Half Guard + Series

Knee shield, half butterfly, lockdown, deep half, lower leg shift

Knee Shield Basic Position

1. The inside bottom leg foot hooks over the top ankle.

2. Pinch the knees, with top knee just over the midsection. Ensure bottom knee doesn’t get captured

3. Your top hip and shoulder can never hit the ground.

4. No Gi - Double bicep control with elbows close to your body to defend underhooks and knee cut passes

5. Gi controls - Top hand cross collar frame and bottom hand bicep control or sleeve grip

Half Guard Offensive - Deblass Collar Drag Series

Push

power prop up to hand and drive them back. As they drive into you, raise elbow and attack the cross collar choke or loop choke

Pull

1. Grab the pant leg with bottom hand

2. Remove knee shield and hard pull collar to the left hip as you flatten your hips and pull the leg toward your head

3. Roll to right hip and L elbow comes over their leg by the ankle - keep their leg extended

4. Release the pant grip and switch to scoop grip

5. Transition to X or single X

Alternative loop choke - if you can’t get to their leg, scoot out and sit up. As you do keep pulling them down. Raise elbow and shoot other hand over their head and under your elbow.

HG Sweep - Deblass Push to the variation loop choke to the Inside Sweep L

1. With a collar grip Power prop, sit upand drive them back

2. Loop choke

   • As they drive back in use your right hand to underhook the opposite side arm

   • Bring underhook hand over their shoulder and under your Left arm RNC style

   • Drive them right by extending arms and getting on your right hip

3. As they defend the loop choke and move up and to left, keep your grip and use the bottom foot to hook their inside leg and pull it forward as you raise your knee to bring them down to their left side.

4. If they post or settle in go to the Gnarly sweep

   • turn face down to the mat

   • Post your right hand under you and walk your left foot around them to the far side (similar to dogfighting)

HG - Pablo’s Single Leg Sweep

1. Raise top leg of the knee shield into the bicep / armpit of their arm. This is to clear the path for the underhook

2. L arm slides in the gap between your leg and their body

3. Kick your leg out to pendulum your body up.

4. As you come up your Underhook arm goes around the leg, not the body so they can’t whizzer. Grab your right knee with your left hand.

5. Bring your head to their waist, and keep tight so they can’t guillotine

6. Circle to the outside

7. Left foot steps over their leg and pull their back to extend it out

8. Grab their knee with your right hand and far foot with your left.

9. Hip forward to drive forward into them to come on top

HG responses general

1. Bottom Leg Grip - Pull the elbow in

2. Top Hip Grip - Pull to Arm Drag

3. Darce - Knee Lever Sweep

4. Standing Pass -

   • Early - Pull them down to guard

   • Mid - Feet / knees to biceps

   • Late - Kimura

5. Crossface - Kimura

6. Hip Switch - Belly Down to Underhook

7. Knee Cut

   • Early - Tarawa Guard

   • Late - Lower Leg Shift

8. Leg Weave - Extract leg to reverse kimura

9. Underhooked - Trifecta or Lockdown

HG Response - Standing pass (Gi)

1. Put bottom R foot on their hip. L Knee shield stays inserted with the foot keeping them in place.

2. LH grab their lapel and pull them in tight. Square your hips

3. RH grabs the lapel 2 on 1, then release your LH and use it to grab over their shoulder as far as you can to grab material.

