24/08/2022 - Teaching | Butterfly Half Guard | Roll under sweep

Teaching #Evening
Artemis BJJ (7 Easton Rd), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 24/08/2022


Generally, the simplest option from half guard is to try and get back to either open or closed guard. Always keep that option in mind, if they leave enough space that you can free your leg. Saying that, if you can get a sweep, that's even better, because it puts you on top.

For example, if you're in butterfly half guard, when you go for the sweep you may find they manage to post to prevent you sending them over in that direction (or their base is really solid). Should that happen, you can instead roll underneath them. Fire your arm, shoulder and then head between their legs, rolling them over the top. This should be effortless: if you are finding it a strain, you haven't got underneath them enough.

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Maintain your hook on the leg, as that will mean you can engage your legs, rather than relying on your core to roll them over the top. As a good general rule, remember to always control their arm in the direction you're sweeping. They may try to post it to prevent the roll under. You can use your free arm to wrap around their arm, meaning they can no longer post. _____________________

Teaching Notes: Emphasise the hips getting right under. Also, always control their arm in the direction you're sweeping, hooking around with your free arm. That bit is easy to forget, but also easy to correct when wandering around in drilling, as it's obvious when somebody can post with their arm to stop the sweep. ;)

22/08/2022 - Teaching | Half Guard | Bridge Sweeps

Teaching #Evening
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 22/08/2022

Short Version:

• You've been squashed flat, they have a crossface and underhook
• Block their non trapped knee with your arm
• Drive off your outside leg (stepping it out from the kickstand if needed)
• Punch up through their head with your trapped leg side arm
• Bridge and roll to the top

Full Version: I first saw this sequence on an DVD series from a few years ago, by Vince Quitigua. In Lost Techniques of the Half Guard, he has a simple solution to when you've been put in what would generally be seen as the worst position under half guard. They have not only managed to get a solid cross face, they've also underhooked you on the other side. However, using the same principle as the trap and roll from under mount, that means there is an opportunity to block off two of their limbs on the same side.

As they have already put their arm under your head, if you can block their leg on that side and bridge, you can roll them over. Therefore all you need to do is use your arm to stop their leg from stepping out. If their leg is too far away, turn your hips towards your underhook side to bring it in, then place your arm next to it. Push off your other foot and swing your arm up around their head on the side they've underhooked. Bridge and roll them over from there.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jan 24, 2018 at 12:34am PST

The major flaw with this option is that if they bring their arm out from crossfacing you, then they will be able to use that to prevent your roll. A method for preventing that defence is to use your own arm to lock their crossfacing arm by your head, like you would if they were crossfacing your from mount. As your arm is now occupied, you're going to use your same side leg to hook their leg instead, then push off with your other leg to complete the roll. Again, if their leg is too far away from your body, turn your hips to the underhook side.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jan 25, 2018 at 1:59am PST

Be aware that there is a risk if you uncross your legs to generate the leverage for the push, so be careful of them freeing their leg. Also, with a savvy partner they may be able to avoid your attempt to bridge and roll by quickly adjusting their weight distribution and putting up a leg. Be ready for that opportunity to recover to full guard, as they will find it tricky to do that without leaving some kind of opening for you to bring your leg through.
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Teaching Notes: I was uncrossing my kickstand in order to get the push, though if your legs are long enough, then you could still get enough leverage without doing that. By uncrossing your legs, there is a risk they will manage to pass at that point, so if it's possible to get the roll while keeping the kickstand locked, so much the better. Something to attempt before next time. Also, does it matter if you grab the trouser leg instead of simply block? Less versatile I guess as you've committed to a grip, but still works.

I also should make more of a point about the chance to recover full guard, in case they react before you're able to complete the sweep. On the second one, I find that you normally are able to step through to side control due to the position of your legs, but if you end up inside their guard instead, still better than being stuck on the bottom. But again, something to look at when preparing to teach this next time.

Turning towards your trapped leg to bring their leg closer to your body is really useful too, keep emphasising that.

