Alex Vazquez: Knee Slice vs High and Low Knee Shield

Alex Vazquez (@alexvazquezjj) maps knee slice passing against high and low knee shields, from pinning the knee and ankle through the switch, body lock, leg weave, and back take. From the video: https://youtu.be/60yUTicCpDM

Flow outline

  1. High Knee Shield Read

    • Against a high knee shield, keep the knee exactly where it is and force the ankle instead of pushing the knee open.
    • From Alex Vazquez (@alexvazquezjj), in the video "Pass that Knee Shield! Details from My Seminar in Vancouver".
    • Entry: get to the inside of his knee
    • Pressure: keep his knee exactly where it's at
    • Grip: torque his ankle as you move your body
    • Avoid Pushing the knee open gets you off balance and lets him time your weight.

  2. Back Away Cup Crotch

    • If he switches his hips and you can't stop him, back away to make room, cup through the crotch, and drive your head to the opposite side.
    • The idea Keeping his hips from switching is the main goal from this position.
    • Reaction: back away a little to get room
    • Grip: arm cups through right up the crotch
    • Head Position: head drives to the opposite side
    • Pressure: keep his hip pinned down

  3. Knees Underneath Switch

    • With your knee and arm working against his one knee, start switching and getting your knees underneath.
    • Checkpoint: knee and arm work against his one knee
    • Reaction: he will push your face

  4. Low Knee Shield Hip In

    • Against a low knee shield, hip in and hug the hip to keep his ankle to his butt, with your head on the same side.
    • Pressure: hip in and hug the hip
    • Head Position: head goes to the same side
    • Checkpoint: keep his ankle to his butt
    • Avoid Going to the opposite side with your head lets him open his knee and off balance you.

  5. Jump Knee In Front

    • Jump your knee in front to get to the pass, going up and over and down with the same side underhook.
    • Entry: jump your knee in front
    • Leg Path: go up and over and down
    • Grip: same side underhook
    • Key detail Drive your knee to the ground as you hip in, head going same time.

  6. Push Knee To Ground

    • If you need help, push the knee to the ground.
    • Finish: push the knee to the ground

  7. Switch Angle Kill Frames

    • At the halfway point where he stiff arms you, switch the angle with your shoulders to kill the frames and continue moving forward.
    • The idea When there's only an inch between you and his knee getting back inside, you need to switch.
    • Angle: switch the angle with your shoulders
    • Checkpoint: use top knee over to beat his knee line

  8. Commit Switch Hips Scoop

    • Commit to switching your hips and use your hand to scoop, thinking about landing in a double leg.
    • Checkpoint: commit to switching your hips
    • Grip: use this hand to scoop
    • Entry: think about landing in a double leg

  9. Climb Up To Hips

    • Get around towards his knees and start climbing up to the hips, using the same side underhook or a wall to prevent him from bringing his knee and elbow together.
    • Entry: get around towards his knees
    • Grip: same side underhook
    • Frame: or use the arm as a wall so he can't bring his knee and elbow together

  10. Step Over To Mount

    • Like finishing a double leg, use the underhook to step over and start working the mount.
    • Entry: step over and start working the mount
    • Grip: already have this underhook to start climbing up

  11. Drive Under Knees Flatten

    • Or use this to drive underneath his knees and flatten out the hips, using your shoulder to scoop while keeping your hands where they are.
    • Entry: drive underneath his knees, flatten out the hips
    • Pressure: use your shoulder to scoop
    • Checkpoint: keep your hands where they are
    • Avoid Going for the hands first opens a gap and lets him bridge and explode.

  12. Keep Lock Connected

    • Keep the lock connected and use your hand to constantly put pressure on his knee, making him use his abs.
    • The idea You want to make him work 24/7, not let him relax with no pressure.
    • Pressure: keep constant hand pressure on his knee
    • Checkpoint: make him use his abs constantly
    • Anchor: keep the lock connected

  13. Switch To Body Lock

    • If you switch and get this angle, you can start moving right away into your body lock forcing the half guard.
    • Entry: switch and get this angle
    • Finish: move into your body lock forcing the half guard

  14. Enter Headquarters

    • When you scoop, nothing stops him from bringing his knee to his chest, so put a hand in front and enter a headquarters-style position.
    • Frame: put a hand in front to block his knee from coming to his chest
    • Entry: enter a headquarters-style position

  15. Switch And Twist

    • From headquarters, do the switch right away, make his knee bend, and start twisting automatically.
    • The idea If he tries to go to your legs, you go to your knees and you're safe.
    • Entry: do the switch right away
    • Checkpoint: make his knee bend like this
    • Angle: start twisting automatically
    • Option: you can still work the toreando pass from here

  16. Crank Knee And Walk

    • If not, crank his knee as you walk.
    • Finish: crank his knee as you walk

  17. Leg Weave Lift

    • End up in leg weave position, wanting to lift him up a little bit to point his knees to the ground.
    • Checkpoint: end up in this leg weave position
    • Pressure: lift him up a little bit to point his knees to the ground
    • Key detail You're not actually lifting him. That's just the direction of the pressure.

  18. Take The Back

    • From leg weave, you're on the hips and start taking the back.
    • Entry: you're on the hips, start taking the back

  19. Hip Switch To Over Under

    • If he switches his hips, you enter right back into your over under or to your knee slice.
    • Reaction: he switches his hips
    • Entry: go right back to the over-under or the knee slice

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