4. Pull them down into closed guard

HG response - Standing Pass (No gi)

1. If you can, control the wrist and insert spider guard foot into bicep and square hips

2. If you can’t put foot into the bicep, bring foot across into Scissor guard and catch ankle.

3. Post hand on bicep and recover foot post. If you can post with far side hand, all the better

4. Side guard knee to elbow V, go from hip frame to frame inside bicep

HG response hip switch (Deblass)

1. frame low elbows using hands to frame the hip so they can’t put hip on the ground

2. Left hand lat post and rotate to the left hip as them pushing them across

3. Grab the pant leg and gather their leg up

4. Switch to ashi

HG response hip switch- no gi (Lachlan)

1. Double elbow frames

2. Rotate to side, power prop, then go belly down.

3. Swim to underhook (trap the back of the tricep to avoid kimura).

4. Go knees down like in lower leg shift.

Hip Switch Counter to Octopus Guard back take

1. Left foot hooks the top leg and extract right foot.

2. Left hand is controlling around the back, grabbing their far hip.

3. Right knee slides through behind opponent

4. Rotate into the back control

HG Response Knee Cut - Tarawa Guard

As the knee comes up

1. Post in their knee with the left hand

2. Knees move toward the sky

3. Grab their pant leg with right hand

4. If they stand go to x guard, if not insert shin to shin guard

Half Guard Response Gi - Knee covering Knee (Deblass)

1. Left hand collar control. Power prop, up to hand post

2. Come up to your knee

3. push their head away to right

4. Left hand grabs lapel

5. Pull guard to cross collar choke

HG Response Top Hand control - Gordon Arm Drag

2 on 1 control wrist and elbow drag across to back take. If the Arm Drag Fails you attempt the knee lever sweep.

1. Keep wrist control pulling their arm across you

2. Bring both feet to outside and pull back by opponent’s knee.

3. Point knees to the sky

4. Rotate them over

HG Responses - Leg Weave Leg Lasso

Opponent weaves inside top leg and posts on the bottom leg to control it and crush with their shoulder

1. Grab their hand with 2 on 1. Raise your knee and turn the hand to the outside.

2. Switch to leg lasso series with left hand switch to sleeve grip and top leg shoot through behind armpit.

HG Response Bottom Leg Grip - Kimura

1. When they grab the bottom leg or wrist, grab their wrist then pull their tricep down.

2. Shoot arm over and grab your wrist. It’s most important to keep their shoulder pinned down. If they posture or hip switch they can counter kimura.

HG Response Crossface - Kimura

Early - inside arm control

Late - From the crossfaced position slide bottom arm inside and spider walk fingers to forehead for the smh grip. Rotate palm out and throw other arm over for Kimura.

HG Kimura Responses

Response - they grab under their leg or body but do not have a supported hand grip

1. Insert your knee shield and Kip out the arm.

2. If that doesn’t work it often creates space to power kimura.

   • Extract bottom leg and post on the hip.

   • Take top leg shin inside their face to frame away.

   • Slide leg across back and step to far side hip. Push off hip to extract the bottom leg.

   • Flare your knees and do a Kipping leg extension

   Response - If they confirm the grip, roll out to a T kimura by keeping the grip and swinging legs in a pendelum to the other side.

HG ¾ Mount Response - Butterfly RDLR

1. Flare knee out and slide leg under to half guard

2. They defend by pushing down your knee and sliding over

3. Bridge left with your right elbow frame to recover right knee

4. Rotate to RDLR

HG ¾ Mount Response - Deep Half Guard

1. Right knee bump forward and reach the right hand through elbow deep.

2. The left elbow frame is wedge blocking them from stepping over into mount.

3. Right knee reinforces the arm and bumps again to raise them over the shoulder. Rotate into deep half

HG Response Flattened - Trifecta

They cannot defend all 3 options

1. Hip out and recover the knee shield

2. Hip out and insert the butterfly hook. Use this with a knee bump and shoulder posts to raise them and insert the other butterfly hook.

