The Shin to Shin Pull is a fundamental guard pulling technique that establishes a shin-to-shin connection before pulling the opponent into your guard. This pull is particularly effective in gi and no-gi competition where you want to establish guard control while maintaining offensive options. The shin-to-shin position provides excellent control of the opponent’s posture and base while creating immediate sweeping and back-taking opportunities.
Unlike traditional guard pulls that rely solely on grips, the shin-to-shin pull uses your shin as a primary control point against the opponent’s shin, creating a frame that prevents them from establishing strong top pressure. This connection allows you to control distance, off-balance your opponent, and transition seamlessly into various guard positions including single leg X-guard, X-guard, or deep half guard. The position is especially valuable against opponents who are skilled at passing traditional guard pulls.
The shin-to-shin pull has become increasingly popular in modern competition BJJ due to its versatility and the difficulty opponents face when trying to disengage. It forms the foundation of systematic guard-based games built around leg entanglement positions and provides a safe entry into offensive guard positions without giving up top position unnecessarily. When executed properly, it immediately places the opponent in a defensive posture while you maintain offensive initiative.
Starting Position: Standing Position Ending Position: Shin-to-Shin Guard Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Key Principles
- Establish shin-to-shin connection before committing to the pull to ensure control
- Control opponent’s same-side sleeve or wrist to prevent posture and balance recovery
- Keep your free leg active and ready to hook or post for sweeping options
- Maintain hip mobility and ability to invert or extend based on opponent’s reaction
- Create off-balancing by pulling opponent forward while extending shin pressure
- Stay connected throughout the transition to prevent opponent from disengaging
- Immediately threaten sweeps or transitions to prevent opponent from settling into passing position
Prerequisites
- Both practitioners starting from standing or neutral position
- Sufficient distance to safely drop to seated position without giving up immediate pass
- Grip established on opponent’s same-side sleeve, wrist, or collar
- Clear understanding of opponent’s stance and weight distribution
- Space to sit and extend leg without obstacle interference
- Opponent not actively driving forward with overwhelming pressure
Execution Steps
- Establish primary grip control: From standing position, establish a strong grip on your opponent’s same-side sleeve or wrist (if pulling with your right leg, grip their right arm). This grip prevents them from establishing strong posture and provides pulling power for off-balancing. In gi, you can also use a collar grip for additional control. Maintain tension in this grip throughout the entire pull sequence. (Timing: Initial setup phase, before weight commitment)
- Sit to seated guard position: While maintaining your grip, drop your hips to the mat and assume a seated position with your weight on your sitting bones. Keep your chest relatively upright and maintain visual contact with your opponent. This seated position should be active and ready to move, not passive or collapsed. Your non-gripping hand can post behind you for stability or grip opponent’s other sleeve. (Timing: Smooth, controlled descent to avoid telegraphing)
- Insert shin to shin connection: Extend your same-side leg (the side where you have the grip) and place the blade of your shin directly against the inside of your opponent’s shin, creating a frame from your knee to your ankle. Your shin should be perpendicular to their shin, creating maximum surface contact and control. Flex your foot and engage your hip flexors to maintain pressure and prevent their leg from sliding free. (Timing: As you settle into seated position)
- Create off-balancing pull: Using your grip, pull your opponent forward and slightly down while simultaneously extending your shin pressure into their shin. This creates a dilemma where they must either step forward (setting up sweeps), step back (allowing you to come up), or resist in place (allowing position consolidation). The pulling motion should be coordinated with your shin extension to maximize off-balancing effect. (Timing: Immediately after shin connection established)
- Position free leg for control options: Your opposite leg should be actively positioned based on opponent’s reaction. Common options include posting the foot on the mat for base, hooking behind their far knee for X-guard entry, or elevating to create additional off-balancing. This leg is critical for maintaining mobility and threatening transitions, so keep it dynamic and ready to adjust. (Timing: Concurrent with off-balancing pull)
- Establish shin-to-shin guard position: Settle into a stable shin-to-shin guard position where you maintain constant pressure against opponent’s shin, strong grip control, and active free leg positioning. From here you should immediately threaten sweeps, back takes, or transitions to prevent opponent from establishing passing grips. Your hips should be mobile and ready to adjust angles based on their reactions. Keep your core engaged and maintain the ability to invert or extend as needed. (Timing: Position consolidated within 2-3 seconds of initial pull)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent steps back and disengages their leg from shin connection (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow their backward movement by scooting forward or technical standing up to maintain connection. You can also transition to a standing guard pull or switch to butterfly hooks if they create too much distance.
