Leg Weave Pass
Guard pass · Open Guard
The leg weave takes you from top against half butterfly or a low open guard to side control. The moment is when his bottom leg lies flat on the mat. Get chest to chest over his hips, then weave your arm behind his top leg and in front of the bottom one, gripping the pants of his bottom leg low near the shin or, in no-gi, punching the fist to the mat by his hip, arm straight to pry the legs apart and weaken the knee shield. Pin his belly with the top of your head, low and to the side, pike your hips up so your weight goes down through the head, and circle sideways toward the weave side, not forward into the shield. Beginners push with the arms; the head and the piked hips do the pinning. If he underhooks your arm, switch to the Knee Slice Pass; if he turns to his knees, take the Front Headlock.
How to do it
- Against half butterfly or a low open guard, get chest to chest over their hips, so your weight is on them before you weave.
- Weave your arm over their top leg and in front of the bottom leg; in the gi grip the pants of the bottom leg low near the shin, in no-gi punch the fist to the mat by their hip, then lean forward on a straight arm so the bottom leg cannot rise or close the gap.
- Pin their belly with the top of your head, low and to the side, not in front of their chest.
- Pike your hips up so your head staples their hips to the mat: your weight goes down through the head, not through the arms.
- Circle away sideways toward the weave side while the head keeps the pressure; free your leg knee first, sliding the knee over their shin before the foot, and settle in side control.
Key details
- The weaving arm stops their legs from following you as you circle.
- The head on the belly and the piked hips do the pinning, not the arms.
- Straighten the weaving arm to weaken the knee shield: a straight arm pries the legs apart.
- Move sideways toward the weave side, not straight forward, where the knee shield is.
- Control the upper body before you finish: crossface first, then a collar grip close to the neck, at worst pin the sleeve; in no-gi hold the triceps so they cannot come up on the elbow.
Common mistakes
- Weaving without pinning the hips. — Their hips turn and the top knee comes back in. — Staple the belly with your head and pike the hips first.
- Sitting back on the heels. — There is no weight on the head, so there is no pressure and they sit up. — Hips up, weight through the head.
- Leaving the head in front of them. — Their arm wraps your neck in a guillotine. — Head on the belly, low and to the side.
- Pushing on toward the side where they frame your head. — Where the head is blocked the body cannot follow, and they free their legs. — Keep the weight on, pin the top leg and circle to the other side, wrapping over their arm so they cannot belly down.
How to drill it
Partner in half butterfly: leg weave pass, 8 each side; then 1-minute rounds where they re-guard.
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