18/12/2019 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #925
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 18/12/2019



I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Aug 31, 2017 at 12:28am PDT

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I regularly teach during half guard month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Sep 1, 2017 at 12:38am PDT

A useful tip from Fran Vanderstukken is to pull their knee across, which twists their spin. Your free leg is behind you for base, preventing them rolling you over. You can then yank their top leg towards you and extricate your foot. If you require more leverage, push on their bottom leg with your free foot. You can also try stepping the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base.

If all that fails, you could swing back over to the other side and knee cut, but be careful of back takes (if you can get an underhook it will help, holding the head may not be enough control). Going to half mount is also a good option, from where you can pry your legs free. As soon as your knee is past their legs, even though they may still have your foot, many options open up.

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jun 29, 2018 at 1:46am PDT

________________

Teaching Notes: As I seem to have forgotten to put notes down, I'll just copy the ones from last time I taught it. Getting all the way over, making sure you've turned enough, so you are sat next to them. Spend more time on the specifics of the turn/twist. I did mention the leg flick counter they might try, though that is fairly rare, there is also the possibility they could adjust to take your back if you're lazy. I guess worth adding at the end, but that's something to think about in terms of structuring the teaching (also for the video etc ;D).

Follow ups are handy to add, especially the very simple one of drifting back over and going for a knee cut. That's in the previous video from last year, doesn't take too much time to mention that as another option. Some people can't always get high enough to get in properly for a cross-face, which is where the shoulder pressure options come in, particularly Saulo's one.

However, it's important to note the risk of a back take if you drift back over for a knee cut. Another option I showed this time was to go to half mount, which is safer than the knee cut. As soon as you knee is past their leg, that opens up a whole bunch of options.

24/07/2019 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #891
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 24/07/2019

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Aug 31, 2017 at 12:28am PDT

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I regularly teach during half guard month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Sep 1, 2017 at 12:38am PDT

A useful tip from Fran Vanderstukken is to pull their knee across, which twists their spin. Your free leg is behind you for base, preventing them rolling you over. You can then yank their top leg towards you and extricate your foot. If you require more leverage, push on their bottom leg with your free foot. You can also try stepping the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base.

If all that fails, you could swing back over to the other side and knee cut, but be careful of back takes (if you can get an underhook it will help, holding the head may not be enough control). Going to half mount is also a good option, from where you can pry your legs free. As soon as your knee is past their legs, even though they may still have your foot, many options open up.

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jun 29, 2018 at 1:46am PDT

________________

Teaching Notes: As I seem to have forgotten to put notes down, I'll just copy the ones from last time I taught it. Getting all the way over, making sure you've turned enough, so you are sat next to them. Spend more time on the specifics of the turn/twist. I did mention the leg flick counter they might try, though that is fairly rare, there is also the possibility they could adjust to take your back if you're lazy. I guess worth adding at the end, but that's something to think about in terms of structuring the teaching (also for the video etc ;D).

Follow ups are handy to add, especially the very simple one of drifting back over and going for a knee cut. That's in the previous video from last year, doesn't take too much time to mention that as another option. Some people can't always get high enough to get in properly for a cross-face, which is where the shoulder pressure options come in, particularly Saulo's one.

However, it's important to note the risk of a back take if you drift back over for a knee cut. Another option I showed this time was to go to half mount, which is safer than the knee cut. As soon as you knee is past their leg, that opens up a whole bunch of options.

27/06/2018 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #787
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 27/06/2018

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Aug 31, 2017 at 12:28am PDT

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I regularly teach during half guard month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Sep 1, 2017 at 12:38am PDT

A useful tip from Fran Vanderstukken is to pull their knee across, which twists their spin. Your free leg is behind you for base, preventing them rolling you over. You can then yank their top leg towards you and extricate your foot. If you require more leverage, push on their bottom leg with your free foot. You can also try stepping the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. If all that fails, you could swing back over to the other side and knee cut, but be careful of back takes (if you can get an underhook it will help, holding the head may not be enough control).