- Opponent drives forward with heavy top pressure attempting to flatten you (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Use your free leg to create a frame on their hip or shoulder while inverting underneath. Transition to deep half guard or waiter sweep options. Alternatively, release shin connection and switch to collar drag or arm drag to access back.
- Opponent circles away from your shin-to-shin side to create passing angle (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Follow their movement by adjusting your hip angle and using your grip to prevent full disengagement. Switch to reverse De La Riva or X-guard if they continue circling. Maintain active connection and don’t allow static positioning.
- Opponent establishes strong grips and attempts immediate knee slice pass (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Use your shin connection to block their knee from sliding across. Transition to single leg X-guard by hooking their far leg with your free leg. If necessary, abandon shin-to-shin and switch to knee shield or butterfly guard to create space.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: What is the primary purpose of establishing the shin-to-shin connection before completing the guard pull? A: The shin-to-shin connection serves as a distance management tool and structural frame that prevents the opponent from immediately establishing strong top pressure or passing grips. By creating this connection first, you ensure that when you pull to guard, you have a control point that disrupts their base and posture, allowing you to maintain offensive initiative. Without this connection, you would simply be sitting in front of an opponent who has superior position and pressure.
Q2: How should you coordinate your grip pull with your shin pressure to create maximum off-balancing effect? A: The grip should pull the opponent forward and slightly downward while the shin simultaneously extends and pressures into their shin at a perpendicular angle. This creates a scissoring effect where their upper body is being pulled forward while their lower leg is being controlled and pushed, disrupting their base from two directions simultaneously. The timing should be synchronized so both forces are applied at the same moment, preventing them from compensating with posture or stance adjustments.
Q3: What are the three primary tactical roles of the free leg (non-shin-to-shin leg) during and after the pull? A: First, the free leg can post on the mat to provide base and mobility, allowing you to scoot and adjust angles. Second, it can hook behind the opponent’s far knee to create X-guard or single leg X-guard entries and immediate sweeping threats. Third, it can frame against the opponent’s hip or shoulder if they drive forward with pressure, preventing them from flattening you and maintaining your guard structure. The leg should remain active and transition between these roles based on opponent reactions.
Q4: How should you respond if your opponent steps backward and disengages their shin from your connection immediately after the pull? A: You have several options depending on the degree of disengagement. If they take a small step back, scoot forward on your seat to re-establish connection, using your grip to prevent them from creating too much distance. If they take a larger step back, you can technical stand up to pursue the connection or transition to a different guard pull approach. Alternatively, you can switch to butterfly hooks or a standing guard position to maintain engagement. The key is to not remain static in a disconnected seated position where you have no control.
Q5: What are the biomechanical differences between the shin-to-shin pull in gi versus no-gi, and how should your execution adapt? A: In gi, you have more reliable grip control on sleeves or collar, allowing you to take slightly more time establishing position and using stronger pulling forces. The gi also provides friction that helps maintain shin connection. In no-gi, grips are less secure so the pull must be executed faster and more explosively. Without sleeve control, you typically need to establish wrist control, underhook, or collar tie, and the shin connection becomes more critical since upper body grips are easier to break. No-gi requires tighter connection and more immediate transition to sweeping positions to prevent disengagement.
Q6: Why is it critical to immediately threaten sweeps or transitions after establishing the shin-to-shin guard rather than holding a static position? A: Holding a static shin-to-shin position allows the opponent to settle their base, establish strong passing grips, and begin systematic passing sequences. By immediately threatening sweeps (like elevating for sweep, extending to single leg X, or inverting to deep half), you force the opponent to respond defensively, preventing them from consolidating their position. This offensive pressure keeps them off-balance mentally and physically, maintaining the guard player’s initiative and making passing more difficult. Static guard positions are easier to pass than dynamic, threatening guard positions.
