Back Step Pass

What it is

The back step pass is a half-guard pass where you step your free leg back over their body and sit through to the other side, so the underhook that threatened you becomes an arm you sit on. It is a change of direction, not a pressure pass. It answers an underhook you cannot beat with a whizzer.

When to use it

• You are in top half guard and they have a deep underhook you cannot kill.
• They come up on their side and threaten the old school sweep.
• They build a knee shield and keep you from driving forward.

How to do it

1. From top half guard, put a whizzer over their underhook arm and post your free hand on the mat.
2. Lift your hips and step your free leg back and over their body to the far side.
3. Sit through, so your hip lands on the mat beside them and your trapped knee turns over their thigh.
4. Keep the whizzer and let your hip pressure pin the underhook arm to the mat.
5. Pull your trapped leg out over their thigh as you face their legs.
6. Turn back to face them and settle into side control.

Key details

• Keep the whizzer tight through the whole movement, or they follow you up.
• Step over fast and sit through. Halfway is the worst place to be.
• Your hip drops onto their arm and shoulder, so the underhook is pinned, not a threat.
• Face their legs as you pull the leg free so they cannot take your back.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: no whizzer before the step, so they follow the underhook and take the back.
• Mistake: stepping over but landing light, so they roll you over on the far side.
• Mistake: leaving the trapped leg inside their half guard, so you end up in a worse version of the same position.

What they will try

• They follow the underhook and come up to their knees as you step over.
• They roll under you as you sit through and attack the leg you left inside.