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jun 29, 2018 at 1:46am PDT

________________

Teaching Notes: As I seem to have forgotten to put notes down, I'll just copy the ones from last time I taught it. Getting all the way over, making sure you've turned enough, so you are sat next to them. Spend more time on the specifics of the turn/twist. I did mention the leg flick counter they might try, though that is fairly rare. I guess worth adding at the end, but that's something to think about in terms of structuring the teaching (also for the video etc ;D).

Follow ups are handy to add, especially the very simple one of drifting back over and going for a knee cut. That's in the previous video from last year, doesn't take too much time to mention that as another option. Some people can't always get high enough to get in properly for a cross-face, which is where the shoulder pressure options come in. Hip switch/twisting pass is the one to start with though, I think, saving the others as alternatives.

24/01/2018 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #748
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 24/01/2018

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Aug 31, 2017 at 12:28am PDT

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I regularly teach during half guard month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Sep 1, 2017 at 12:38am PDT

A useful tip from Fran Vanderstukken is to pull their knee across, which twists their spin. Your free leg is behind you for base, preventing them rolling you over. You can then yank their top leg towards you and extricate your foot. If you require more leverage, push on their bottom leg with your free foot. You can also try stepping the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. If all that fails, you could swing back over to the other side and knee cut, but be careful of back takes (if you can get an underhook it will help, holding the head may not be enough control).

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
________________

Teaching Notes: Getting all the way over, making sure you've turned enough, so you are sat next to them. Spend more time on the specifics of the turn/twist. I did mention the leg flick counter they might try, though that is fairly rare. I guess worth adding at the end, but that's something to think about in terms of structuring the teaching (also for the video etc ;D).

Follow ups are handy to add, especially the very simple one of drifting back over and going for a knee cut. That's in the previous video from last year, doesn't take too much time to mention that as another option. Some people can't always get high enough to get in properly for a cross-face, which is where the shoulder pressure options come in. Hip switch/twisting pass is the one to start with though, I think, saving the others as alternatives.

30/08/2017 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #698
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 30/08/2017

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Aug 31, 2017 at 12:28am PDT

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I regularly teach during half guard month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Sep 1, 2017 at 12:38am PDT

A useful tip from Fran Vanderstukken is to pull their knee across, which twists their spin. Your free leg is behind you for base, preventing them rolling you over. You can then yank their top leg towards you and extricate your foot. If you require more leverage, push on their bottom leg with your free foot. You can also try stepping the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. If all that fails, you could swing back over to the other side and knee cut, but be careful of back takes (if you can get an underhook it will help, holding the head may not be enough control).

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
________________

Teaching Notes: It's essential to pin super tight with that cross face. I like to talk about driving the shoulder into the palm of your hand. I also talked about driving a stake through their head, but that's a rather aggressive metaphor, I want to come up with something less extreme. ;)

Another thing is sitting right down when you've flipped to the other side, hip on the mat. If you're too high up onto them, that makes you lighter in terms of their efforts to roll you over. Counter-intuitive I guess, as normally it is good to put your weight on them. Though you are still doing that, you're just focusing it through your shoulder into the cross face. Basing out with your foot is important too, for a similar reason, stop them rolling you.

Video points, when I was demonstrating without a partner I pushed with the wrong leg to 'free' my leg from invisible partner, remember it's the basing leg that pushes. Also, worth emphasising that on the switch to the knee cut, you have to be careful they can't take your back. There is the rolling back take as well, it would be good to teach that in a sequence that goes from hip switch pass, kimura pass, opposite side pass and then finally back take. That will require copious open mat drilling first, of course. :)

21/12/2016 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #613
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 21/12/2016

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I taught earlier this month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

Finally, you need to extricate your trapped leg. The simplest approach is to push on their bottom leg with your free foot, extricating yourself from half guard and taking top side control. The problem with that is it reduces your base, so they might be able to capitalise and reverse you. Not to say it isn't possible, but it requires your cross-face to be really solid. A slightly safer option is to step the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. Another possibility is pulling their leg towards you in order to help create the space to free yourself.

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
________________

Teaching Notes: Next time, it's worth remembering that you can turn to the knee slide if you're having trouble freeing your foot. Also, grabbing their knee to help free your leg is useful too. Other than that, not much to add.

