Half Guard to Back Take represents an advanced positional transition that transforms a defensive half guard position into the highly dominant back control. This transition is fundamental to modern half guard systems and represents one of the highest-percentage paths to dominance from bottom position. The technique relies on establishing an underhook, creating a perpendicular angle to the opponent, and systematically climbing to their back while they attempt to maintain top pressure. This transition is particularly effective because it exploits the opponent’s forward pressure against them, using their own weight commitment to facilitate the back take. Mastery of this transition is essential for any serious half guard player and represents a key component of offensive half guard systems developed by experts like Bernardo Faria and Craig Jones.
Starting Position: Half Guard Ending Position: Back Control Success Rates: Beginner 45%, Intermediate 70%, Advanced 85%
Key Principles
- Underhook Control: Deep underhook acts as primary control point for rotation and prevents opponent’s crossface
- Hip Positioning: Block opponent’s hip to prevent defensive movement and base recovery
- Pressure Direction: Use forward pressure followed by lateral transition to create opening
- Timing Mechanics: Execute during opponent’s defensive turn or frame attempt when weight shifts
- Connection Points: Maintain minimum three points of connection throughout transition
- Space Management: Control space between your chest and opponent’s back during climb
- Head Position: Head placed on dominant side to prevent defensive roll and maintain control
Prerequisites
- Underhook established on opponent’s far side with deep penetration
- Opponent applying forward pressure or attempting to flatten
- Hip mobility sufficient to create perpendicular angle
- Timing recognition for when opponent’s weight commits forward
- Frame prevention: opponent’s crossface must be controlled or nullified
- Base disruption: opponent’s posting hand controlled or compromised
Execution Steps
- Establish underhook control: From bottom half guard, secure deep underhook on opponent’s far side, threading your arm under their armpit and connecting your hand to their far shoulder or lat muscle. Simultaneously prevent their crossface by keeping your other hand framing against their neck or shoulder. (Timing: Establish during initial half guard engagement)
- Create perpendicular angle: Use the underhook to pull yourself perpendicular to your opponent’s body, rotating your torso so you’re facing their side rather than directly facing them. Your hips should form approximately a 90-degree angle with their body, with your inside leg still maintaining the half guard lock. (Timing: Execute as opponent drives forward pressure)
- Block bottom hip: As you create the angle, bring your top knee across to block opponent’s bottom hip, preventing them from turning into you or recovering their base. This knee acts as a critical control point that maintains your perpendicular position. (Timing: Simultaneous with angle creation)
- Release half guard lock: Once your perpendicular angle is secure and hip is blocked, release your half guard leg lock. Your freed inside leg will be used to begin climbing to the back, starting with the bottom hook insertion. (Timing: Only after angle and hip block are secure)
- Insert bottom hook: Thread your inside leg (the one that was previously locking half guard) across opponent’s bottom hip and insert it as your first back control hook. The hook should go deep, with your heel pulling into their hip crease while your knee drives into their thigh. (Timing: Immediately after releasing half guard)
- Climb to back: Using your underhook and bottom hook as anchors, elevate your hips and climb onto opponent’s back. Your chest should make contact with their back, and your head should position behind their far shoulder. Maintain constant pressure to prevent them from turning into you. (Timing: Fluid motion following bottom hook insertion)
- Insert top hook: Once your body weight is on their back, insert your top leg as the second hook, threading it over their top hip and securing it deep. Both hooks should now be pulling their hips toward you while your chest drives into their back, creating the characteristic sandwich pressure of back control. (Timing: Within 1-2 seconds of climbing to back)
- Establish final control: Secure your preferred back control grip configuration (seatbelt, harness, or collar grips in gi). Ensure both hooks are deep, your chest is tight to their back, and your head is positioned defensively behind their shoulder to prevent them from rolling you off. (Timing: Immediately after second hook insertion)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent turns into guard (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Maintain underhook control and follow their rotation, transitioning to butterfly guard or continuing to take the back as they expose it during the turn
- Crossface pressure (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Use inside arm to frame against their neck while using underhook to create angle anyway, or transition to deep half guard if crossface becomes too dominant
- Opponent bases out wide (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Use their wide base against them by attacking far side with underhook sweep variations, or transition to lockdown to break down their base structure
- Knee shield insertion (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Address knee shield by controlling their shin with your top hand while maintaining underhook, then either remove shield or transition to different half guard variation
- Whizzer overhook (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Accept the whizzer and use it as leverage for the back take, as the overhook actually helps you climb to their back when properly exploited
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary control point that enables the half guard to back take transition? A: The underhook on opponent’s far side is the primary control point, providing leverage for angle creation, preventing opponent’s crossface pressure, and serving as the main anchor throughout the entire transition from half guard to full back control.
Q2: When is the optimal timing to execute the climb to back control? A: You should climb to back control after creating a perpendicular angle with the underhook, specifically when opponent’s weight commits forward and their bottom hip is blocked by your knee, preventing their defensive turn-in or base recovery.
Q3: What is the most common technical error when attempting this transition and how is it corrected? A: The most common error is releasing the underhook too early during the transition, which results in loss of control and allows opponent to establish crossface and flatten you. The correction is to maintain underhook connection throughout the entire sequence until back control is fully established with both hooks inserted and secured.
