Knee Cut

The Knee Cut (or "Knee Slice") is one of the most versatile and effective Guard Pass Overview in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It involves slicing your knee through your opponent’s Guard to clear their legs and establish a dominant position like Side Control. The Knee Cut is a combination of Pressure, Angles, and precise Hip Movement to overcome the opponent's defensive Frames and hip mobility.

Key Goals of the Knee Cut

Control the Opponent’s Upper Body

  • Prevent their ability to create space or recover guard by neutralizing their head, shoulders, and grips.

Pin Their Hips and Legs

Clear the Guard

  • Slice your knee through their guard and establish control past their legs.

Steps for the Knee Cut Pass

Establish Proper Posture

  • Begin in a combat stance with your posture strong and balanced.
  • Grip their far-side collar or shoulder with your lead hand for control.
  • Use your trailing hand to pin their far-side knee or shin, preventing guard recovery.

Create an Angle

  • Step your lead leg diagonally to the side of their body, aiming to align your knee with their hip line.
  • Keep your hips low to maintain tight Connections.

Engage Upper Body Control

  • Secure a Crossface with your lead arm, driving your shoulder into their face to pin them flat.
  • Establish an Underhook with your other arm to control their far-side arm and shoulder.

Slice the Knee

  • Drive your lead knee forward and downward across their body, aiming to clear it past their hip.
  • Flatten their legs with your trailing foot, ensuring they can't hook or retain guard.

Complete the Pass

  • Once your knee is free, slide your trailing leg over their body to establish Side Control.
  • Consolidate the position by maintaining pressure and adjusting your grips.

Key Concepts for Success

Upper Body Dominance

  • The Crossface and Underhook are critical for pinning their upper body. Without this, the opponent can create space to counter or recover guard.

Pressure

  • Drive your weight through your hips and shoulder, applying consistent pressure to immobilize their movement.

Leg Clearance

  • Ensure your knee clears their hip line fully before transitioning, as incomplete leg clearance can result in a scramble.

Variations of the Knee Cut

Collar-Grip Knee Cut

No-Gi Knee Cut

  • Focus on Underhooks and shoulder pressure, as there’s no gi for grips.

Dynamic Knee Cut

  • Add a speed element by aggressively slicing through while using momentum to bypass Frames.

Common Mistakes

Ignoring the Upper Body

Leaning Forward

  • Shifting your weight too far forward leaves you vulnerable to sweeps or counters.

Incomplete Leg Clearance

  • Failing to fully clear your knee past their hip allows them to trap your leg and recover Half Guard.

Strategy

  • Use the Knee Cut to chain into other passes. For example, if your opponent defends by framing your hip, transition into a Toreando or Leg Drag Pass.
  • Combine Grip Fighting with your knee slice to dominate the engagement and disrupt their guard.
Tip

The Knee Cut is most effective when combined with tight Pressure and sharp Angles. Practice it against various guards like Z Guard, Half Guard, and Butterfly Guard to master its versatility!

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