Deep Half Guard

What it is

Deep half guard is a half guard played underneath the opponent: your head and shoulders slide under their hips, both arms wrap their trapped leg, and your legs lock around it. Their weight is on top of you but has nowhere to press, because you are under their base instead of in front of it. From here the sweeps tip them over the trapped leg.

What you want from here

• You are in half guard and they lean forward or reach for a crossface.
• Your half guard is getting flattened and you need a way under them.
• You want a sweep against a heavy pressure passer who is hard to move from the front.
• On top: keep your hips back and your weight off the trapped leg, and pull your leg free before they settle under you.

Key details

• Get your head and shoulders all the way under their hips. Half in, half out is the worst place to be.
• Hug the trapped thigh with both arms, high up, and keep it tight to your chest.
• Keep your head on the inside of their trapped leg, near their hip, so they cannot crossface you.
• Sweep by tipping them over the trapped leg, then come up on top as they fall.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: going deep with your head outside their leg. They crossface you and settle their weight.
• Mistake: staying under them with no sweep. They pull the leg free or back step around you.
• Mistake: letting go of the leg to grab something else. They step out and pass.

How it is escaped or passed

• Back stepping over your head toward the trapped leg to pass.
• Pulling the trapped leg free with the knee turned out and the hips back.
• Sitting back on your legs to flatten you before you get under them.

Gi and no-gi

In the gi you can grip the belt or pants to hold the leg. In no-gi you lock your hands around the thigh, which is slipperier, so you need to get deeper.