Half guard
Learn how to play half guard from the bottom. Get on your side, win the underhook, then sweep or take the back. Flat half guard gets passed.
Get off your back
Half guard: one of their legs is trapped between your legs while they are on top. It belongs to whoever wins the underhook and the side first. Underhook: your arm goes under their arm.
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You are on your side with the underhook, which is the half guard you want. Underhook in the library ›
Your first job is to get onto your side, facing them. Frame against the crossface: their arm under your head, turning your face away.
Deep control
A half guard that is yours has four parts.
- You are on your side, facing them.
- You have the underhook on the trapped-leg side.
- Your head is tight under their chin.
- Their leg is locked between yours.
Their right leg is trapped. Your left arm goes under their right arm. You lie on your left side, facing them.
Deep half guard: you go under their hips, head tight to their thigh. Their weight is on your legs, not your chest, so they cannot crossface you.
The knee shield
Knee shield, also called Z guard: your top knee and shin go across their chest or hip. Your bottom leg hooks their trapped leg.
The top knee is the wall and the bottom leg is the hook. Both legs have a job.
- They sit back and keep distance: kick the shin through to a butterfly hook.
- They drive into the shield: swap it for the underhook.
- Space opens up: recover full guard.
What job does your bottom leg do in knee shield half guard?
Sweep, back or kimura
Whizzer: their arm wraps over the top of your underhook arm.
| What they do | Your attack |
|---|---|
| Whizzer and lean over you | Backdoor to the back |
| Sit back with their hips low | Old school sweep |
| Post a hand on the mat near your hip | Kimura |
- Old school sweep: get on your side with the underhook on the trapped-leg side.
- Come up onto your elbow, head tight under their chin.
- Reach under and grab their far ankle.
- Drive into them while you pull the ankle.
- Come up on top, still holding the leg.
You have the underhook. They whizzer hard and lean over you. You come up to your knees under the lean, keep the underhook and come out behind them.
Stop the knee cut pass
Every half guard player must beat the knee cut pass. Their knee slides across your thigh and their shoulder drives into your face.
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Their knee has cut across, so frame on the shoulder and move your hips away. Shrimp in the library ›
- Frame on their shoulder.
- Hip escape: move your hips away from the cutting knee.
- Bring your knee back between you.
- Rebuild the knee shield.
Common mistakes
- Getting the underhook but staying flat on your back.
- Trying the kimura while flat, with their chest on you.
- In deep half guard, keeping your head away from their hips.
- Letting go of the underhook during the backdoor.
- A loose bottom leg in the knee shield.
Train it on the Path
Reading is the first step. The Half guard unit has 5 short lessons: you see a position and pick the best move.
Half guard is part of the Purple belt, included in Rolla Plus. Start free with Foundations and the white belt.