Nattie Boss: Half Guard Pass to Knee Cut or Armbar

Nattie Boss (@nattiebossrd), BJJ black belt and sports dietitian, shows a top half guard pass: pants grip and hip frame, dive under the bottom arm to the collar, knee cut, then side control or an armbar. From the video: https://youtu.be/0Ss4A8Tcs8g

Flow outline

  1. Top Half Guard Entry

    • Start in top half guard. They have your leg wrapped, but you beat them to the knee shield and block it with your elbow and frame.
    • From Nattie Boss (@nattiebossrd), BJJ black belt and sports dietitian, in the video "Technique Tuesday: Half Guard Pass."
    • The idea Inch your way up to the final position, head control and underhook.
    • Frame: use your elbow and frame to keep the knee shield from coming in

  2. Grip Pants And Frame Hip

    • Grab the scruff of the pants and frame the hip bone with your forearm palm down.
    • Frame: palm down framing her hip bone with your forearm
    • Grip: grab the pants, not the belt; the pants usually stay in place

  3. Attempt Head Control

    • Try to shoot for top head control to get a strong cross position, but the opponent frames to keep you back.
    • Reaction: opponent frames and keeps you back, preventing forward movement

  4. Dive Under Bottom Arm

    • Ditch the head control grip and dive under the opponent's bottom arm to address the arm on your hip.
    • Entry: dive underneath right by her armpit
    • Grip: curl your arm up as high as you can and re-grab behind the neck of the lapel
    • Key detail The arm on your hip is the one blocking you, so deal with it first.

  5. Crouch Low And Shift 45

    • Stay crouched low with your chin by their chest, shift your body to a 45-degree angle, and flatten into a frog position.
    • Pressure: chin is by her chest, stay nice and low to eliminate space
    • Angle: shift your body to 45 degrees to her shoulder
    • Weight: flatten out into a frog position with feet flat

  6. Swivel Free Leg To Block

    • Swivel your free leg to block the opponent's bottom leg so you can free your top leg into a knee cut.
    • Leg Path: free leg swivels to block her bottom leg
    • Leg Path: free your top leg into a knee cut
    • Leg Path: wiper the free leg over to pin their bottom leg to the floor

  7. Knee Cut With Hip Frame

    • Perform a low knee cut while keeping a strong frame on the hip so the opponent cannot re-guard.
    • Frame: keep strong frame by the hip so she can't re-guard

  8. Finish To Side Control

    • Slowly weave back into head control and underhook to finish in side control.
    • Timing: slowly start to weave back into head control and underhook

  9. Armbar Setup From Knee Cut

    • From the knee cut position, isolate the arm and set up an armbar by blocking the leg and circling the hand around.
    • Checkpoint: this arm is isolated enough to set up a nice armbar
    • Timing: do it slow and methodically to prevent her from getting her arm back
    • Leg Path: free leg forms a little block behind her leg
    • Grip: let go of the hand on the back of her collar and circle around to pin her arm under your armpit

  10. Shoot Bottom Leg Under Armpit

    • Shoot your bottom leg under the opponent's armpit, jumping up slightly and then sitting back down.
    • Leg Path: bottom leg shoots under her armpit
    • Timing: you have to jump up a little bit here and then sit back down
    • Frame: use the hip frame for pressure as you hop up
    • Leg Path: dive the top of your foot under the armpit

  11. Left Leg Over Head

    • Place your left leg over the opponent's head to complete the armbar position.
    • Leg Path: left leg over the head

  12. Armbar Finish

    • Pin the head, pinch your knees, and lift up to finish the armbar.
    • Finish: pin the head, pinch your knees, and up

  13. Circle To Head Control

    • From the knee cut position, circle around towards the head while keeping knee-elbow connection to get strong cross head control and underhook.
    • Checkpoint: keep everything nice and low as you circle
    • Frame: keep knee-elbow connection as you circle
    • Finish: circle into strong cross head control and underhook

Branch conditions