17/08/2022 - Teaching | Butterfly Half Guard | Basic sweep

Teaching #Evening
Artemis BJJ (7 Easton Rd), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 17/08/2022


Along with the three leg positions I cover in a my usual basic half guard maintenance lessons, there is a fourth one that is worth developing too: the half butterfly. From your kickstand or inside hook, bring your outside foot back enough that you can hook by their thigh. This is significantly easier if you either have short legs and/or you're flexible. You ideally will also have an underhook on that side, staying tight so they can't swim inside your underhook. Your inside leg maintains a firm control, as with the inside hook leg control.

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For a butterfly sweep, the key part along with that hook is controlling their opposite arm so they can't post. It is equally important here, but trickier to control due to how you are positioned in half guard. If you're able to control their elbow, suck their arm in, though it is usually difficult to get a sufficiently controlling grip from standard half guard. Jason Scully suggests getting your head past their arm (something I do by using the facepalm cross-face block I learned from Braulio videos). To control the arm from there, Scully does an unusual grip of reaching behind his head to then clamp their arm tight from there.

It's awkward to get used to, but all you need to do is stop them posting. As soon as you begin to elevate them with your butterfly hook, you can bring your head out and switch to a more comfortable grip on their arm, controlling their elbow. From there, finish the sweep as normal if you're able to get your leg into position, or aim to end up in a strong knee slide position and pass from there.

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As an alternative to what Scully suggests, you could also try using the paw position. If you are able to slide down and control their elbow, that is a much simpler variation, but it may be difficult to pull their arm in enough without them managing to swim it free.
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Teaching Notes: Get that underhook arm right up into their armpit, making sure you whack them forwards, where your head in pointing. I like to flick with the butterfly hook, but if you end up following through, make sure they don't manage to trap your knee. With the knee free, you can either go to mount, or move that knee to the other side to knee slide.

03/08/2022 - Teaching | Half guard | Basic maintaining & back take

Teaching #Evening
Artemis BJJ (7 Easton Rd), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 03/08/2022

Short Version:

• Wrap one leg behind theirs, putting your shin behind the knee of your outside leg
• Use that 'kickstand' to get on your side, blocking their crossface with either a 'paw' or facepalm
• Drive your elbow to their armpit, rotating your arm around their back
• Fire that arm into their armpit and kick to scoot down, shucking their arm
• Come up on your elbow and knee, bring your leg over, then secure the back with a seatbelt grip

Full Version: In half guard, your first concern is to stop them flattening you out and starting their pass. They are generally going to want to establish an underhook on their trapped leg side, using the other arm to control under your head. In many ways, it is a similar position to standard side control. That will enable them to crush you to the mat, then exert lots of shoulder pressure to kill your mobility. Many of the same attacks from side control can also be viable from here, like an americana.



Naturally, you don't want them to reach that dominant position. Your goal is to get up on your side, with your own underhook around their back, on your trapped leg side. That is one of the main fights you'll have in half guard, so it is essential that you get used to working for that underhook.

If you can get the underhook, that accomplishes two things. First, it prevents them crushing their chest into yours, which would help them flatten you out. Second, it means you can press into their armpit to help disrupt their base, as well as help you get up onto your side. You can use your knee knocking into their bum at the same time to help with this too, as that should bump them forward.



For your leg positioning, the standard half guard is to have the inside leg wrapped around with your foot on the outside. Your other leg triangles over your ankle. This provides you with what SBG refer to as a 'kickstand': that outside leg is useful for bridging and general leverage. It's harder for them to flatten you out if you can resist with that kickstand structure.

After you've controlled a leg, got the underhook and onto your side, you want to block their arms. Almost a decade ago, Indrek Reiland put together an awesome video (made even more awesome by being free) about the fundamentals of half guard. The main principle I use from Reiland is what he calls the 'paw'.

By that, he means hooking your hand around their bicep, just above the elbow. You aren't gripping with your thumb: this is just a block, to prevent them getting a cross-face. Reiland emphasises that preventing that cross-face is the main principle. Therefore, if you can feel they are about to remove your paw by swimming their arm around, bring your underhooking hand through to replace your first paw with a second: this is what Reiland calls the 'double-paw' (as he says in the video, it's an approach he learned from SBG black belt John Frankl).

