The Knee Slice from DLR demands precise sequencing from the passer: strip the ankle grip, neutralize the DLR hook, establish the knee line, and drive through with crossface pressure. As the attacking practitioner, your success depends on understanding that each phase must be completed before advancing to the next. Rushing the knee slice without first addressing the hook structure is the single most common reason this pass fails at competitive levels. The technique rewards methodical execution combined with explosive commitment once the passing window opens—hesitate after clearing the hook and the guard player will re-establish their framework before you can complete the cut. Develop the sensitivity to feel when the hook tension drops and chain immediately into the forward drive.
From Position: De La Riva Guard (Top)
Key Attacking Principles
- Address the DLR hook and ankle grip before initiating any forward passing pressure—the hook must be neutralized or significantly weakened before the knee begins to cut
- Establish dominant upper body control through crossface or collar grip to prevent the guard player from inverting, framing, or turning into you during the pass
- Commit explosively to the knee slice once the hook is cleared, eliminating the dead zone between hook removal and pass initiation where the guard player can reset
- Drive your knee across the thigh line at hip level with your shin pressing diagonally, not across the abdomen where the bottom player can trap your leg in high half guard
- Maintain constant forward hip pressure throughout the cutting motion to flatten the bottom player and remove their ability to create angles or hip escape
- Develop chain-passing awareness so that defended knee slice attempts flow immediately into backstep, toreando, or leg drag alternatives without resetting
Prerequisites
- At least partially stripped or weakened the opponent’s ankle or pants grip that powers the DLR hook’s off-balancing leverage
- DLR hook is shallow, compromised, or in the process of being cleared through grip fighting or leg positioning
- Controlling upper body grip established on opponent’s collar, lapel, or sleeve to anchor the forward drive and prevent inversions
- Opponent’s far-side knee shield is not fully established, leaving a clear lane for the knee to cut across their thigh line
- Sufficient base and posture to drive forward without being swept by the DLR player’s remaining hook leverage during the transition
Execution Steps
- Establish controlling grips: Secure a strong collar or lapel grip with your lead hand while your trail hand controls the bottom player’s pants at the ankle or knee. These grips create the upper body anchor needed to drive forward pressure and prevent the guard player from using their grips to generate sweeps or inversions.
- Strip the DLR ankle grip: Use your trail hand to peel the bottom player’s hand off your ankle or pants cuff by pushing their wrist toward the mat or stripping it across your body. This removes the primary connection that powers the DLR hook’s off-balancing leverage and weakens the entire guard structure significantly.
- Neutralize the DLR hook: Push your hooked knee forward and away from the bottom player’s hooking foot while circling your leg to clear the hook. Alternatively, perform a quick backstep to extract your leg from behind their calf. The hook must be neutralized before initiating the knee slice to prevent sweeps during the forward drive.
- Pin the far knee to the mat: Use your free hand or your knee to drive the bottom player’s top knee toward the mat on the pass side. Pinning this knee prevents them from inserting a knee shield or recovering to a defensive guard configuration that would block the knee slice and stall your passing momentum.
- Drop knee across their thigh line: Lower your lead knee to the mat, cutting across the bottom player’s thigh line with your shin pressing diagonally across their hip crease. Your knee should drive toward the mat on the far side of their body while your shin creates a barrier that prevents them from re-closing their guard or re-inserting hooks.
- Drive crossface pressure: Establish a strong crossface by driving your shoulder into their chin or jaw while your collar grip pulls their upper body toward you. This prevents the bottom player from turning into you, creating frames, or initiating any offensive response while you complete the passing sequence through their guard.
- Slide knee through and clear legs: Continuing your forward drive, slide your knee completely past their thigh line while maintaining heavy chest-to-chest pressure. Use your hips to flatten them to the mat and your trail leg to kick free of any remaining leg entanglement as you clear completely past their guard structure.
- Consolidate side control: Establish hip-to-hip connection with heavy shoulder pressure as you settle into side control. Secure an underhook on the far side or maintain the crossface to prevent the bottom player from turning into you or recovering any guard position. Flatten your hips to the mat to eliminate all remaining space.
