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Over-Under Pass

PassClosed pressure passBelt: white+Risk: lowIBJJFADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The Over-Under Pass is a staple pressure passing technique used to bypass open guards by controlling one leg over your shoulder and the other under your armpit. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to neutralize the opponent’s hip mobility and create relentless forward pressure, making it a high-percentage pass at all levels.

Start
Standing vs open guard
End
Side control
Prerequisites: Posture breaking from standing · Hip switch mechanics · Cross-face control · Leg pummeling · Base maintenance under pressure

Steps

  1. 1
    Initiate Over-Under Entry
    From standing, step in with your lead knee between their legs while controlling their ankles with both hands. Drop your level and bring your chest close to their shins.
  2. 2
    Establish Over-Under Grips
    Thread your right arm under their left thigh, palm facing up, and your left arm over their right thigh, gripping their far hip or belt with your left hand (gi) or cupping the hip (no-gi).
  3. 3
    Head and Shoulder Placement
    Drive your head deep to the same side as your underhook, pressing your forehead into their lower ribs or hip. Your right shoulder pins their left thigh to the mat.
  4. 4
    Anchor and Flatten
    Step your right knee under their tailbone and sprawl your left leg back at a 45° angle, keeping your hips low and chest heavy to flatten their hips.
  5. 5
    Trap the Far Leg
    Use your left arm (overhook side) to clamp their right thigh tightly to your body, preventing them from reguarding or creating space.
  6. 6
    Walk Around the Legs
    Begin to walk your body to your left (overhook side), using your head and shoulder pressure to staple their hips while sliding your right knee further under their tailbone.
  7. 7
    Free the Underhooked Leg
    As you walk around, use your right arm to elevate their left thigh and windshield-wiper your right leg out, clearing their knee line.
  8. 8
    Establish Side Control
    Once past their knees, drop your chest across their torso, switch to a cross-face with your left arm, and settle into side control with a wide base and hips low.

Key details most people miss

  • Your head must stay glued to their hip or lower ribs on the underhook side to prevent their ability to invert or shrimp.
  • The overhook arm should grip deep on the hip, not just the thigh, to maximize control and limit their ability to recompose guard.
  • Angle your sprawl leg (overhook side) far back and out to avoid being rolled or having your base compromised.
  • Keep your chest and shoulder pressure constant throughout; any lightening of pressure allows them to insert hooks or frames.
  • As you clear the underhooked leg, use your knee as a wedge rather than dragging your foot, which prevents entanglements.

Common mistakes

  • If you allow your head to drift away from their hip, they can invert and attack your exposed arm or recover guard.
  • Failing to grip the far hip (settling for the thigh) allows them to turn into you and create space for frames.
  • If your sprawl is too shallow, they can roll you over or set up a triangle with the overhooked leg.
  • Letting your chest rise during the walkaround phase gives them room to pummel their knee shield back in.
  • Trying to pass too quickly without flattening their hips lets them use momentum to scramble or recover guard.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent frames on your shoulder and hip with stiff arms
You do: Drop your weight lower, walk your hips back to break the frames, then re-engage your head pressure and resume the pass.
They try: Opponent attempts to invert on the underhook side
You do: Drive your head deeper into their hip, flatten their thigh with your shoulder, and sprawl your overhook-side leg wider to kill inversion.
They try: Opponent locks a triangle with the overhooked leg
You do: Keep your elbow tight to their hip, posture up slightly, and backstep your overhook-side leg to disengage the triangle threat.
They try: Opponent shrimping away to recover guard
You do: Follow their hips closely, maintain your head and shoulder pressure, and use your underhook arm to lift and redirect their escaping leg.
They try: Opponent grabs your ankle to set up a sweep
You do: Kick your ankle free while keeping your base wide, then re-anchor your knee under their tailbone before continuing the pass.

Drill prescription

6 rounds × 2 minutes each; partner provides 50% active guard resistance. Goal: 5 clean passes per round without losing chest/shoulder contact or allowing inversion.

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
Bernardo Faria — Emphasizes relentless forward pressure and deep head positioning, making the pass nearly impossible to invert against.Lucas Lepri — Focuses on precision grip placement and seamless transition to side control, especially in no-gi contexts.Leandro Lo — Utilizes dynamic leg pummeling and quick angle changes to combine the Over-Under with other pressure passes.Saulo Ribeiro — Highlights the importance of base and hip movement to avoid sweeps while maintaining heavy top pressure.
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