Passing the Vaporizer from top requires a methodical approach that prioritizes base stability and systematic lockdown clearance over speed. The attacker must first neutralize the whip-up pressure through base widening and shoulder pressure, then address the lockdown through controlled leg circulation movements that gradually degrade the figure-four configuration. Rushing the pass creates opportunities for the bottom player to sweep or advance to more dangerous positions like the Electric Chair or Truck. The successful passer treats this as a multi-phase operation: stabilize, neutralize upper body control, clear the lockdown, then advance to side control.
From Position: Vaporizer (Top)
Key Attacking Principles
- Address lockdown and upper body control simultaneously rather than isolating one control point at a time
- Use controlled leg circulation with knee-toward-mat orientation rather than explosive yanking that tightens the lockdown reflexively
- Maintain heavy shoulder pressure throughout extraction to limit bottom player’s ability to re-adjust controls or generate whip-up power
- Widen base immediately when sensing whip-up pressure to create a stable platform resistant to lateral rolling
- Transition to passing position only after both lockdown and underhook controls have been neutralized
- Stay patient and grind through the position rather than creating space through explosive movements that benefit the bottom player
Prerequisites
- Stable wide base established despite lockdown entanglement, with free leg posted wide for lateral stability
- Whizzer or crossface control established against bottom player’s underhook to neutralize whip-up leverage
- Shoulder pressure driving into bottom player’s chest or face to limit their hip mobility and offensive adjustments
- Recognition that lockdown has loosened slightly or that bottom player’s upper body control has weakened, creating a viable extraction window
Execution Steps
- Establish defensive base: Widen your base by sprawling your free leg out to the side and lowering your hips. Drive heavy shoulder pressure into the bottom player’s chest using your crossface arm. This creates the stable platform needed to resist whip-up attempts while you work the extraction.
- Neutralize the underhook: Counter the bottom player’s underhook with a deep whizzer, threading your arm over theirs and driving your weight through the overhook position. Alternatively, establish a strong crossface that prevents them from using the underhook effectively. The underhook is the engine of their whip-up motion and must be addressed before lockdown clearance.
- Begin lockdown degradation: Point your trapped knee toward the mat to narrow the leg profile. This makes the figure-four configuration harder to maintain as the narrow profile reduces the friction surfaces the lockdown depends on. Simultaneously shift your weight slightly toward the trapped leg side to increase downward pressure on their lock.
- Circulate the trapped leg: Using small controlled movements, work your trapped heel toward your buttock while maintaining the knee-to-mat orientation. Each circulation creates incremental looseness in the lockdown. Avoid large explosive movements that trigger the bottom player’s tightening reflex. Think of slowly unscrewing a bolt rather than ripping it free.
- Extract the leg from lockdown: Once sufficient looseness exists, pull your foot through the lockdown gap by driving your knee forward and away from their entanglement. Maintain constant shoulder pressure during extraction to prevent the bottom player from re-establishing the lock. The moment your foot clears their figure-four, immediately post it wide to prevent re-engagement.
- Secure passing position: With the lockdown cleared, immediately drive your knee across their hip line while maintaining crossface pressure. Do not allow any space between extraction and pass completion. The bottom player will attempt to re-guard or insert a knee for half guard retention during this transition window.
- Establish side control: Complete the pass by settling your chest perpendicular to their torso with your hips low and heavy. Secure crossface control with your forearm across their neck and block their far hip with your near hand. Sprawl your legs behind you to distribute weight and prevent guard recovery. Consolidate the position before initiating any attacks.
