Brown belt · Pass · Key
Backstep pass from half guard top
You turn your hips toward their feet to free your trapped leg from half guard. Use it when their knee shield or leg lock stops a normal half guard pass.
Step by step
- From half guard top, flatten them with a crossface or pin their far hip.
- Turn your hips toward their legs and step your free leg back over, so you sit on your hip facing their feet.
- Push their top knee down to the mat. Their legs now cross the wrong way and the lock on your leg loosens.
- Pull your trapped foot out, keeping your weight on their hips.
- Turn back toward their head, chest to chest, and settle in side control.
Details that make it work
- Stay heavy on their hips through the whole turn.
- Free the foot only after the backstep. Pulling straight back keeps it trapped.
Common mistakes
- Leaving space under your hip, so they come up on a single leg.
- Turning so slowly that they recover the knee shield.
Drill it
10 passes each side, holding side control 3 seconds each.
If it fails, or what comes next
- Side control: pins & pressure Control · Side control
- Kimura trap from side control to the back Back take · Side control
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