Half Guard Smash Pass
Guard pass · Half Guard
The smash pass takes you from half guard top to mount or side control by flattening him first. The moment is when he lies flat on his back without an underhook. Take a crossface, forearm across his jaw turning his face away, and a deep underhook on his far arm, hand high on the shoulder blade; hips low, weight on his upper chest. Push your free knee against his thigh to pry the trapped leg loose, then slide the trapped knee out over his thigh: free the knee first, the foot follows. Head first, hips last; any space under your chest is where his knee comes back in. Keep the crossface and underhook until you are settled. If he goes to deep half, use the Backstep Pass; if he gets a knee shield back, the Knee Slice Pass.
How to do it
- From half guard top, take a crossface, forearm across their jaw turning the face away, and a deep underhook on the far arm, hand high on the shoulder blade.
- Flatten them to their back with your chest, keeping your hips low and your weight on their upper chest.
- Push your free knee against their thigh to pry the trapped leg loose, keeping your chest heavy the whole time.
- Slide the trapped knee out over their thigh: free the knee first, the foot follows.
- Settle into mount or side control, keeping the crossface and underhook until your position is stable.
Key details
- Crossface and underhook first: a flat opponent cannot follow your leg.
- Keep your chest heavy the whole time; any space under it is where their knee comes back in.
- Free the knee, not the foot: once the knee is over their thigh, the half guard has nothing left to hold.
- Head first, hips last: control the upper body before you free the leg.
- Keep their face turned away with the crossface while you shake the knee free; a turned face means turned shoulders that cannot follow you.
- To free the foot into mount, come up high and post your forehead on the mat above their shoulder: the weight leaves your legs, and the laces of your free foot go inside to pry the trapped foot out.
- If their near hand posts on your hip or scoops your leg for deep half, switch from head and arm to a head-block crossface: the crossface still wedges, and the freed hand goes for double unders or posts.
Common mistakes
- Freeing the leg without the underhook. — Their far arm is free, so they turn in on their side and recover guard. — Win the underhook before you work the leg.
- Lifting your chest to work the leg. — They make space and put a knee in. — Keep your chest on theirs while the leg works.
- Pulling the foot out first. — The knee stays trapped and they keep half guard. — Slide the knee out over their thigh.
How to drill it
Half guard top: crossface, underhook, free the knee, 8 each side.
What comes next
Where it comes from