19/02/2016 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #465
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 19/02/2016

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I taught earlier this month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

Finally, you need to extricate your trapped leg. The simplest approach is to push on their bottom leg with your free foot, extricating yourself from half guard and taking top side control. The problem with that is it reduces your base, so they might be able to capitalise and reverse you. Not to say it isn't possible, but it requires your cross-face to be really solid. A slightly safer option is to step the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. Another possibility is pulling their leg towards you in order to help create the space to free yourself.

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
________________

Teaching Notes: Like I said in the last write-up, I still like this pass, but I'm going to put it on the backburner for a bit, in favour of the hip switch and low pressure pass. I think those are both easier to get right than this one, as while I use it often myself, getting the balance and cross-face right is trickier.

17/08/2015 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #373
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 17/08/2015

I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I taught earlier this month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

Finally, you need to extricate your trapped leg. The simplest approach is to push on their bottom leg with your free foot, extricating yourself from half guard and taking top side control. The problem with that is it reduces your base, so they might be able to capitalise and reverse you. Not to say it isn't possible, but it requires your cross-face to be really solid. A slightly safer option is to step the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. Another possibility is pulling their leg towards you in order to help create the space to free yourself.

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
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Teaching & Sparring Notes: Class went well. The usual points to emphasise are getting your hips right over, as opposed to balancing on them. Going through it John Will style in the middle and end of class helped, I think. It also made me think I want to give Xande's similar hip switch option a go on Wednesday.

I had fun sparring Kirsty during specifics, as she likes to hold a really tight half guard. That makes it harder to go for submissions, but easier to do the rolling back take. I may even teach that as an option towards the end of the month, when your partner is clamming shut and you can't fish any limbs or gi lapels for attacks.

19/02/2015 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #282
Artemis BJJ (PHNX Fitness), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 19/02/2015

Same class as yesterday, as there were different students present compared to Wednesday. I first learned this pass from Roger Gracie a few years ago, getting some further great details from Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell's excellent book. Beneville and Cartmell refer to the position as 'inverted half guard', but I prefer Saulo's nomenclature from Jiu Jitsu University: he uses the term 'opposite side pass'.'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo.

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I taught earlier this month. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

Finally, you need to extricate your trapped leg. The simplest approach is to push on their bottom leg with your free foot, extricating yourself from half guard and taking top side control. The problem with that is it reduces your base, so they might be able to capitalise and reverse you. Not to say it isn't possible, but it requires your cross-face to be really solid. A slightly safer option is to step the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. Another possibility is pulling their leg towards you in order to help create the space to free yourself.

A slight variation on this pass comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
________________

Teaching Notes: The extra fifteen minutes on Thursdays meant I could run through a variation on the pass, which is useful but I don't think it's essential to teach. I'm a big fan of the two passes I taught this week and use them in combination to pass half guard. However, I'm wondering if I should be looking to expand my repertoire for passing half guard. Either way, I'll be moving on to knee shield next week, with some basic maintenance, a couple of sweeps and a pass to finish off February.

18/02/2015 - Teaching | Half Guard | Opposite Side Pass

Teaching #281
Artemis BJJ (MyGym/Bristol Sports Centre), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 18/02/2015

Today I wanted to take a look at a pass Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell refer to as 'inverted half guard' in their excellent book, which I first learned from Roger Gracie a few years ago. In Jiu Jitsu University, Saulo uses the term 'opposite side pass', which I think is easier to understand. 'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo's nomenclature.

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I taught earlier. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back.

Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip. If you prefer, you can grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee. They can then lift and drive through to the top position.

My personal preference is to start the pass by reaching under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg. This may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but that's because you're swinging over to the other side. This is effectively a cross-face on the opposite side, which you lock in fully once you're over to the other side, driving your shoulder into their cheek/jaw to prevent them turning their head towards you. It's also key that after swinging to the other side, you post firmly on your outside leg, angling the knee towards their body. This should stop them bridging into you and getting a reversal.

