The backstep pass is a dynamic guard pass used to counter the De La Riva hook by redirecting your hips and stepping over the hook, often leading to side control or a back take. It exploits the open hip angle of the DLR guard and neutralizes the opponent's hooks with precise leg and upper body positioning. This pass is essential for dealing with flexible, modern open guard players.
Start
Caught in DLR hook
End
Side control or back take
Prerequisites: Breaking De La Riva grips · Posting with a cross-face · Stapling the opponent's far leg · Maintaining strong base against hooks
Steps
1
Control the far sleeve or pant leg
With your near-side hand, grip the opponent's far sleeve (gi) or wrist/ankle (no-gi), and with your far-side hand, control their near-side pant leg or shin to limit their hip mobility.
2
Square your hips and clear the DLR hook
Rotate your hips slightly away from the DLR hook while pinning their shin to the mat using your hand, keeping your weight centered and your posted foot heavy to avoid being off-balanced.
3
Step your free leg back and over
With your non-DLR leg, take a large backstep over the opponent's body at a 45° angle, aiming to land your knee near their far hip, while keeping your hips low and chest facing their legs.
4
Drop your hips to pin their thigh
As your leg lands, drop your hips heavily onto their near-side thigh, using your shin to staple their bottom leg and prevent them from re-guarding.
5
Establish a cross-face and underhook
Immediately drive your cross-face arm deep under their head and secure an underhook on their far-side arm, pulling their shoulders off the mat and flattening them.
6
Switch your base to face their head
Rotate your hips so your chest is now facing their head, switching your base while maintaining pressure with your cross-face and underhook.
7
Settle into side control or initiate back take
If the opponent turns away to escape, follow with your chest and insert your hooks for the back take; otherwise, solidify side control by walking your hips back and controlling their far hip.
Key details most people miss
The backstep must be wide and committed, not shallow, to clear the DLR hook entirely.
Pinning the opponent's shin or thigh with your hand or shin prevents them from following your hips and re-guarding.
The cross-face should be established immediately after landing to prevent the opponent from turning back in or turtling.
Keeping your hips low during the backstep denies inversion and leg entanglement opportunities.
Common mistakes
If you fail to control the opponent's far leg, they will invert and attack your legs or recover guard.
A shallow backstep allows the DLR hook to remain, enabling sweeps or entanglements.
Neglecting the cross-face lets the opponent turn into you and recover guard or set up frames.
If your hips are too high during the step, you expose yourself to leg attacks or get off-balanced.
Counters & responses
They try: Opponent inverts as you backstep
You do: Drop your hips and staple their bottom thigh with your shin, then sprawl your legs back to deny inversion and transition to a leg drag.
They try: Opponent frames against your torso to create space
You do: Swim your underhooking arm deep and drive your shoulder pressure through their frame, collapsing their elbow to their ribs.
They try: Opponent re-hooks your stepping leg with their far leg
You do: Circle your stepping foot wide and windshield-wiper your knee to the mat, breaking the hook before settling.
They try: Opponent grabs your ankle for a sweep as you step
You do: Kick your ankle free with a sharp motion and immediately post your hand for base, then proceed to pin their legs.
Drill prescription
6 rounds × 2 minutes per partner; 50% resistance; passer must achieve either side control or back exposure at least 3 times per round to count as successful.
How the masters teach it
Lucas Lepri
Emphasizes heavy shin pinning and immediate cross-face to prevent inversion and re-guard.
BJJ Fanatics
Leandro Lo
Uses dynamic backstep motion and grip switching to chain directly into back takes.