3. Use the lockdown to extend their leg out and insert your butterfly hook

Lockdown Stage 1 - Entry & Hip Roll

1. Strong overhook - grab the belt or lat, pinch elbows in

2. Both Feet step over their foot to be on the inside

3. Right foot comes over your left foot and under their foot

4. Extend out at a 45 and raise their foot to put a bend in the knee

5. C Post in their far Lat

6. Rotate your knees to the outside and scoot yourself out from under them to roll them to your left.

Lockdown Stage 2 - Post Response

When you attempt the knee lever sweep and they manage to post out with their right hand

1. C post on their tricep and push their arm up

2. Pull your head down and your knees up

3. Pop your head over their shoulder looking into their back and grab the lapel or lat on the far side

4. Take the back or do a head and arm choke

5. If they defend the back take by driving into you, do a whip down and get the Underhook. Put your head under their chin and use a right hand bicep tie on far arm.

Lockdown Stage 3A - the Electric Chair

From the Underhook position with head under their chin, and far side bicep control.

1. The Cradle - To start, pull knees up to elevate them and shoot your head low to their waist level. Scoop Grip the far leg deep. You should be on your right side, not flat on your back.

2. From the cradle, to get to the electric chair,

   • (optional) Left hand swims inside to frame against their hip, and to frame out against their tricep to extend them away on the whip down.

   • Whip Down - pull knees in to elevate them and roll from right to left side, kicking out legs as you reach your left side.

   • As you bring them up for the whip down, raise your right hand straight out to put their leg on your shoulder, then pinch your head over their leg. As you bring them down, your right hand reaches over their leg and grabs the inside knee pit,

Attacks from the Electric Chair

1. Hip Corkscrew. - Gable grip your hands and use your forearm to pull their knee down to the mat.

2. Basic Sweep - Keeping the electric chair, roll them to their back.

   • Side Control - You can pass to side control by letting left foot pin their foot on top, then stepping out with right foot.

   • Half Back Control - A better option is to put forward stack pressure, then let the leg slide left to half back control

   • Roll to Back Control - This seems fancy but it’s pretty easy. Let go of their leg with your right hand and put your right shoulder on the mat on the left side, looking toward the feet, and do a roll into back control

3. Roll back - If they are posting with both hands and sitting back, rotate your hips to your right and roll them on their back.

4. Toe hold - Switch grip so left arm wraps over, and right hand grabs the foot. Release lockdown and put right foot over their leg to post on their hip. Left leg pulls in so knee comes to your right foot. Pull their heel up to your chin. Slight bend in your waist to bend their leg.

5. Heel hook - Let go with your right foot, but use your left foot to extend their leg away. Do not remove this foot during the heel hook process because it extends out their base leg and increases damage. Right foot steps on their hip to extend them away. Attack the heel hook.

Lockdown Stage 3B - Dogfighting

If they are sitting heavy and away to defend the electric chair, come up to dogfighting position.

1. Use your left foot to pull their foot back toward their butt and extract your right foot.

2. Power prop up and come up to your base, like a lower leg shift extraction.

3. Switch your underhook to around the leg if possible to deny the Whizzer

4. Step up with the right foot.

Lockdown Left Side Attacks

1. To sit up to attack the left, from the underhook position, bring your right hand to swim under them and post on their lat, with a high elbow frame.

2. Bring knees up and both hands push them to your right side.

3. As you sit up, bring your right arm across their back and grab their far lat. Keep your tricep over their shoulder so they can’t reach back and grab your head.

4. You can now come up to the back control

   Calf Slicer - Release your right foot and use both hands to grab their foot and pull it back.

½ Butterfly Suma Gaeshi

Step 1 - Get the Underhook

1. Knee pinch & elevate their leg.

2. Create Knee Elbow Connection.

3. Be above their shoulder

Step 2 - Suma Gaeshi

1. Power Prop up, ready to catch the crossface.

2. Drive their head past their elbow

3. Extract bottom foot so you can drive

½ Butterfly Response - Far Hand Post

1. C Post & push them to the right

2. Right hand inside lat post

3. Grab the knee and pull to Ashi Garami

   Switch Legs Option - If they go knee to the Ground (3/4 mount)

   • Left inside elbow and a right hand cross post.