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Side Control | 40% |
| Success | Half Guard | 15% |
| Failure | De La Riva Guard | 30% |
| Counter | Back Control | 15% |
Opponent Counters
- Bottom player re-establishes DLR hook during grip fighting phase before knee slice initiates (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Restart the grip strip sequence or switch to a toreando or backstep pass if they continue re-hooking. Chain multiple passing threats so they cannot simply reset the same defense repeatedly. → Leads to De La Riva Guard
- Bottom player inverts for berimbolo as passer commits forward during the knee slice drive (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Stop forward movement immediately and drive your hips into their hips to prevent the inversion from completing. Use your crossface grip to pin their shoulders to the mat. If they have already started rotating, backstep and circle away from the inversion direction. → Leads to Back Control
- Bottom player inserts knee shield as the knee begins cutting across their thigh line (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Switch to a smash pass approach by driving your shoulder into their shield knee, collapsing it toward their chest. Alternatively, backstep over the knee shield and complete the pass from the opposite angle using a long step or leg drag. → Leads to Half Guard
- Bottom player frames on collar and hip escapes to re-establish distance and re-insert DLR hook (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Maintain your collar or lapel grip to prevent them from creating sufficient distance for hook re-insertion. Drive forward pressure immediately to keep them compressed and unable to re-establish the DLR framework. → Leads to De La Riva Guard
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What grip must you strip first before initiating the knee slice from DLR? A: The ankle or pants grip is the priority strip because it powers the DLR hook’s off-balancing leverage. Without this grip, the DLR hook loses its ability to generate sweep threats and the guard structure becomes significantly weaker, creating the necessary window for the knee slice initiation.
Q2: Your opponent re-establishes their DLR hook every time you strip it - how do you adjust your passing approach? A: Chain multiple passing threats rather than repeatedly attempting the same grip strip to knee slice sequence. Use the grip fight to set up a toreando or backstep pass, which forces them to choose between defending the alternative pass or maintaining the DLR hook. The passing chain creates dilemmas that a single repeated technique cannot.
Q3: Where should your knee aim to cut across during the knee slice from DLR? A: Your knee should cut across the thigh line at hip level, with your shin pressing diagonally across their hip crease. Cutting too high across the abdomen allows them to trap your leg in strong half guard frames, while cutting too low gives them space to re-insert hooks and recover their guard structure.
Q4: What is the critical timing window for transitioning from DLR hook removal to the knee slice drive? A: The optimal window is immediately after the hook is cleared, within one to two seconds maximum. Any delay allows the guard player to re-establish their hook or transition to a secondary guard. The transition from hook removal to knee slice should be a continuous motion rather than two separate actions with a pause between them.
Q5: As you begin the knee slice, your opponent starts inverting for a berimbolo - what is your immediate response? A: Stop forward movement and drive your hips into their hips to prevent the inversion from developing. Use your crossface grip to pin their shoulders to the mat and kill the rotation. If they have already begun rotating underneath you, backstep away from the direction of their rotation and circle to the opposite side to nullify the berimbolo entry angle.
Q6: What role does the crossface play during the knee slice from DLR? A: The crossface serves as the primary upper body control mechanism that prevents the guard player from turning into you, creating frames, or inverting for counter-attacks. By driving your shoulder into their chin or jaw line while pulling their collar toward you, you eliminate their ability to generate any offensive response during the pass completion phase.
Q7: Your knee slice has stalled because the opponent caught half guard - what options do you have? A: From half guard top, you can continue the knee slice with added crossface pressure and hip drive to complete through their half guard. Alternatively, switch to an underhook pass, backstep pass, or smash pass from the half guard top position. The half guard top still represents meaningful progress from the DLR starting position and offers multiple high-percentage passing pathways.
Q8: What are the essential entry conditions that must exist before you can attempt the knee slice from DLR? A: You must have at least partially stripped or weakened the opponent’s ankle grip, the DLR hook must be shallow or in the process of being cleared, you need a controlling upper body grip on their collar or lapel, and their far knee shield must not be fully established. Attempting the knee slice without these conditions drops success rates dramatically and exposes you to sweeps.
Safety Considerations
The Knee Slice from DLR carries moderate risk for both practitioners. The passer should avoid forcing the knee through extreme resistance, as lateral torque on a trapped knee can strain the MCL or meniscus. The bottom player faces minimal injury risk but should tap or verbally indicate if their knee becomes caught at an awkward angle during pass completion. During training, both partners should prioritize controlled technique over explosive power, particularly when the bottom player’s legs are entangled around the passer’s knee during the cutting phase. Avoid cranking the knee slice through a fully locked half guard.