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Side Control | 50% |
| Failure | Half Guard | 20% |
| Failure | Vaporizer | 15% |
| Counter | Half Guard | 15% |
Opponent Counters
- Bottom player re-establishes lockdown by hooking foot behind knee during extraction (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Immediately return to knee-toward-mat orientation and restart the circulation process. Increase shoulder pressure to limit their ability to reposition the lock. Consider switching to the backstep extraction variant if they successfully re-lock multiple times. → Leads to Vaporizer
- Bottom player executes Old School sweep during weight shift, using posted hand as fulcrum (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Widen base in the opposite direction of their sweep and drive crossface pressure harder. If sweep begins completing, post your free hand wide and work to re-establish top position in half guard rather than fighting the full sweep. → Leads to Half Guard
- Bottom player inserts knee for half guard retention as lockdown clears (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Immediately transition to standard half guard passing sequence. Use crossface and underhook to flatten them before attempting knee slice or pressure pass. The critical window is preventing the knee shield from being established. → Leads to Half Guard
- Bottom player increases whip-up pressure and threatens Electric Chair during extraction attempt (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Abandon extraction temporarily and address the whip-up by driving weight back and widening base. Keep hips heavy to prevent the leg split required for Electric Chair. Once the immediate threat passes, restart extraction from a more stable position. → Leads to Vaporizer
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the optimal knee orientation for loosening the lockdown during leg circulation? A: Point the trapped knee toward the mat. This narrows the leg profile by reducing the surface area available for the lockdown’s figure-four configuration to grip. A narrow leg profile makes the lock progressively looser with each circulation movement, whereas keeping the knee pointed outward maintains the wide profile that the lockdown is designed to control.
Q2: Why must the underhook be neutralized before committing to lockdown clearance? A: The underhook provides the leverage engine for the whip-up motion and sweep threats. If you clear the lockdown while the underhook remains active, the bottom player can re-establish the lockdown during your transition, execute an Old School sweep using underhook leverage, or advance to back control. Neutralizing the underhook with a whizzer or crossface removes the upper body manipulation that makes the Vaporizer dangerous.
Q3: Your opponent successfully re-locks the lockdown after your first extraction attempt - how do you adjust your approach? A: Return to knee-toward-mat orientation and increase shoulder pressure to limit their ability to reposition. Consider switching to the backstep extraction variant, which changes the extraction angle and often catches the bottom player off-guard. Also evaluate whether your underhook neutralization was sufficient - re-locking often indicates the bottom player retained enough upper body control to manipulate your leg back into the figure-four.
Q4: What conditions must exist before transitioning from lockdown clearance to the passing phase? A: Both the lockdown leg entanglement and the upper body control (underhook or overhook) must be neutralized. Your crossface or whizzer must be established firmly enough that the bottom player cannot re-establish their underhook during the pass. Your base must be wide enough to resist any last-moment sweep attempt. Only when all three conditions are met should you commit to the knee-across-hip passing motion.
Q5: Your opponent begins increasing whip-up pressure and threatening the Electric Chair as you start extraction - what is your immediate response? A: Abandon the extraction temporarily and drive your weight back with hips heavy and low. The Electric Chair requires hip elevation and leg separation, so keeping hips heavy directly counters the setup. Widen your base to resist the lateral rolling that accompanies the Electric Chair entry. Once the immediate threat subsides, restart extraction from this more stable defensive position rather than trying to rush through the danger.
Q6: What is the critical timing window between lockdown clearance and pass completion? A: The window is immediate and cannot tolerate any pause. The moment your foot clears the figure-four configuration, you must drive your knee across their hip line while maintaining crossface pressure. Any delay allows the bottom player to re-insert their knee for half guard retention, re-engage the lockdown, or transition to a different guard. The extraction-to-pass must be one continuous flowing motion.
Q7: How does the direction of force differ between the lockdown clearing phase and the pass completion phase? A: During lockdown clearing, the primary force direction is downward and circular. You drive weight down through shoulder pressure while circulating the leg in small rotational movements to loosen the figure-four. During pass completion, the force shifts to lateral and forward. You drive your knee across their hip line laterally while moving your chest forward into perpendicular side control alignment. The transition between these force vectors must be smooth and immediate.
Q8: Your opponent posts their outside hand on the mat during your weight shift - what does this indicate and how do you respond? A: The outside hand post signals an Old School sweep setup. They need this post as a fulcrum to drive the rolling sweep. Immediately widen your base in the direction opposite to their intended roll and increase crossface pressure to limit their bridging power. Do not post your own hand near their hip as this gives them an additional leverage point. If you sense the sweep momentum beginning, reset your base completely rather than fighting through it.
Safety Considerations
This pass involves controlled leg extraction from an entanglement that places stress on the knee and ankle joints. Avoid explosive twisting motions that could strain the trapped knee. If the lockdown creates sharp pain in the knee joint, tap and reset rather than forcing through the extraction. Partners should release lockdown pressure immediately upon tap. During training, communicate about knee sensitivity before drilling and use gradual progressive resistance rather than starting at full intensity.