequence - never lift your torso to free the leg
Create angular displacement rather than direct force to overcome the half guard hook
Use the crossface as an anchor point that pins your opponent while your lower body works the extraction
Time your extraction attempt when the opponent is focused on surviving pressure rather than actively defending the hook
Drive your hips forward and down during extraction to prevent space creation beneath you
Treat the pass completion as a continuous flow rather than a discrete step - settle into side control without pause
Control your opponent’s far hip with your free hand to prevent them from following your hip movement during extraction

Prerequisites

What do you need before attempting Complete Pass from Flattened Half?

Crossface firmly established with forearm or bicep pressure turning opponent’s head away from the pass direction
Chest-to-chest contact maintained with forward pressure through sternum and ribcage
Bottom player’s frames collapsed with no active knee shield, forearm wedge, or elbow frame in place
Underhook battle resolved in your favor or opponent’s underhook neutralized through shoulder pressure
Stable base established with your free leg posted for mobility and angle creation
Bottom player’s far hip controlled or blocked to prevent them from following your extraction movement

Execution Steps

How do you execute Complete Pass from Flattened Half step by step?

Consolidate upper body control: Before initiating any leg extraction, verify that your crossface is secure with your forearm driving across your opponent’s jaw line, your chest is heavy on their sternum, and your shoulder pressure is pinning their near shoulder to the mat. Your free hand should be controlling their far hip or posted on the mat for base. Settle your weight and take a controlled breath.
Block the far hip: Place your free hand on your opponent’s far hip, pushing it toward the mat. This prevents them from shrimping toward you when you begin the extraction and eliminates their primary defensive movement. The hip block is the critical preparation that makes the extraction possible by removing their ability to follow your leg movement.
Create the extraction angle: Shift your hips slightly toward the side of the trapped leg while maintaining chest pressure. This diagonal hip movement changes the angle of your trapped leg relative to the hook, making it significantly easier to extract. Do not lift your chest during this shift - think of rotating your lower body while your upper body remains pinned to your opponent.
Drive the knee through: With the angle established, drive your trapped knee diagonally across your opponent’s thigh, slicing through the half guard hook in one deliberate motion. The knee travels from between their legs toward their far hip. Increase your chest pressure during this movement to compensate for the slight instability the leg motion creates. Your opponent will feel the hook breaking and may attempt to re-hook - the forward pressure prevents them from adjusting.
Clear the foot: As your knee clears the hook, immediately pull your foot free by curling your heel toward your buttock. Do not extend your leg straight as this allows your opponent to catch the ankle with a last-ditch re-hook. The curling motion makes your leg compact and difficult to recapture. Continue driving your hips forward through the extraction.
Establish hip-to-hip contact: The instant your leg is free, drive your hips into your opponent’s near hip to establish the hip-to-hip connection that defines side control. This eliminates the space between your bodies that your opponent would use for guard recovery. Your hips should arrive before your opponent can insert a knee or frame.
Settle into side control: Transition your crossface and upper body control into standard side control configuration. Spread your base with your legs for stability, maintain heavy hip pressure, and control their far arm or hip with your free hand. Do not rush past this settling phase - take one to two seconds to consolidate complete side control before considering any advancement or submission attacks.

Possible Outcomes

Result	Position	Probability
Success	Side Control	55%
Failure	Flattened Half Guard	30%
Counter	Half Guard	15%

Opponent Counters

How might your opponent counter Complete Pass from Flattened Half?

Re-hooking the leg during extraction by catching the ankle or calf (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Curl your heel tight to your buttock during extraction to make re-hooking extremely difficult. If they catch your ankle, drive your hips forward and re-attempt the knee slice from the new angle rather than pulling the leg back. → Leads to Flattened Half Guard
Hip escape during extraction to create space for knee shield recovery (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Block the far hip before initiating extraction to prevent the shrimp. If they manage to create space, immediately increase chest pressure and re-flatten before reattempting the extraction. Do not chase the leg - control the upper body first. → Leads to Half Guard
Underhook recovery when pressure shifts during leg extraction (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Maintain heavy shoulder pressure throughout the extraction to prevent underhook insertion. If they begin to establish an underhook, drive your shoulder into their chin and use a whizzer to neutralize it before continuing the pass. → Leads to Half Guard
Deep half entry by diving underneath during momentary pressure reduction (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Keep your hips low and heavy throughout extraction - never allow your hips to rise above your opponent’s hip line. If they begin threading underneath, immediately sprawl your hips back down and re-establish chest pressure to collapse the deep half attempt. → Leads to Half Guard

Common Attacking Mistakes

What mistakes should you avoid when executing Complete Pass from Flattened Half?