Similarly, if they manage to underhook your underhook, bring that arm over for a double-paw (this is also applicable from the start, if you're framing against their neck), then work to recover your underhook. Keep in mind with the double-paw that you need to make sure you don't leave space under your elbow. Otherwise, as Reiland demonstrates, they can they go for a brabo choke. Get the elbow of your top double-pawing arm to their nearest armpit, as that makes it easier to circle your arm around to their back.



To take the back, fire your underhooking arm up into their armpit. You're trying to knock them forwards, while simultaneously scooting your body down towards their legs. At that point, pull your 'paw' arm back, so that you can base on that elbow, swiftly pushing up onto the hand. That should give you the balance to reach around to their lat with what was your underhooking arm. For further control, swing your leg over their back too. Establish a hook by digging your heel inside their knee. Finally, get a seatbelt grip (one arm under their armpit, the other over their shoulder, locking your hands together) and roll towards your non-hooking foot for standard back control.

To help with the back take, it is a good idea to tweak out their leg before you swivel up. Your outside leg steps over and drags their leg out. This disrupts their base, making it much easier to go to their back. It can also lead to the easier to control back position where you have brought them down to the mat, rather than leaping onto their turtle (which feels inherently less stable).
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Teaching Notes: Fairly happy with this at the moment. I think it is of use mentioning you can generate extra momentum with that kick, but that it isn't always necessary. Also worth noting that knee shield makes a big difference, but that we'll cover that in a future lesson as it's important to learn the basics first.

02/03/2022 - Teaching | Half Guard | Maintaining, then take the back

Teaching (Evening)
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 02/03/2022

Short Version:

• Wrap one leg behind theirs, putting your shin behind the knee of your outside leg
• Use that 'kickstand' to get on your side, blocking their crossface with either a 'paw' or facepalm
• Drive your elbow to their armpit, rotating your arm around their back
• Fire that arm into their armpit and kick to scoot down, shucking their arm
• Come up on your elbow and knee, bring your leg over, then secure the back with a seatbelt grip

Full Version: In half guard, your first concern is to stop them flattening you out and starting their pass. They are generally going to want to establish an underhook on their trapped leg side, using the other arm to control under your head. In many ways, it is a similar position to standard side control. That will enable them to crush you to the mat, then exert lots of shoulder pressure to kill your mobility. Many of the same attacks from side control can also be viable from here, like an americana.


Naturally, you don't want them to reach that dominant position. Your goal is to get up on your side, with your own underhook around their back, on your trapped leg side. That is one of the main fights you'll have in half guard, so it is essential that you get used to working for that underhook.

If you can get the underhook, that accomplishes two things. First, it prevents them crushing their chest into yours, which would help them flatten you out. Second, it means you can press into their armpit to help disrupt their base, as well as help you get up onto your side. You can use your knee knocking into their bum at the same time to help with this too, as that should bump them forward.



For your leg positioning, the standard half guard is to have the inside leg wrapped around with your foot on the outside. Your other leg triangles over your ankle. This provides you with what SBG refer to as a 'kickstand': that outside leg is useful for bridging and general leverage. It's harder for them to flatten you out if you can resist with that kickstand structure.

After you've controlled a leg, got the underhook and onto your side, you want to block their arms. Almost a decade ago, Indrek Reiland put together an awesome video (made even more awesome by being free) about the fundamentals of half guard. The main principle I use from Reiland is what he calls the 'paw'.

By that, he means hooking your hand around their bicep, just above the elbow. You aren't gripping with your thumb: this is just a block, to prevent them getting a cross-face. Reiland emphasises that preventing that cross-face is the main principle. Therefore, if you can feel they are about to remove your paw by swimming their arm around, bring your underhooking hand through to replace your first paw with a second: this is what Reiland calls the 'double-paw' (as he says in the video, it's an approach he learned from SBG black belt John Frankl).

Similarly, if they manage to underhook your underhook, bring that arm over for a double-paw (this is also applicable from the start, if you're framing against their neck), then work to recover your underhook. Keep in mind with the double-paw that you need to make sure you don't leave space under your elbow. Otherwise, as Reiland demonstrates, they can they go for a brabo choke. Get the elbow of your top double-pawing arm to their nearest armpit, as that makes it easier to circle your arm around to their back.