Finally, you need to extricate your trapped leg. The simplest approach is to push on their bottom leg with your free foot, extricating yourself from half guard and taking top side control. The problem with that is it reduces your base, so they might be able to capitalise and reverse you. Not to say it isn't possible, but it requires your cross-face to be really solid. A slightly safer option is to step the basing leg in front of their leg, using it as a wedge. That means it both blocks their movement but still provides you with base. Another possibility is pulling their leg towards you in order to help create the space to free yourself.
________________

Teaching Notes: There is another option for this pass I can show, from the Beneville book, which I'll add in tomorrow. Chris had a good question at the end about how to counter this pass, which gave me a chance to go through the counter and recounter from the Beneville book. From playing around with it while Chris was on top, I found that getting an arm under their armpit and making a frame helped too. During sparring, I played with deep half, which was fun. I think that's definitely a useful addition (especially if you're using the arm shield half guard Braulio shows on EstimaInAction), but probably a bit advanced for the class at the moment. I might well show it next time I do half guard month though, depending what the student is like at that point. :)

10/01/2013 - Teaching (Opposite Side Half Guard Pass)

Teaching #086
Gracie Barra Bristol, (BJJ), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 10/01/2013

Today I wanted to take a look at a pass Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell refer to as 'inverted half guard' in their excellent book, which I first learned from Roger Gracie a few years ago. In Jiu Jitsu University, Saulo uses the term 'opposite side pass', which is more clunky but also easier to understand. 'Inverted' is mainly associated with being upside down in BJJ, so I'll stick with Saulo's nomenclature.

The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through. That's what I taught last week. With the opposite side pass, you're also trying to control their upper body. In Saulo's version of the pass, on p307 of his book, they already have an underhook. He therefore grips over the top of that underhooking arm, securing it by gripping the gi material by the small of their back. Posting on his free hand, he then swings his free leg over, ending up sat next to them. He suggests grabbing their knee initially, then shifting to grabbing the far hip.

I would prefer to grab the knee and maintain that grip, to prevent a counter they can try where they open their half guard then hook under your knee, lifting and driving through to the top position. Either way, once you're over, you need to keep control of their upper body, or they will be able to simply turn towards you and take the top position.

To prevent that, control them with your grip on the back, as well as maintaining pressure with your head and chest on their upper body. You then want to work your leg free, which may be easier said than done. The simplest approach is to push on their bottom leg with your free foot, extricating yourself from half guard and taking top side control. You can also try pulling their leg towards you in order to help create the space to free yourself.

After drilling that and then doing some progressive resistance, I added in some more details, mainly regarding grips. Option one is to reach under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg: that may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook, but this is because you're swinging over to the other side.

Option two, still with that trapped-side arm, is to grab their opposite shoulder. This is a nastier option, as that means when you swing over to the trapped-leg side, your forearm will drive into their throat (and is why I wouldn't recommend it, as it is relying more on pain compliance than leverage). If they have a gi, you can also try grabbing their opposite collar, but that may firstly limit the amount of arm across their throat and secondly be overly loose, unless you make sure to take the slack out of their collar first.

Option three comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

After you've swung over, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.
________________

Teaching Notes: I was trying to think of a 'simple' version to start off, deciding to teach Saulo's version first. I'm not sure if that was in fact the most straightforward, but the students seemed to understand it ok: hopefully I'll be able to get some feedback to hear their thoughts on it. I'm not really that keen on the grip over the underhook, but it's a viable option, particularly if you've already been put in a bad position due to their underhook. You have the option of a whizzer to control them too, or maybe even a brabo choke.

Like last week I wanted to continue switching people after each round, rather than waiting two rounds. Also like last week, that meant I had to be careful that everybody had a chance to work both top and bottom. I decided to put people in four corners then have them shift around to the right. However, that swiftly got confusing: it just about meant everybody had a chance to work with everybody else, but there must be a better system. Next time, I'll try counting off in pairs, then have the number 2s stay where they are while the number 1s move around after each round. Hopefully that will work better.

Again, I did a review at the end. I split it into two, running through the technique once with Saulo's version, then the three grip variations. I thought it was better to go through the technique once and then show the grip variations in isolation. I could have shown the four grip variations then complete the technique, but I decided that would be more confusing. I could be wrong: as ever, let me know your feedback, especially if you were in the class. :D

20/09/2012 - Last Class Before the GrappleThon!

The video channel will go LIVE at 9am British Summer Time this Saturday: the main streaming site is here

Main GrappleThon donation page here.