Safety Considerations
The shin-to-shin pull is generally a low-risk technique when executed properly, but several safety considerations should be observed. When dropping to seated position, ensure the training surface is appropriate and free of obstacles that could cause injury during the descent. Control your falling motion rather than dropping uncontrollably, which could cause tailbone or lower back impact injuries. Be mindful of your opponent’s knee and ankle joints when applying shin pressure - the pressure should be firm but not aggressive enough to hyperextend or torque their joints. If you feel your opponent’s leg twisting or their knee bending unnaturally, release pressure immediately. During drilling, communicate with your partner about appropriate pressure levels. When transitioning from shin-to-shin to leg entanglement positions, maintain awareness of your partner’s knee ligaments and apply transitions smoothly rather than explosively. In competition scenarios, be prepared for opponent’s to drive forward aggressively, and have escape routes planned to avoid being flattened in a dangerous position. Practice breakfalls and defensive positioning to safely handle failed attempts.
Position Integration
The shin-to-shin pull serves as a critical entry point into the modern guard-based game, particularly for practitioners who build their style around leg entanglement positions and X-guard variations. Within the broader BJJ positional hierarchy, this pull allows you to safely transition from neutral standing position (where both players have equal opportunity) to a bottom guard position (traditionally considered disadvantageous) while maintaining offensive control and initiative. The technique integrates seamlessly into guard pulling strategies by providing an alternative to traditional closed guard or butterfly guard pulls. It’s particularly effective against opponents who excel at passing traditional guard positions, as the shin-to-shin structure creates different control mechanisms that many passers are less familiar with. From shin-to-shin, you have direct access to single leg X-guard, X-guard, reverse De La Riva, deep half guard, and various leg entanglement positions, making it a versatile hub position. Strategically, the shin-to-shin pull fits into a game plan that prioritizes guard retention and systematic sweeping over explosive scrambling. It’s favored by competitors who prefer technical, controlled engagements over dynamic wrestling exchanges. The position is especially valuable in points-based competition formats where pulling guard is accepted, as it allows you to establish guard while minimizing the opponent’s ability to score guard passing points. When integrated with a comprehensive guard system, shin-to-shin serves as both an entry position and a strong retention position, forming part of the defensive layers that make guard difficult to pass.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The shin-to-shin position represents a sophisticated understanding of guard pulling mechanics where we establish structural control before committing to inferior position. Traditional guard pulls often fail because the practitioner sits to guard without establishing any control mechanisms, essentially giving the opponent a free passing opportunity. The shin-to-shin pull solves this problem by creating a distance management frame - your shin against theirs - that immediately disrupts their ability to establish pressure and forward movement. From a biomechanical perspective, the perpendicular shin placement creates maximum surface area contact while the pulling grip generates a lever system that compounds the off-balancing effect. This is systematic guard establishment - you’re not hoping to survive after pulling guard, you’re engineering a position where you have immediate offensive options while the opponent has limited passing entries. The free leg’s positioning determines your tactical options post-pull, and skilled players will have three to four pre-planned pathways based on opponent reactions.
- Gordon Ryan: I use shin-to-shin pulls constantly in competition because it’s one of the highest percentage ways to establish guard against someone who knows you want to pull. The reality is most opponents at high levels will defend traditional guard pulls well, but shin-to-shin creates problems they can’t solve easily. When I pull shin-to-shin, I’m not just establishing a position - I’m immediately threatening single leg X sweeps which score points if successful. That threat forces them to react defensively which prevents them from passing. The key in competition is speed of execution and immediate transition to attacking positions. I don’t sit in shin-to-shin and wait; I’m either sweeping to single leg X or coming up on a technical standup within 2-3 seconds. Against elite competition, the shin-to-shin pull also sets up my leg lock entries because it’s already a leg entanglement position. If they defend the sweep by pulling their leg back, I can often catch outside ashi or saddle entries. It’s a complete system, not just a guard pull.
- Eddie Bravo: Shin-to-shin pulling is something we’ve integrated heavily into the 10th Planet system, especially in no-gi where traditional gi grips aren’t available. What I love about it is that it’s both a guard pull and an immediate attacking position - you’re not wasting time consolidating, you’re already threatening. In our system, we often chain shin-to-shin with rubber guard or lockdown entries depending on how the opponent reacts. If they stand heavy on that shin-to-shin leg, we can transition to lockdown half guard. If they try to back out, we come up on technical standups or pursue the leg for calf slicers and toe holds. The innovation here is recognizing that shin-to-shin isn’t just one position - it’s a gateway to multiple 10th Planet positions. We also use it to set up the truck position; when they drive forward to pass the shin-to-shin, we can often invert underneath and access crotch ripper or banana split entries. The creativity comes from not viewing it as a static guard but as a dynamic transition point in the scramble.