The Half-Guard Underhook Pummel Pass is a pressure-based pass from top half guard, using an underhook to flatten and control the bottom player. By pummeling for the underhook and systematically freeing the trapped leg, you transition to dominant side control. Mastery of this pass is crucial for shutting down half guard specialists and maintaining top progression.
Start
Top half guard, pummeling for underhook
End
Side control
Prerequisites: Cross-face control · Establishing an underhook · Tripod base in half guard · Leg windshield wiper motion
Steps
1
Establish the Underhook
From top half guard, pummel your far arm under your opponent’s top arm, aiming to get your elbow deep past their torso and grip their lat or far shoulder. Keep your head close to their head, looking toward their far hip.
2
Secure the Cross-Face
With your near arm, thread across their face and grip behind their far shoulder or neck, applying chest-heavy pressure to flatten their upper body.
3
Tripod Base and Knee Position
Post your outside foot wide and drive your hips low, with your trapped knee pointing toward their hip. Your inside knee should wedge under their bottom leg, creating a stable tripod base.
4
Win the Head Position
Drop your head below theirs, pressing your forehead into the mat or their jawline, ensuring your head is lower and more central than theirs.
5
Free the Trapped Knee
Walk your trapped foot closer to your hips and windshield wiper your knee to the mat, aiming to slide your knee past their thigh while maintaining underhook and cross-face pressure.
6
Kick Out the Leg
Once your knee is free, switch your hips slightly toward their legs and kick your foot backward, using your free leg as a post to clear their half guard.
7
Settle into Side Control
Immediately sprawl your hips flat, maintain the underhook, and switch your cross-face arm to an under-head grip. Adjust your base to chest-to-chest, knees wide, and stabilize side control.
Key details most people miss
Drive your underhooking elbow deep past their torso, not just shallow at the waist, to prevent their re-pummel.
Keep your head lower than theirs at all times to block their ability to get an underhook or initiate sweeps.
Use your cross-face to turn their chin away, which weakens their bridging and frames.
Windshield wiper your knee while maintaining downward chest pressure, not lifting your weight, to avoid giving them space.
Time your leg kickout as you feel their bottom knee line open—don’t rush or you’ll get re-trapped.
Common mistakes
If you allow your underhook to be shallow, opponent can re-pummel and come up on a single leg.
If you lift your chest while freeing your knee, opponent will insert a knee shield or recover guard.
If your head is too high, opponent can frame on your neck and create space to escape.
If you try to kick your leg free before your knee is past their thigh, you’ll get stuck in quarter guard.
If your outside foot is too close, opponent can trap it and sweep you with a deep half entry.
Counters & responses
They try: Opponent pummels in for their own underhook
You do: Switch to a cross-face and sprawl, then re-pummel for your underhook or switch to a cross-face smash pass.
They try: Opponent frames on your neck to create space
You do: Circle your cross-face arm inside their frame, re-establish deep cross-face, and drop your head lower to break their posture.
They try: Opponent traps your ankle in quarter guard as you pass
You do: Switch your hips toward their legs and use your free foot to pry their ankles apart, then kick your trapped leg free.
They try: Opponent bridges explosively as you free your knee
You do: Widen your base, drop your hips, and use your underhook to post and stabilize until their bridge subsides.
Drill prescription
6 rounds × 2 min; 50% resistance; goal: 4 clean passes per round, starting from locked half guard with partner actively pummeling and framing.
How the masters teach it
Bernardo Faria
Focuses on heavy cross-face and tripod base, using patience and incremental knee movement to pass.