The Underhook Pass is a fundamental pressure passing technique used to advance from half guard top position to side control. This pass exploits the powerful control provided by securing an underhook on the bottom player’s far side, combined with strategic weight distribution and hip pressure to flatten the opponent and clear the leg entanglement. The technique is built on the principle of controlling the opponent’s shoulder and hip simultaneously, creating a cross-body pressure system that limits their defensive frames and movement options.
The underhook provides both offensive control and defensive protection, preventing the bottom player from establishing their own underhook or recovering full guard. This pass is particularly effective against players who rely on knee shield or traditional half guard retention, as it addresses their primary defensive structures through systematic breakdown and methodical advancement. Against high-level opponents who actively battle for the underhook, the pass becomes a chess match of upper body positioning where the first player to secure a deep underhook gains a decisive mechanical advantage.
The Underhook Pass integrates naturally with other pressure passing sequences, creating a branching decision tree where the opponent’s defensive reactions determine whether you complete the pass directly, transition to a knee cut, or follow their movement to a back take. This adaptability makes it a cornerstone technique for any practitioner developing a systematic half guard passing game.
From Position: Half Guard (Top) Success Rate: 55%
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Side Control | 55% |
| Failure | Half Guard | 25% |
| Counter | Closed Guard | 10% |
| Counter | Dogfight Position | 10% |
Attacker vs Defender
| Attacker | Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Execute technique | Prevent or counter |
| Key Principles | Secure underhook on far side before initiating pass… | Fight for your own underhook before the top player secures t… |
| Options | 7 execution steps | 5 defensive options |
Playing as Attacker
Key Principles
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Secure underhook on far side before initiating pass
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Drive shoulder pressure into opponent’s chest to flatten
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Control opponent’s near hip with free hand to prevent re-guard
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Keep base wide and weight distributed forward
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Clear trapped leg by driving knee across opponent’s thigh
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Maintain chest-to-chest pressure throughout transition
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Prevent opponent’s underhook battle at all costs
Execution Steps
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Secure the underhook: From half guard top, thread your arm under opponent’s far armpit, securing a deep underhook. Your sh…
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Establish crossface pressure: Place your head on opponent’s chest, driving your shoulder into their near pectoral muscle. This cro…
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Control the near hip: With your free hand (non-underhook side), establish a firm grip on opponent’s near hip, pants, or be…
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Flatten opponent’s posture: Drive your weight forward through your shoulder and chest, forcing opponent flat to their back. Simu…
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Clear the trapped leg: With opponent flattened, begin extracting your trapped leg by driving your knee across their thigh t…
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Step over to side control: Once your knee clears their hip, step your free leg over their legs and establish side control. Keep…
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Consolidate side control: Secure standard side control position with your underhook transitioning to far side control, your he…
Common Mistakes
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Lifting weight up while trying to pass, creating space underneath
- Consequence: Bottom player easily re-guards or sweeps as pressure is eliminated
- Correction: Keep hips low and weight driving forward and down throughout entire sequence. Think of spreading your weight like a heavy blanket, not lifting to step over
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Rushing the leg extraction before opponent is fully flattened
- Consequence: Bottom player maintains mobility and uses frames to prevent pass or attempt sweeps
- Correction: Be patient with the flattening process. Take time to completely neutralize their structure before attempting to clear your leg
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Allowing opponent to get their underhook, creating a neutral underhook battle
- Consequence: Pass progression stalls, and opponent has pathway to sweep or recover full guard
- Correction: Secure your underhook early and maintain constant shoulder pressure to prevent them from establishing their own. If they get it, immediately address it
Playing as Defender
Key Principles
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Fight for your own underhook before the top player secures theirs - the underhook battle determines the entire exchange
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Maintain side-facing posture at all costs, as being flattened eliminates most defensive options and dramatically reduces escape probability
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Use knee shield or butterfly hook as primary frame to prevent chest-to-chest connection before the pass sequence begins
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Keep elbows tight and connected to knees to prevent arm isolation while maintaining structural integrity of your defensive frames
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Create angles through constant hip movement rather than accepting static positions where the top player can consolidate pressure
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Attack the trapped leg grip actively rather than passively accepting the leg entanglement that anchors the top player’s passing mechanics
Recognition Cues
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Top player’s arm threading under your far armpit, reaching deep across your back toward your far lat or belt line
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Increasing shoulder pressure driving into your near pectoral as their head drops to your chest with ear-to-sternum contact
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Free hand controlling your near hip or pants, blocking your ability to hip escape or create defensive angles
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Weight shifting forward and downward through their chest into yours, attempting to collapse your side-facing posture flat to the mat
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Top player’s free leg posting wide for base stability while maintaining forward driving pressure through their hips
Defensive Options
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Pummel for your own underhook by swimming your arm inside theirs and reaching deep across their back before they consolidate the grip - When: At the earliest stage when you feel their arm beginning to thread under your armpit, before they achieve grip depth
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Insert knee shield across their hip line by threading your top knee between your bodies, creating a structural frame that prevents chest-to-chest connection - When: When you feel the shoulder pressure increasing and cannot win the underhook battle, before being fully flattened
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Hip escape explosively away from the top player while framing on their bicep and hip to create enough distance to recover closed guard by inserting both legs - When: When partially flattened but the top player has not yet secured complete hip control with their free hand
Position Integration
The underhook pass is a cornerstone technique in the pressure passing system and serves as a fundamental connection point between half guard top and side control. It integrates seamlessly with other half guard passing approaches, allowing practitioners to chain together multiple passing sequences based on the opponent’s defensive responses. The underhook position naturally transitions to knee cut passes, long step passes, or back takes depending on how the opponent defends. This pass is particularly important in gi grappling where grips enhance the underhook control, but remains highly effective in no-gi through proper body mechanics. The underhook pass teaches essential principles of pressure application, weight distribution, and systematic position advancement that apply broadly across all top game scenarios.