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K-Pass (Standing Knee-Cut)

PassStanding passBelt: blue+Risk: moderateIBJJFADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The K-Pass is a standing knee-cut guard pass that uses a staggered stance and a 'K' shaped leg configuration to slice through open guard. It is highly effective against modern guards, allowing for strong top pressure and easy transition to side control while minimizing exposure to leg entanglements.

Start
Standing vs open guard
End
Side control
Prerequisites: Standing posture in open guard · Controlling opponent's shin · Posting for base · Hip switching movement

Steps

  1. 1
    Establish Standing Base and Distance
    From standing, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and maintain a staggered stance with your lead foot slightly outside your opponent’s hips. Keep your posture upright, hips back, and hands ready to grip.
  2. 2
    Control Opponent’s Near-Side Shin
    With your lead hand, C-grip the opponent’s near-side shin just above the ankle, pinning it to the mat to prevent guard retention. Your rear hand posts on their far-side knee or hip for distance management.
  3. 3
    Step Out and Angle Your Lead Knee
    Step your lead foot to the outside of their pinned shin, turning your knee inward at a 45° angle so your thigh points across their body. Your lead knee should point toward their far shoulder, forming the 'K' shape.
  4. 4
    Slide Knee Across While Dropping Hips
    Drive your lead knee across their thigh toward the mat, keeping your hips low and chest heavy. Maintain downward pressure on their shin with your grip as you slide.
  5. 5
    Clear Opponent’s Far Leg
    As your knee cuts, windshield-wiper your trailing foot back and away to avoid entanglement. Use your rear hand to push their far knee or hip, keeping their legs split.
  6. 6
    Establish Underhook or Cross-Face
    As you pass, release the shin grip and immediately establish an underhook on their far arm or a cross-face with your near-side arm. Keep your head low and tight to their chest.
  7. 7
    Settle into Side Control
    Slide your hips to the mat, flattening your opponent. Secure side control by sprawling your legs back, controlling their near hip with your knee, and solidifying your grips.

Key details most people miss

  • The lead knee must angle inward at 45°, not straight forward, to prevent the opponent from inserting a knee shield or recovering guard.
  • Pinning the near-side shin to the mat with a C-grip is critical—if you lose this grip, the opponent can invert or recover guard.
  • Windshield-wipering the trailing foot prevents leg entanglements and exposes fewer entries to ashi-garami.
  • Transitioning immediately to an underhook or cross-face denies opponent frames and stops late guard recovery.

Common mistakes

  • If you step your lead foot too close to the opponent’s hips, they can underhook your leg and enter single-leg X or X-guard.
  • Failing to pin the near-side shin allows the opponent to invert or shoot a knee shield, blocking your pass.
  • Dropping your chest too early before clearing the far leg gives the opponent a chance to frame and recover guard.
  • Not windshield-wipering the trailing foot exposes you to leg entanglements or triangle attempts.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent frames hard on your chest with their far arm
You do: Switch to a cross-face grip, drive your shoulder into their jaw, and angle your hips lower to collapse the frame.
They try: Opponent inverts under your lead knee
You do: Maintain the shin pin, sprawl your hips back, and circle your knee wide to disengage and re-enter the pass.
They try: Opponent attempts to underhook your lead leg for single-leg X
You do: Turn your knee inward, staple their thigh with your shin, and use your free hand to peel their grip before continuing the pass.
They try: Opponent frames with their far knee (knee shield)
You do: Redirect your lead knee slightly higher, staple their bottom leg, and use your rear hand to clear the knee shield before resuming the pass.

Drill prescription

6 rounds × 2 minutes, alternating partners; passer uses 60% resistance, guard player attempts realistic frames and entanglements; goal: 4 successful passes per round with clean side control stabilization (3-second pin).

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
Lucas Lepri — Emphasizes relentless shin pin and knee angle, using precise hip switching to shut down modern open guards.Leandro Lo — Favors explosive entry and lateral movement, often combining the K-Pass with quick backsteps for chaining passes.John Danaher — Focuses on leg entanglement prevention, teaching detailed footwork and grip sequences to avoid ashi-garami.Andre Galvao — Integrates strong cross-face and underhook transitions to immediately convert the pass into dominant side control pressure.
#standing-pass#knee-cut#open-guard#side-control-entry#no-gi#gi#leg-entanglement-defense#pressure-passing#tall-athletes#competition