The Knee Slice Pass is one of the most fundamental and high-percentage guard passing techniques in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This pass involves cutting through the opponent’s guard by driving your knee across their thighs while controlling their upper body, effectively bisecting their defensive structure. The technique is particularly effective from half guard and open guard positions, where the passer can establish strong control points before initiating the slice. The knee slice creates a powerful combination of forward pressure and lateral movement that makes it extremely difficult for the bottom player to retain guard.
The pass works across all levels of competition and remains a staple in modern BJJ due to its mechanical efficiency and adaptability to both gi and no-gi contexts. The biomechanical principle underlying the knee slice is the simultaneous application of perpendicular forces: forward driving pressure through the hips and lateral cutting motion through the knee. This dual-vector force is extremely difficult to counter with a single defensive structure, which is why the technique maintains such high success rates even against experienced guard players.
Understanding the knee slice is essential for developing a complete passing game, as it serves as a gateway to numerous other passing sequences and submissions. When the bottom player defends the slice in one direction, they invariably expose themselves to complementary attacks from the opposite angle, creating a passing system rather than an isolated technique. The knee slice chains naturally with the long step pass, leg drag, backstep pass, and various submission entries, making it the central hub of most high-level passing systems.
From Position: Half Guard (Top) Success Rate: 68%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Side Control | 68% |
| Failure | Half Guard | 20% |
| Counter | Half Guard | 12% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Establish dominant grips and control points before initiatin… | Establish knee shield or frame before the passer can begin t… |
| Options | 8 execution steps | 7 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Establish dominant grips and control points before initiating the slice to prevent defensive reactions
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Drive knee across opponent’s thighs at a 45-degree angle from outside to inside for maximum cutting efficiency
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Maintain constant forward pressure through hips throughout the entire pass sequence
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Keep hips low and weight distributed over opponent’s center of mass to prevent guard recovery
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Control the far hip with a dedicated hand to prevent opponent from turning away or recovering guard
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Position head on the opposite side of the slicing knee to create crossface pressure that pins the opponent flat
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Transition smoothly from the slice to side control consolidation without creating space
Execution Steps
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Establish control points: Secure a strong collar grip with your lead hand and control the opponent’s far sleeve or wrist. Your…
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Clear the bottom leg hook: If passing from half guard, use your free leg to backstep and clear the bottom hook. Drive your shin…
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Begin the knee slice: Drive your knee across the opponent’s thighs at approximately a 45-degree angle, slicing from outsid…
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Control the far hip: As your knee slices through, use your grip on their far hip or pants to prevent them from turning in…
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Drive head and shoulder pressure: Apply significant pressure with your head on the opposite side of the slice, driving into their ches…
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Extract the slicing leg: As your knee clears their thigh line completely, windshield-wiper your shin free from any remaining …
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Establish side control: Swing your now-free leg back and drop your hips to the mat in a perpendicular position to their tors…
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Consolidate position: Settle your weight and eliminate any remaining space the opponent might exploit. Ensure they are fla…
Common Mistakes
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Slicing with knee too high above the thigh line, allowing opponent to recover guard underneath
- Consequence: Opponent easily brings their knee back inside and re-establishes half guard or full guard, nullifying all passing progress
- Correction: Keep your hips low and drive your knee across their thighs, not over them. Your shin should create a horizontal barrier that their legs cannot pass through. Think of cutting through their guard, not jumping over it.
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Failing to control the far hip during the slice
- Consequence: Opponent turns away freely, escaping to turtle or recovering guard by creating an angle
- Correction: Maintain constant contact with the far hip throughout the entire pass. Your trailing hand should be glued to their hip, anticipating and preventing any rotation or escape attempt before it develops momentum.
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Insufficient head and shoulder crossface pressure
- Consequence: Opponent comes up to their side, establishes frames, and makes the pass significantly more difficult or initiates sweeps
- Correction: Drive your head and shoulder heavily into their upper body on the opposite side of your slicing knee. This crossface pressure should be constant and heavy, pinning their far shoulder to the mat throughout every phase of the pass.
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Establish knee shield or frame before the passer can begin the slicing motion to create a structural barrier they must overcome
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Fight for the underhook on the trapped-leg side as the primary offensive weapon that enables sweeps, back takes, and guard recovery
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Maintain hip mobility by staying on your side rather than flat on your back, preserving the ability to shrimp, reguard, and create angles
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Control the passer’s slicing knee with your bottom leg to prevent it from clearing your thigh line and completing the cut
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Time defensive actions to coincide with the passer’s forward weight commitment, when their base is most vulnerable to sweeps and counters
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Deny the crossface by keeping your head turned toward the passer and your near-side elbow tight to your body as a frame
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Chain multiple defensive responses together rather than committing entirely to a single defense that can be read and countered
Recognition Cues
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Passer’s lead hand secures collar grip or cross-face control while their trailing hand reaches for your far hip, establishing the two primary control points needed to initiate the slice
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Passer’s knee begins to rise and angle diagonally across your thigh line, shifting from a vertical shin position to a 45-degree cutting trajectory with weight loading forward
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Passer drives their head to the far side of their slicing knee, positioning for crossface pressure that will pin your shoulder to the mat
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Passer’s hips drop low and load forward, committing body weight into the pass rather than maintaining a neutral upright posture
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Passer’s trailing hand grips your far hip or pant leg, signaling they are about to initiate the forward drive and prevent your rotation
Defensive Options
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Establish knee shield frame by inserting your shin across the passer’s chest and hip before the slice begins - When: Immediately when you recognize the passer establishing collar grip and far hip control in preparation for the slice
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Fight for underhook on the trapped-leg side by swimming your arm under passer’s armpit and driving to your side - When: When the passer has not yet established a deep crossface and there is space between your bodies to insert the underhook
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Transition to deep half guard by ducking under the passer’s hips as they drive forward - When: When the passer commits significant forward pressure and their hips are loaded over your centerline during the mid-phase of the slice
Position Integration
The knee slice pass is a cornerstone technique in any complete guard passing system. It serves as a central hub from which numerous other passes and attacks can be launched. The knee slice naturally chains with the long step pass, leg drag, backstep pass, and over-under pass, creating a cohesive passing system where if one is defended, you can immediately transition to another. It works effectively from multiple starting positions including half guard, butterfly guard, headquarters, and various open guard configurations, making it extremely versatile. The pass also creates natural submission opportunities including the kimura, darce choke, and arm triangle, allowing you to seamlessly blend passing with attacking. In the broader context of positional hierarchy, the knee slice is your primary tool for advancing from guard positions to dominant top positions like side control, which then opens further advancement to mount or back control. Understanding the knee slice is essential for developing pressure passing abilities and creates the foundation for more advanced passing concepts and competition-level passing systems.