To take the back, fire your underhooking arm up into their armpit. You're trying to knock them forwards, while simultaneously scooting your body down towards their legs. At that point, pull your 'paw' arm back, so that you can base on that elbow, swiftly pushing up onto the hand. That should give you the balance to reach around to their lat with what was your underhooking arm. For further control, swing your leg over their back too. Establish a hook by digging your heel inside their knee. Finally, get a seatbelt grip (one arm under their armpit, the other over their shoulder, locking your hands together) and roll towards your non-hooking foot for standard back control.

To help with the back take, it is a good idea to tweak out their leg before you swivel up. Your outside leg steps over and drags their leg out. This disrupts their base, making it much easier to go to their back. It can also lead to the easier to control back position where you have brought them down to the mat, rather than leaping onto their turtle (which feels inherently less stable). Similarly, you can drag their leg backwards in order to further disrupt their balance
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Teaching Notes: How important is adding the kick to get that momentum? It's useful, but mostly the leverage comes from that knock into their armpit. Use the dog fight switch I taught a while back (so you're on their leg), then drag their leg back, in order to make it easy to go the mat and bring them into a more standard back positions.

02/08/2021 - Teaching | Half guard | Basic maintaining & back take

Teaching #963
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 02/08/2021

Short Version:

• Wrap one leg behind theirs, putting your shin behind the knee of your outside leg
• Use that 'kickstand' to get on your side, blocking their crossface with either a 'paw' or facepalm
• Drive your elbow to their armpit, rotating your arm around their back
• Fire that arm into their armpit and kick to scoot down, shucking their arm
• Come up on your elbow and knee, bring your leg over, then secure the back with a seatbelt grip

Full Version: In half guard, your first concern is to stop them flattening you out and starting their pass. They are generally going to want to establish an underhook on their trapped leg side, using the other arm to control under your head. In many ways, it is a similar position to standard side control. That will enable them to crush you to the mat, then exert lots of shoulder pressure to kill your mobility. Many of the same attacks from side control can also be viable from here, like an americana.



Naturally, you don't want them to reach that dominant position. Your goal is to get up on your side, with your own underhook around their back, on your trapped leg side. That is one of the main fights you'll have in half guard, so it is essential that you get used to working for that underhook.

If you can get the underhook, that accomplishes two things. First, it prevents them crushing their chest into yours, which would help them flatten you out. Second, it means you can press into their armpit to help disrupt their base, as well as help you get up onto your side. You can use your knee knocking into their bum at the same time to help with this too, as that should bump them forward.



For your leg positioning, the standard half guard is to have the inside leg wrapped around with your foot on the outside. Your other leg triangles over your ankle. This provides you with what SBG refer to as a 'kickstand': that outside leg is useful for bridging and general leverage. It's harder for them to flatten you out if you can resist with that kickstand structure.

After you've controlled a leg, got the underhook and onto your side, you want to block their arms. Almost a decade ago, Indrek Reiland put together an awesome video (made even more awesome by being free) about the fundamentals of half guard. The main principle I use from Reiland is what he calls the 'paw'.

By that, he means hooking your hand around their bicep, just above the elbow. You aren't gripping with your thumb: this is just a block, to prevent them getting a cross-face. Reiland emphasises that preventing that cross-face is the main principle. Therefore, if you can feel they are about to remove your paw by swimming their arm around, bring your underhooking hand through to replace your first paw with a second: this is what Reiland calls the 'double-paw' (as he says in the video, it's an approach he learned from SBG black belt John Frankl).

Similarly, if they manage to underhook your underhook, bring that arm over for a double-paw (this is also applicable from the start, if you're framing against their neck), then work to recover your underhook. Keep in mind with the double-paw that you need to make sure you don't leave space under your elbow. Otherwise, as Reiland demonstrates, they can they go for a brabo choke. Get the elbow of your top double-pawing arm to their nearest armpit, as that makes it easier to circle your arm around to their back.



To take the back, fire your underhooking arm up into their armpit. You're trying to knock them forwards, while simultaneously scooting your body down towards their legs. At that point, pull your 'paw' arm back, so that you can base on that elbow, swiftly pushing up onto the hand. That should give you the balance to reach around to their lat with what was your underhooking arm. For further control, swing your leg over their back too. Establish a hook by digging your heel inside their knee. Finally, get a seatbelt grip (one arm under their armpit, the other over their shoulder, locking your hands together) and roll towards your non-hooking foot for standard back control.

