Underhook from Guard Passing

Underhook from Guard Passing is a passing sequence that clears the legs built around a handful of repeatable controls. The top player has a single underhook on one of the opponent's legs. Another common starting shape: top player engaged with an open or half guard, one arm threaded under the opponent's near armpit. It is worth attempting once comfortable with: Around to single-underhook entry and comfortable with: Keep their hips facing away. The ideas that hold it together are single-underhook stack uses one strong control to compress one side, flatten before you pass, and underhook is a control, not just a passing detail.

The underhook chain is a sequence of small controls, not one athletic burst. Drive the underhooked leg toward the opponent's head. Step the same-side leg deep to add weight to the stack. Walk the underhook arm deeper and connect to the head when possible. Pin the underhook-side shoulder to the mat. Step the free leg over once the bottom shoulder is flat. Pummel the near-side underhook before the bottom player completes their own. Use the underhook to flatten the bottom player rather than to lift. Expose the elbow-to-rib gap and slide the knee through. The top player has stacked the opponent so the controlled hip is driven up toward the opponent's face.

Later in the underhook, near-side underhook is a transition tool, not a holding position, underhook flattens, then exposes the gap, and pass in the direction of the under hook tend to decide whether the position stays on track. Watch for these mistakes: Underhooking shallow so the bottom can shrug it off. Looking for the pass before flattening the shoulder. Trying to use a near-side underhook when the bottom player is already flat. Lifting with the underhook instead of pressing. The high-percentage version of underhook from guard passing is the one you can still chain when the bottom player recovers a hook.