½ Butterfly Response - They Drive Into You

Push them past you to the left

1. C post the far armpit

1. Right knee bumps them forward

2. Rotate to your left side and push them across

3. Enter Ashi Garami on the far side leg.

½ Butterfly Response -Bottom Underhook

1. Overhook and bicep tie

2. Leg Extension to sitting up

3. Slide right hand down to wrist control.

4. Pull the wrist close to your body then punch it into them for overhook reverse kimura

½ Butterfly - Kimura Entry

1. From collar tie and bicep control.

2. Push them over with Suma Gaeshi threat so they post and recenter the head. Keep bicep control and guide their head through (like a guillotine)

3. Reach arm over to the pseudo kimura (wrists together) then drop hand to wrist control

4. Bring left shin to inside of their head for power kimura transition

Deep Half Guard Entry to Waiter Sweep

1. Attempt scoop grip on far leg, they sprawl back, switch to near side leg scoop grip (often best done from a failed electric chair in lockdown)

2. Left hand grabs their ankle (under your leg) to hide it from Kimura threat

3. Bump hips up and get leg over theirs to rotate to waiter sweep

4. Hide left hand by scooping under their foot before you sweep

Deep Half Guard to Ashi Garami

Similar to waiter sweep.

1. Inside foot butterfly scoop.

2. As you raise their foot, shoot your shin under their knee

3. Use scoop grip hand and pull it inside then post on their far hip as you rotate to Ashi

Deep Half Guard Entry from Single Leg Sweep

1. Grab the bottom tail of the lapel with your right hand

2. Shoot in to do the single leg sweep and feed the lapel to your outside hand through their leg.

3. When they drive you back shoot your arm into a scoop grip and roll them left

4. As they defend, roll right to come up to the single leg.

5. Go back and forth until you end up in the deep half or complete the single leg sweep

Deep Half Guard - Faria Sweep

1. Use scoop grip inside hand to feed lapel tail to your hidden hand (under their leg). Pull tight then return your scoop arm to around their leg.

2. Open up your feet and bridge toward their back hip so you roll onto them.

Deep Half Guard - Back Take

1. Keep your inside leg over their leg and extract your outside leg.

2. Insert a butterfly hook under their foot

3. Kick them up and away as you pop your head out the back.

4. Hold onto their hips or belt and pull your chest over their hips. You may need to drive into their knee to keep it pinned to the mat when you first kick them off to come up to the back.

Lower Leg Shift Entry and Basics

Lower Leg Shift Rotation Sweep

1. Keep their leg bent

2. Walk feet around to rotate in a tight circle

3. Roll them to their back

Lower Leg Shift to Dogfighting position

1. Use top foot and pull their foot to your butt.

2. Extract bottom leg.

   New Dogfighting options

   • Drive to far side - Slide inside knee forward and block the knee

   • Whizzer Roll (scoop grip) and back take if they post

Lower Leg Shift Response - ¾ Mount

1. When knee gets to about your centerline, elongate the leg

2. Scoop Grip and connect your hands

3. Top hip needs to remain higher than the bottom hip

4. Knee bar (Same as if it’s an over under pass).

Lower Leg Shift Response - Backstep

1. Get to the outside

   • Elbow moves inside their knee

   • Raise the left knee high

   • Underhook comes to the near side hip

2. Bump them forward

Reverse Kimura Attacks

1. Back Take - Use the grip to pin their arm to the mat and scoot hips up to your base. Grab the far side lat or lapel and pull them back into your lap.

2. They drive In - Shoot hips under them and do the john wayne sweep.  

3. They try to step over the leg - bring legs to the outside and roll from your right to left shoulder to roll them on their back.

4. They settle back - Put your put feet on the hips to extend them out, then come up to headlock. 

5. Baratoplata - Scoot hips out to the side and knee pinch. Bring bottom foot over the back of their head. Bring inside leg to thigh and put outside foot on their hip as you rotate into them.