To help with the back take, it is a good idea to tweak out their leg before you swivel up. Your outside leg steps over and drags their leg out. This disrupts their base, making it much easier to go to their back. It can also lead to the easier to control back position where you have brought them down to the mat, rather than leaping onto their turtle (which feels inherently less stable).
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Teaching Notes: I copied the text and notes from last time, when I added a back take. This time I just stuck with basics, but adding the back take makes sense because it is easy. There is some nuance to it though. E.g., you could use the dog fight switch I taught a while back (so you're on their leg), then drag their leg back, in order to make it easy to go the mat and bring them into a more standard back positions? That leg tweak from Saulo seems very useful, I'll start sticking with that version from now on, I think. Though I'll have to refresh my brain on what that tweak was, hopefully I included it in the vids. ;)

30/12/2019 - Teaching | Half guard | Basic maintenance & guard recovery

Teaching #929
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 30/12/2019


Short Version:

• Bring your outside leg to the inside, hooking in tight
• Curl in towards their knee, prying it out with your elbow
• Pop your knee through, pushing off their thigh with your shin
• Wrap their arm and grab your opposite shoulder, put your free leg over their back
• Shrimp out to free your other leg, recover closed guard

Full Version:
In half guard, your first concern is to stop them flattening you out and starting their pass. They are generally going to want to establish an underhook on their trapped leg side, using the other arm to control under your head. In many ways, it is a similar position to standard side control. That will enable them to crush you to the mat, then exert lots of shoulder pressure to kill your mobility. Many of the same attacks from side control can also be viable from here, like an americana.



Naturally, you don't want them to reach that dominant position. Your goal is to get up on your side, with your own underhook around their back, on your trapped leg side. That is one of the main fights you'll have in half guard, so it is essential that you get used to working for that underhook.

If you can get the underhook, that accomplishes two things. First, it prevents them crushing their chest into yours, which would help them flatten you out. Second, it means you can press into their armpit to help disrupt their base, as well as help you get up onto your side. You can use your knee knocking into their bum at the same time to help with this too, as that should bump them forward.



For your leg positioning, the standard half guard is to have the inside leg wrapped around with your foot on the outside. Your other leg triangles over your ankle. This provides you with what SBG refer to as a 'kickstand': that outside leg is useful for bridging and general leverage. It's harder for them to flatten you out if you can resist with that kickstand structure.

For guard recovery, an inside hook is preferable: step your outside leg over, to hook their leg. Your other leg should not by locking, but squeeze your thighs to maintain control. After you've controlled their leg, got the underhook (though for the guard recovery, an underhook isn't essential) and onto your side, you want to block their arms.



There are numerous options for this, but for guard recovery, I like to use an option I learned from Braulio Estima. I can't remember his name for it, but I call it the facepalm, or the Captain Picard (I LOVE Star Trek ;D). Put simply, slap yourself in the forehead. Keep your hand there, with your elbows in close. You can do this with one arm, or with both: I will often go with both, though it is useful to get an underhook with an arm if you can. With your facepalm shield in place, 'dig' with your elbows to get to their knee.

Pry that knee with your elbow, sliding your same side shin onto their thigh. Square back up. At this point, they will probably be trying to push your knee down to recover their top position. Underhook their arm, just above the elbow, then lock their arm in place by grabbing your opposite shoulder. Your opposite leg goes on their back, then shrimp out until your can free your elbow-prying side leg. Now you can establish closed guard.

You can also try framing to move into sitting guard. Simply sit up, framing with your arm into their collar bone. From there they will often forget to keep their legs tight, meaning you can move right into open guard. If you wanted, you could then recover closed guard.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jun 18, 2018 at 11:40pm PDT

If they attempt to duck their head under as you try to frame, adjust your arm to push against their head instead. That should give you enough time to reach a stable position to continue the switch into sitting guard.

