Double Under Pass

What it is

The double under pass, also called the stack pass, is a closed-guard and open-guard pass where both arms go under their legs and you stack their hips over their head before walking around. The stack folds them so that their legs cannot move. It is a pure pressure pass and the stacking shuts down the triangle and the armbar.

When to use it

• You have opened their closed guard and their legs are high on your body.
• They play open guard with their knees up and their feet close to you.
• They attack a triangle and you need to drive their hips over their head.

How to do it

1. On your knees, posture up and drive both arms under their thighs, elbows tight.
2. Lock your hands around the hips or grip the collar across the chest, or grip the belt.
3. Pull their hips up onto your thighs and drive forward so their knees come over their face.
4. Walk your feet to one side, keeping the stack, until their shoulders are flat on the mat.
5. Release the far leg, pull your head out and put it on the far side of their hips.
6. Clear the near leg, drop your chest onto theirs and settle in side control.

Key details

• Their hips must come up onto your thighs. On the mat the pass has no pressure.
• Walk sideways with small steps and keep the stack, so their legs cannot reset.
• Keep your elbows pinched to their hips so they cannot push your arm off.
• Head goes on the far side, so their legs cannot catch it in a triangle.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: leaving one arm in and one arm under, so they lock a triangle.
• Mistake: lifting with the back instead of walking the hips up, so they roll you over the top.
• Mistake: letting their knees back down before the pass is done, so they recover guard.

What they will try

• They push on your head or shoulder and swing the leg out to recover guard.
• They grip your sleeve and roll you over with a stack sweep while you drive.

Gi and no-gi

Lock your hands around the hips instead of gripping the collar or the belt, and keep the grip tight because the legs slip out more easily.