1. Lifting chest to create space for leg extraction rather than maintaining pressure throughout

Consequence: Opponent immediately inserts elbow frame or knee shield, recovering to active half guard and resetting the entire passing sequence
Correction: Keep your chest welded to your opponent’s chest during the entire extraction. Use angular hip movement and knee slice mechanics to free the leg without any reduction in upper body pressure.

2. Attempting to yank the trapped leg straight back through direct force against the hook

Consequence: Hook becomes tighter as your opponent clamps down reflexively, wastes significant energy, and telegraphs your passing intention giving them time to prepare defensive frames
Correction: Create an angle with your hips first, then slice the knee diagonally across rather than pulling straight back. Angular displacement overcomes the hook through geometry, not force.

3. Neglecting to block the far hip before initiating extraction

Consequence: Opponent shrimps toward you during the extraction, following your movement and maintaining the hook or recovering to knee shield half guard
Correction: Always control the far hip with your free hand before beginning any extraction attempt. This pin prevents the shrimp that is their primary defensive movement.

4. Pausing between clearing the hook and establishing side control

Consequence: Creates a window where the opponent can insert a knee, recover half guard, or establish frames before you consolidate the new position
Correction: Treat the extraction and side control establishment as one continuous motion. The moment your leg clears, your hips drive into theirs to establish hip-to-hip contact with zero delay.

5. Extending the freed leg straight during extraction instead of curling the heel

Consequence: Opponent catches the extended ankle with a last-ditch re-hook, resetting you back to flattened half guard and wasting the extraction attempt
Correction: Always curl your heel toward your buttock as the knee clears the hook. This makes your leg compact and impossible to re-hook while also positioning it correctly for side control base.

6. Releasing the crossface during transition to side control

Consequence: Opponent turns into you, recovers guard frames, or begins an escape sequence before you can consolidate side control
Correction: Maintain crossface continuously from flattened half guard through the extraction and into side control settlement. The crossface is your anchor throughout the entire transition.

7. Rushing to attack submissions immediately after completing the pass without consolidating position

Consequence: Opponent exploits the incomplete control to recover guard or create scramble situations
Correction: Settle into side control for at least one to two seconds with full hip pressure and crossface before considering any offensive advancement. Consolidation prevents escape and maximizes your control advantage.

Training Progressions

How do you train Complete Pass from Flattened Half (Attacker)?

Phase 1: Mechanics - Leg extraction technique without resistance Practice the complete extraction sequence with a cooperative partner. Focus on maintaining chest pressure while creating the hip angle, driving the knee through, curling the heel, and flowing into side control. Perform 20 repetitions on each side with emphasis on smooth, connected movement rather than speed.

Phase 2: Pressure Integration - Combining extraction with sustained pressure control Partner provides passive resistance through the hook while you practice maintaining heavy chest and hip pressure throughout the entire extraction. Partner gives feedback on any pressure reduction they feel during the movement. Focus on eliminating all gaps in pressure.

Phase 3: Counter Defense - Maintaining pass against active defensive responses Partner actively defends using specific counters: re-hooking, hip escaping, underhook recovery, and deep half entries. Practice recognizing each counter and applying the appropriate response while maintaining forward progress toward completing the pass. Increase resistance gradually.

Phase 4: Chain Integration - Connecting extraction to passing chains and follow-up attacks Begin from standing or from active half guard top and work through the full sequence: win underhook battle, establish crossface, flatten opponent, extract leg, settle side control. Chain failed extraction attempts into alternative passes. Practice transitioning immediately to side control attacks after settling.

Phase 5: Live Application - Executing the complete pass in positional sparring Positional sparring starting from flattened half guard with full resistance. Top player works to complete the pass within 60 seconds. Bottom player uses all available defenses. Track success rate and identify which counters give you the most trouble for targeted drilling.

Safety Considerations

What are the safety concerns for Complete Pass from Flattened Half?

The Complete Pass from Flattened Half Guard is a relatively low-risk transition from an injury perspective, as no joint locks or chokes are directly applied during the movement. However, the sustained chest pressure can be uncomfortable and restrict breathing for the bottom player, so training partners should be attentive to tapping for pressure and should release immediately when tapped. During the knee slice extraction, avoid driving your knee aggressively into the opponent’s inner thigh as this can cause bruising or soft tissue injury. When drilling, establish clear communication about pressure intensity levels.

Complete Pass from Flattened Half Attacker

Outcomes