A post shared by Artemis BJJ (@artemisbjj) on Jun 19, 2018 at 11:01pm PDT

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Teaching Notes: All good, nothing to add really. I ran through all the leg positions quickly, along with arm variations, including how you could move to open guard too. Seems to work pretty well. Only change, I guess be sure to do this early in the month, whereas I did it at the end. Though that's because we had a heavy focus on knee shield this time around.

27/12/2019 - Teaching | Half Guard | Gi Tail Figure Four

Teaching #928
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 27/12/2019



From the top of half guard, there's a cool attack sequence I learned from Jason Scully's Grapplers Guide. Establish a strong cross face and solidify your base. When you're feeling secure, yank out their far lapel, getting as much material as you can. Pull that over their far arm, trapping their wrist to their shoulder (make sure it is over their wrist, not lower on their arm). Feed the lapel to your cross-facing hand, gripping as near their wrist as you can. Use your head to press their arm to the floor.

From here, you can continue to twist on their lapel, going for the submission. If you need extra leverage, switch the lapel back to your other hand and continue rotating. If that's still not enough leverage, you can always transition into a standard americana. Your head control on their wrist should help you set up the typical grips on the wrist and finish the lock as normal. If you keep their wrist trapped with the lapel, you can do the normal americana, but with the added bonus that they can't unbend their arm due to the lapel. If they free their arm, you can switch to a choke, much like the ezequiel, but using the lapel to lock it in.



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Teaching Notes: Switch the grip on the arm before you press in with the head and before you bring your other arm over the top. Also, emphasise getting that gi grip as close to their wrist as possible, to minimise the amount of space they have to wriggle out. As ever, be careful on this, lots of people have tight shoulders.

23/12/2019 - Xmas Class | Teaching | Half Guard | Gi Tail Choke

Teaching #927
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 23/12/2019



You have a standard half guard top position, with a cross-face. Pull out their lapel, bringing it under their far arm. Feed that under their head to your cross-facing hand, so you can pull the gi into their neck on the far side. Let them come up on their side: it doesn't matter if they get an underhook, as you can jam your cross-face arm into their head to stop them turning too far. Next is the hard part: dig your free arm down their chest to your cross-face hand, then transfer your grip. Drop the shoulder of that second hand side, staying tight to them.

Get your newly free hand past their head, anchoring it to their upper back by grasping the gi lapel. Circle that arm into their neck. To finish, pull with your hand gripping the end of the gi lapel, leaning your weight into their neck to press your other arm and close off the choke. Keep your wrist solid, so that there is a straight line from your arm to your hand. A common mistake is to curl that second hand grip around: this brings the pressure off their neck. You instead want that straight line, so your wristbone is driving into their neck.



Once they know this choke, they may try and block you as you try to bring your arm for that second grip. If they do, drag their arm across your body, then squish down. Grab around their head and grip the gi, then sink your weight down as you pull on the initial grip, for a brabo variation with the gi.
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Teaching Notes: Keep your arms tight to them, elbows to their chest. You need to turn in slightly, don't leave space. Also, make sure that the wrist of your second grip is straight. If you are curling your second hand, that will also curl the pressure away from their neck. Make sure you keep that wrist strong, so your wristbone drives into their neck.

I forgot to mention the brabo style follow up if they try to block their choke with their arm, that's one to mention next time.

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.

16/12/2019 - Teaching | Half Guard | Twisting Pass

Teaching #924
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 16/12/2019



Start by flattening out your opponent, driving your free knee into their hip, then walking your trapped leg across. Apply a heavy cross-face: this is absolutely central to the technique. Without a solid cross face, they will be able to turn towards you, perhaps even getting a reversal. If they manage to get an underhook, you'll still need to be wary of getting rolled over: hooking an arm by their leg should block it.



Once you've got that cross-face firmly locked in, you need to adjust your position so you can twist in towards them, bringing your bottom leg into play. You're trying to get your free knee into their hip (sliding underneath your trapped leg). Shift back slightly, in order to make some space in front of their bottom leg: you could also raise up to get that twist, but that's more risky. Shrimping away tends to be securer. Using either the knee or your shin, wedge that against their lower hip. With your free arm, grasp their trouser leg and yank it towards you, in order to open up enough space to free your leg. Ideally you also want to keep your head low and turned towards their legs, to make it harder for them to push into your throat.

