Half Guard to Leg Weave is a top-side passing entry where the passer secures an underhook and cross-face, then threads their knee-side leg deep between the opponent’s legs to staple them flat and establish the leg weave control before passing.
Half Guard to Leg Weave is the standard passing entry that converts a contested half guard into the dominant leg weave control, where the top player threads their knee-side leg between the opponent’s legs to pin both of their legs flat and neutralize the knee shield. It is the bridge between the half guard top battle and committed pressure passing, used the moment the passer wins the underhook and cross-face exchange.
The entry hinges on three sequential victories: securing a deep underhook on the near side, establishing cross-face pressure to flatten the bottom player’s shoulders, and then freeing the trapped knee so it can be driven deep between the opponent’s thighs. As the knee threads through, the passer’s shin and instep weave under the opponent’s bottom leg, stapling it to the mat while the cross-face prevents any hip escape or recovery of the knee shield frame. Once the weave is set, the bottom player loses the ability to insert butterfly hooks or re-establish a shield, and the passer can chain into knee slice, leg drag, or smash pass finishes.
This entry is a centerpiece of modern half guard passing systems taught by passers like Bernardo Faria and Lachlan Giles, prized because it converts the most common stalling position in jiu-jitsu into a high-percentage pass. The primary risk is over-committing the knee before the underhook and cross-face are locked, which feeds the bottom player a deep half guard entry as they dive under the advancing leg. Timing, the underhook battle, and head position determine whether the weave staples the opponent flat or hands them a sweep.
From Position: Half Guard (Top) Success Rate: 55%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Leg Weave | 55% |
| Failure | Half Guard | 30% |
| Counter | Deep Half Guard | 15% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Win the underhook and cross-face battle before committing th… | Fight the underhook battle first - if the passer cannot secu… |
| Options | 6 execution steps | 4 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Win the underhook and cross-face battle before committing the knee - upper body control precedes the leg thread
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Thread the knee-side leg deep and low, instep toward the mat, so the shin weaves UNDER the opponent’s bottom leg rather than over it
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Keep the cross-face heavy throughout to flatten the shoulders and deny hip escape during the thread
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Free your trapped knee by sliding it forward and pointing it across the opponent’s midline rather than yanking it straight out
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Maintain head position past the opponent’s far shoulder to control rotation and prevent them coming up on the underhook
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Drive weight toward the opponent’s far hip as the weave sets to staple both legs and consolidate the control
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Stay low and connected - any space created during the thread invites the deep half guard counter
Execution Steps
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Win the underhook and flatten the opponent: From half guard top, drive your near-side arm under the opponent’s armpit to secure a deep underhook…
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Clear or prevent the knee shield: Check whether the opponent has a knee shield wedged across your hip or chest. If so, use your hip an…
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Free the trapped knee: Slide your trapped knee forward and angle it across the opponent’s centerline rather than pulling it…
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Thread the knee deep between the legs: Drive your knee-side leg deep between the opponent’s thighs until your knee passes their hipline. Yo…
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Staple the legs and shift weight forward: With the weave set, drive your weight toward the opponent’s far hip and head, stapling both of their…
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Consolidate the leg weave control: Settle into the established leg weave position by lowering your hips, distributing weight between th…
Common Mistakes
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Threading the knee before securing the underhook and cross-face
- Consequence: The opponent sits up onto the underhook or dives under your advancing leg into deep half guard, reversing the position entirely.
- Correction: Always win the upper body battle first. Lock the underhook and flatten the shoulders with the cross-face before any leg commitment. The knee thread should feel like the easy final step, not the opening move.
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Weaving the leg over the opponent’s bottom leg instead of under it
- Consequence: Going over fails to staple the leg and leaves the opponent’s hooks active, letting them retain guard or sweep you with the trapped leg.
- Correction: Keep your shin low and your instep rotating toward the mat so the leg slides UNDER their bottom leg. The weave only works as a control when your shin pins their leg from underneath.
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Pulling the trapped knee straight out to free it
- Consequence: Yanking the knee backward creates space between your hips and the opponent, which they immediately exploit to insert a knee shield or shrimp to guard.
- Correction: Slide the knee forward and angle it across their centerline toward their far hip instead of pulling it back. The knee should travel into the thread, never away from the opponent.
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Fight the underhook battle first - if the passer cannot secure the underhook and cross-face, the knee thread is far harder to commit
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Keep an active knee shield or far-leg frame pointed across the passer’s body to block the threading knee
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React the instant you feel the knee advance - the entry is defeated before the weave sets, not after
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Use the passer’s forward commitment against them by diving under the advancing leg into deep half guard
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Frame against the cross-face to preserve the hip mobility you need to shrimp, re-shield, or come up
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Protect your back - when coming up on the underhook, keep your shoulder connected and avoid turning so far you expose your back
Recognition Cues
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The top player secures a deep underhook on your near side and drives a cross-face across your jaw, flattening your shoulders to the mat
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You feel your knee shield being peeled down past the passer’s hipline or pinned toward the mat as they clear your frame
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The passer’s knee begins sliding forward and angling across your centerline, with their shin lowering toward the mat between your legs
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Pressure shifts toward your head and far hip as the passer drives their weight forward to staple your legs flat
Defensive Options
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Re-insert your knee shield, driving your bottom-leg knee across the passer’s chest or hip to block the threading knee - When: When the passer’s thread is shallow or slow and you still have room to wedge your knee between your bodies before their knee passes your hipline
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Dive your shoulders under the passer’s advancing leg to enter deep half guard - When: When the passer rises onto their hips or drives forward and high during the thread, giving you a window to get your head and shoulders under their base
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Win the underhook and come up on your elbow toward the dogfight or sweep - When: When the passer’s cross-face goes slack or they over-focus on the leg, leaving their upper body controllable on your underhook side
Position Integration
The half guard to leg weave entry is the connective tissue of pressure-passing half guard systems, converting the most common stalling exchange in jiu-jitsu - the half guard top battle - into the dominant leg weave control. It sits downstream of the underhook and cross-face battle and upstream of the entire half guard passing tree: once the weave is established, it feeds directly into the knee slice pass, leg drag pass, and smash pass, all of which finish in side control or back control. Strategically, the entry teaches the principle that upper body control must precede leg commitment, a lesson that transfers to nearly every passing position. It pairs naturally with headquarters-position passing and over-under concepts, and its primary counters - the deep half guard dive and the underhook sit-up to dogfight - define the risk-reward that every half guard passer must manage. Mastering this entry gives a passer a high-percentage answer to half guard, the single most encountered guard in both gi and no-gi grappling.