Flatten the Underneath Attacker
Guard pass · Half Guard
Flatten the Underneath Attacker keeps you on top in half guard when he starts sliding under you toward deep half, and turns it into a pass to side control. The moment is when he has an underhook and his head and hips begin to slip under your hips. Before he finishes, crossface hard, forearm across his jaw turning his face away, and overhook his underhooking arm tight to your side. Sprawl your hips back and down onto him, free leg extended behind you, so your weight lands on his chest and there is no space under you to slide into. Once he is flat, take your own underhook and knee slice over the top, instead of ripping the leg straight out of the deep half, which only lets him follow.
How to do it
- As soon as he gets the underhook and starts to slide his head and hips under you, crossface hard: forearm across his jaw, turning his face away from you, so his head cannot travel under your hips.
- Overhook his underhooking arm and clamp it tight to your side, so he cannot use it to lift you or reach your far leg.
- Sprawl: extend your free leg back and drop your hips back and down onto him, so your weight lands on his chest and there is no space under your hips for him to slide into.
- Flatten him onto his back with the crossface and chest pressure, then pummel your overhooking arm under his far arm for your own underhook, hand high on the shoulder blade.
- Knee slice over the top: slide the trapped knee diagonally across his thigh to the mat beyond his hip, keeping your head low on the far side.
- Free your foot with a hip switch and settle chest to chest in side control.
Key details
- Act before he finishes the slide: once his head is under your hips, the crossface can no longer reach it.
- Hips back and low: deep half needs space under your centre of weight, the sprawl takes it away.
- Crossface turns his face, and his shoulders follow: with his face turned away he cannot get under you.
- Pass over the top with the knee slice; pulling the leg straight out lets him follow it into deep half.
Common mistakes
- Posturing up with the hips high when he dives under. — High hips leave a tunnel under you, and he slides straight into deep half. — Sprawl the hips back and down onto his chest.
- Ripping the trapped leg straight out. — He follows the leg and goes deeper underneath, setting up his sweep. — Flatten him first, then knee slice over his thigh.
- Leaving his underhook free while you crossface. — With the underhook he can still lift you and come up or reach your back. — Overhook and clamp the arm, then pummel for your own underhook.
How to drill it
Your partner starts in half guard bottom with an underhook and tries to slide under into deep half at half speed. You crossface, overhook, sprawl and knee slice to side control: five reps each side, then he goes at full speed.
Safety
Put the crossface on the jaw, not the throat, and do not crank the neck. Sprawl onto his chest, not onto his head or neck.
Where it comes from