After several months of planning, the GrappleThon is taking place this weekend, starting at 9am on Saturday 22nd September 2012, running through to 9am 23rd September 2012. The idea is that we'll have at least one pair sparring the entire time: the whole event is going to be streamed live on justin.tv, hence the embedded video above (if you’re reading this between 9am on Saturday 22nd and 9am Sunday 23rd, simply click play on the video to tune in the live feed. Similarly with the chat, you can leave us a message on there and we’ll get back to you :D).

The main aim is to raise money for Meningitis UK. Most of that is coming via JustGiving, so if you'd like to contribute, pop over here. One of the various advantages of JustGiving is that you can donate from anywhere in the world. So, no excuses to help a worthy cause! ;)

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Teaching #073
Gracie Barra Bristol, (BJJ), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 20/09/2012

Getting back to class tonight, it's my first class in mat two, now that the new class schedule has started. From now on, mat one on Thursdays will be a nogi class, while I'll be in the smaller building next door and up the stairs. So, please keep supporting the Thursday gi class if you want to see it continue! ;D

Today I wanted to take a look at a pass Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell refer to as 'inverted half guard' in their excellent book, which I first learned from Roger Gracie a few years ago. The orthodox method to pass the half guard is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) as you would in side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through.

With inverted half guard, you're also using that cross-facing shoulder pressure. For this pass, you will start off by controlling their head, where you have a broad choice of grips. Option one is to reach under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg: that may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook (it will make sense in a moment). Option two, still with that trapped-side arm, is to grab their opposite shoulder.

Option three is grabbing the back of their gi. Option four comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head in the space you’ve created. You can use your head for base, along with your free hand if required.

Whichever hold you've gone for (there are more, but we'll stick with four for now), the next step is to swing your free leg over to the trapped-leg side, so you're lying next to your opponent. This is where that grip and shoulder pressure comes in, as if you don't have one of those grips, they would be able to simply turn towards you and take the top position. If you've gone with option two, in the process of swinging over, you'll bring your arm across their throat. That is therefore probably the least pleasant of the four options.

You need to be careful of their leg, as you don't want them to bridge. Grab their far knee to keep them in place. You can then kick their other leg off and free your foot. At this point, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their far foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep. Alternatively, you can also do a big step over to the other side as they try to flip you to your back.

19/01/2012 - Teaching (Passing Half Guard)

Teaching #037
Gracie Barra Bristol, (BJJ), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 19/01/2012

Today I wanted to take a look at a position Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell refer to as 'inverted half guard' in their book. The orthodox method is to get a similar 'super-hold' (as Xande calls it) to side control, then use shoulder pressure to hold them in place as you bounce your leg free and slide through.

With inverted half guard, you're using a different kind of pressure. For this pass, you will start off by controlling their head, where you have a broad choice of grips. Option one is to reach under their head with the arm on the same side as your trapped leg: that may feel counter-intuitive, as normally that is the arm you would use to underhook (it will make sense in a moment). Option two, still with that trapped-side arm, is to grab their opposite shoulder.

Option three is grabbing the back of their gi. Option four comes from the Beneville book: if you can get this one, it's probably the tightest option. Before you swing over, open up their lapel on the free leg side. Pass the end of their gi to the hand you have under their head and feed it through. Push their head slightly towards the trapped leg side, then shove your head there.

Whichever hold you've gone for (there are more, but we'll stick with four for now), the next step is to swing your free leg over to the trapped-leg side, so you're lying next to your opponent. This is where that grip comes in, as if you don't have one of those grips, they would be able to simply turn and take the top position. If you've gone with option two, in the process of swinging over, you'll bring your arm across their throat. That is therefore probably the least pleasant of the four options.

You need to be careful of their leg, as you don't want them to bridge. Grab their far knee to keep them in place. You can then kick their other leg off and free your foot. At this point, watch out for a counter they may try, which is to lift up your leg with their foot, flipping you over. To re-counter that, immediately switch from holding the knee to hooking behind their knee with your arm. That should stop them lifting for the sweep.

Also, very cool that there were two women in my class tonight. The number of female students regularly attending class at GB Bristol is about three at the moment, so I'm hoping that number continues to grow.