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Teaching Notes: Remember to talk about pulling their leg right across, that helps with the leverage. You only need the point of your knee in their hip. Also, get your hip right to the ground, if you're in midair you may not have the necessary weight.

The little shrimp to make space is the best option for inserting your wedge, but raising up isn't awful, just a secondary option. Then for a third and final resort, push with the foot of your bottom leg. The problem there is the difficulty of maintaining your crossface. So yeah, same pointers as last time, keep doing it.

Worth noting that Xande doesn't have a crossface when he shows it, he brings his arm over to the other side, under their armpit. So there are alternatives, check those vids before teaching it again, would be interesting to play with. Still my favourite pass. Is it worth showing with elbow behind the head too? Again, Xande does an entirely different arm drape thing for control rather than crossface.

11/12/2019 - Teaching | Half Guard | Deep Half Entry & Outer Roll Sweep

Teaching #923
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 11/12/2019

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A post shared by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Jul 8, 2019 at 6:52pm PDT

From half guard, get in as low as possible, curling in towards their leg like you do for the toe grab sweep. Sometimes they keep their foot out of range, which is when I like to try for a position called deep half guard. Shoot your non-underhook hand between their legs, reaching for their opposite bum cheek. Try and get a shallow underhook too, in order to assist with pulling them off balance. The key thing here is to get your shoulder underneath, rather than trying to wrap their leg with your arm. You want to wriggle underneath as you swivel onto your back, your head on their thigh.

You can also push back with your head and neck, to make it tougher for them to step their leg over. Alternatively, for a more secure block, switch your hand from their other leg to their thigh (i.e., next to your head). This will not only prevent them stepping their leg over for a pass, it also acts as a handy entry to the waiter sweep. To get into position, you can just swivel your hips towards them and hook behind their other ankle with your same side hand.



At the same time as you swing under and put your shoulder through, drag their leg towards you, using the leg you have on top. Your aim is to get your entire body underneath their leg, accomplished by your swivelling motion. You may need to push off their hip with your other hand, to help that wriggle underneath them. Once you've swivelled, reach your first hand around the outside of their leg, gripping the inside of their knee. You other hand tucks underneath their leg, so they can't grab it.

Finally, your legs are trapping their one leg. Make sure at least one of your legs is hooked over the top, so they can't just remove their leg and pass. Your other leg could be locking your other, or some people prefer to hook under their opponent's leg, meaning they can lift. You may also want to triangle your legs. Just make sure their leg is stuck, so squeeze your thighs too.



For the outer roll sweep, commonly known as a Homer sweep, walk your legs towards their other leg. This is where it gets the name, due to that scene from The Simpsons where Homer is on his side, running in a circle on the floor. You're doing the same motion (bonus points for 'woot woot woot' sound effects ;D), trying to cut the angle. Once that angle is acute, spin the other way. Continue to hug their leg tightly. They may attempt to triangle, so don't leave any space. You can then either drive your head to the far hip to pass their leg, or alternatively, reach your arm to their far hip and pass the other way.
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Teaching Notes: People still are having trouble when I initially demonstrate, although I made a point of showing the position on top. I also made sure to mention blocking the leg by your head to prevent them stepping over (which also leads nicely into the waiter sweep), I could make more of that by showing the pass quickly too.

04/12/2019 - Teaching | Half Guard | Single leg lapel wrap sweep variant finishes

Teaching #921
Artemis BJJ (Easton Road), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 04/12/2019

Faria's single leg sweeps from half guard have some similarities to the Lucas Leite series I taught a while ago. The main difference is that wrapped leg with the lapel, which broadens your options. There's the basic 'grab their far knee and drive', but you can also add in some more wrestling style takedowns. Leading with your head and drive into the hip, this can be particularly useful if they step up a leg and attempt to regain their base.



Similarly, if they try to swivel around to the front, you can tuck your elbow by their knee, turn and drive. Keep hold of that lapel wrap on their leg, that's the key to most of these techniques.

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Teaching Notes: Still getting the hang of these, but the first three feel solid. However, basic point: how does Faria sufficiently control the bottom leg without them swivelling it out? Also something Sam G is great at, I should pick his brain some more. I think it's a downwards hook with the bottom leg, but need to explore that more.

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.