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Reverse Leg-Drag Pass

PassOpen-guard passBelt: blue+Risk: moderateIBJJFADCCNo-GiSub-OnlyMMA

The Reverse Leg-Drag Pass is a dynamic open-guard pass used primarily against the De La Riva (DLR) or reverse DLR guard. By redirecting the opponent’s top leg across their body in the opposite direction of a traditional leg drag, you nullify their hooks and expose a direct route to side control. This pass is especially effective for countering inversion-based guard players and preventing the re-guard.

Start
Caught in a DLR / reverse DLR guard
End
Side control
Prerequisites: Breaking DLR grip · Stapling opponent's leg · Posting for base · Cross-face control

Steps

  1. 1
    Clear the DLR/Reverse DLR Hook
    Use your free hand to C-grip the opponent's shin or ankle, while your other hand posts on their far knee or hip to prevent inversion. Keep your hips low and weight centered to avoid being off-balanced.
  2. 2
    Step Back and Angle Your Hips
    With their hook controlled, step your inside leg back to create a 45° angle from their hips, loading their top leg across your thigh. Maintain a heavy hip to prevent their knee from following your movement.
  3. 3
    Switch Grips and Initiate the Reverse Drag
    Switch your shin/ankle grip to a two-on-one (both hands on their shin or ankle), then pull their top leg across their body toward the far side, aiming to staple their thigh to the mat.
  4. 4
    Pin the Far Leg and Drop Your Knee
    As the leg is dragged, use your outside knee to pin their thigh to the mat, keeping your knee pointed toward their far shoulder. Your inside foot posts wide for base.
  5. 5
    Establish a Cross-Face and Underhook
    Immediately shoot your near-side arm for a deep cross-face, turning their head away, while your far hand swims for an underhook on their far arm or lat.
  6. 6
    Settle Your Hips and Clear Their Bottom Leg
    Slide your hips down and toward their chest, using your underhook to lift their far shoulder. Use your posted foot to windshield-wiper and clear their bottom leg from entangling your ankle.
  7. 7
    Secure Side Control
    Once their hips are pinned and both legs are clear, settle into traditional side control with chest-to-chest pressure, knees wide, and head low near their jawline.

Key details most people miss

  • Drag the opponent’s leg across at hip level, not just the knee, to prevent them from re-guarding with a lasso or triangle setup.
  • Use your outside knee as a wedge to pin their thigh, not just as a point of contact—this immobilizes their hips.
  • Initiate the cross-face before fully settling your hips; this prevents them from turning in or framing with their near-side arm.
  • Keep your inside foot posted and active throughout to maintain base against any bridging or inversion attempts.

Common mistakes

  • If you drag only the opponent’s knee and not the entire thigh, they can invert and recover guard.
  • Failing to pin their far thigh with your knee allows them to shrimp and recover their guard.
  • Neglecting the cross-face lets them frame on your shoulder and create space to escape.
  • Allowing your hips to rise during the drag exposes you to leg entanglements or sweeps.

Counters & responses

They try: Opponent inverts as you drag the leg
You do: Keep your posted hand heavy on their far hip and sprawl your hips back to block the inversion, then re-attack the drag.
They try: Opponent frames hard against your cross-face
You do: Switch to a near-side underhook and redirect your pressure to flatten their shoulders before re-establishing the cross-face.
They try: Opponent attempts to triangle your arm during the drag
You do: Keep your elbow tight to your knee and angle your body away from their hips as you drag, preventing the triangle window.
They try: Opponent hooks your far leg with their bottom leg
You do: Windshield-wiper your trapped foot back and away while maintaining hip pressure to clear the hook before settling.

Drill prescription

6 rounds × 2 minutes; partner plays active DLR/reverse DLR with 50% resistance; passer must complete 4 clean passes per round (full side control, both legs cleared, cross-face secured).

How the masters teach it

Videos are still being curated for this technique. AI suggests these instructors:
Lucas Lepri — Emphasizes hip mobility and knee pinning for tight, pressure-based reverse leg-drag passes in both gi and no-gi.Leandro Lo — Known for dynamic passing, Lo often uses the reverse leg-drag to counter inverted guard players and transition rapidly to side control.Mikey Musumeci — Applies the reverse leg-drag with precise shin and ankle control, particularly effective in no-gi and against flexible opponents.John Danaher — Focuses on grip sequencing and leg immobilization to prevent re-guarding, integrating the reverse leg-drag into systematic open-guard passing.
#open-guard#passing#side-control#dlr#reverse-dlr#no-gi#gi#anti-inversion#pressure-passing#dynamic