Q4: How do you effectively counter an opponent’s crossface pressure when attempting the back take? A: Counter crossface pressure by using your inside arm to create a defensive frame against their neck or shoulder while simultaneously using the underhook to create the perpendicular angle anyway. If crossface becomes too dominant, transition to deep half guard or lockdown positions that nullify their crossface advantage.
Q5: What resistance level is recommended during week 3-4 of the training progression? A: For weeks 3-4 of training progression, use light resistance level to develop timing and angle creation mechanics while maintaining technical precision. This allows practitioners to feel the correct perpendicular body alignment and hip blocking without the complications of heavy defensive pressure.
Q6: Why is blocking the opponent’s bottom hip critical to the success of this technique? A: Blocking opponent’s bottom hip with your top knee is critical because it prevents them from turning into you to recover guard and maintains your perpendicular angle during the climb. Without this hip block, opponents can easily rotate toward you and nullify the back take attempt, recovering to standard half guard or even passing to top position.
Q7: How does the Kimura Grip variation differ from the standard underhook approach? A: The Kimura Grip variation uses a kimura grip on opponent’s near arm instead of the traditional far side underhook, creating back exposure through submission threat rather than positional leverage. This forces opponent to defend by turning away from the kimura, which exposes their back for the take, making it effective when traditional underhook is well-defended.
Safety Considerations
Ensure controlled execution to avoid injury during the transition. Maintain awareness of opponent’s spine and neck position, particularly when establishing back control and inserting hooks. Apply pressure gradually rather than explosively when first learning to prevent knee and hip injuries to your training partner. When inserting hooks, be careful not to drive knees forcefully into opponent’s thighs, which can cause painful contusions. During drilling, communicate clearly if crossface pressure becomes excessive, as this can strain neck muscles. Partners should tap early if they feel trapped in poor positions during the transition to prevent panic responses that lead to injury.
Position Integration
Half Guard to Back Take is a fundamental transition in the offensive half guard system, representing one of the highest-percentage paths from defensive bottom position to dominant back control. This transition integrates seamlessly with the broader half guard framework, connecting underhook battles, lockdown systems, deep half positions, and various sweep attempts. The technique serves as a critical bridge between guard retention and position dominance, allowing practitioners to transform defensive scenarios into offensive opportunities through proper angle creation and timing. It connects directly to back attack systems once back control is achieved, opening pathways to rear naked choke, armbar from back, and bow and arrow variations. The transition also complements other half guard techniques like the old school sweep, kimura traps, and deep half entries, creating a comprehensive half guard game where each technique supports and enhances the others.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The half guard to back take transition represents one of the highest-percentage positional advancements in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when executed with proper underhook control and systematic angle creation. The key to this technique lies not in explosive athleticism but in understanding the biomechanical principles that make it work. The underhook creates a lever against the opponent’s far shoulder, and when combined with the perpendicular angle, it creates a mechanical disadvantage for the top player that is nearly impossible to defend if executed correctly. The systematic approach emphasizes maintaining multiple connection points throughout the transition rather than relying on single-point explosive movements that sacrifice control for speed. Students must understand that the underhook is not merely a grip but a structural control that dictates the opponent’s available movements. When you establish the perpendicular angle, you’re not just moving your body - you’re creating a geometric relationship that makes their defensive options increasingly limited. The transition should feel inevitable rather than forced, with each step flowing naturally from the previous one based on sound mechanical principles.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, the half guard back take is absolutely essential for any serious half guard player, and I’ve used it countless times to turn defensive bottom positions into dominant attacks. The key difference between drilling this in the gym and executing it in competition is understanding the timing and explosive nature required at the highest levels. I focus on creating the angle first through patient underhook work, then executing the back take explosively once my position is established and I feel opponent’s weight commit forward. You cannot hesitate in competition - when you feel that perpendicular angle lock in and their hip is blocked, you must attack the back immediately and decisively. One critical detail many people miss is that you need to be comfortable with the technique failing and transitioning to other attacks like the old school sweep or deep half. Against high-level opponents, they will defend the back take, so you need to chain it with other attacks seamlessly. I often use the threat of the back take to set up sweeps, and use sweep attempts to set up back takes. The key is making opponent choose between bad options, then capitalizing on whichever defense they choose.
- Eddie Bravo: From the 10th Planet system perspective, the half guard back take is fundamental, but we approach it differently than traditional gi-based methods. We use the lockdown position to control their base and break down their posture, making the back take much higher percentage than standard half guard approaches. The electric chair threat is key here - when you torque their knee with the lockdown and they feel that pressure building, they naturally want to turn away from the pain and post their far arm. That’s exactly when you release the lockdown and climb to their back. It’s beautiful because you’re using their defensive reaction to a submission threat to create the back take opportunity. We also emphasize the whip-up motion from lockdown, which elevates them and creates the angle automatically rather than having to manually create it with just the underhook. The rubber guard concepts apply here too - you want to break their posture completely before attempting the back take, which is why we focus so much on the lockdown and leg control rather than just upper body. When you combine the leg control with the underhook, you’re controlling both ends of their body, making the back take almost unstoppable if you time it right with their defensive movements.