Knee Slide Pass

The Knee Slide Pass, also known as the "Knee Slice Pass," is a versatile Guard Pass commonly used against Half Guard, Z Guard, and Open Guard setups. It focuses on slicing your lead knee through the opponent's Guard while maintaining Pressure and Connections to neutralize their defenses and advance to Side Control or another dominant position.

Key Goals of the Knee Slide Pass

Control the Opponent’s Upper Body

  • Use a Crossface or Underhook to pin their shoulders and head, preventing guard recovery or counters.

Clear the Legs

  • Slice your lead knee past their guard while immobilizing their hips and legs.

Establish a Dominant Position

  • Transition seamlessly into Side Control or other strong positions once the guard is passed.

Steps for the Knee Slide Pass

Establish Proper Grips

  • Use a same-side Crossface grip (e.g., grip the opponent’s collar or shoulder) to control their upper body.
  • With your other arm, secure an Underhook on their far-side arm, pinning it to the mat or wrapping around their torso.

Control the Hips

  • Position your hips low and engage your core to prevent the opponent from creating space or elevating you.
  • Use your trailing hand to block their bottom leg or knee, stopping their guard retention.

Position Your Lead Knee

  • Place your lead knee on their thigh or hip line, aligning it to slice across their body.
  • Your foot on the lead leg should be active and pointing outward to prevent entanglement in their guard.

Slice the Knee

  • Drive your lead knee across their body while shifting your weight forward and down.
  • Keep your hips heavy and low to flatten their frame and prevent mobility.

Clear the Legs

  • Use your trailing foot to kick back and free it from any hooks or grips as your knee passes their guard.

Establish Side Control

Key Concepts for Success

Upper Body Dominance

  • The Crossface and Underhook are critical for flattening the opponent and stopping their guard recovery.

Pressure Application

  • Maintain heavy hips and drive your weight into the opponent to immobilize them during the pass.

Leg Clearing

  • Ensure your lead leg clears their hip line fully before transitioning to Side Control.

Variations of the Knee Slide Pass

Collar-Grip Variation

No-Gi Variation

Low Knee Slide

  • Stay close to the mat, using maximum pressure to flatten the opponent.

Common Mistakes

Lack of Upper Body Control

  • Failing to secure a Crossface or Underhook allows the opponent to create space or counter with sweeps.

Driving Too High

  • If your hips are too high, the opponent can shrimp or recover Guard.

Ignoring the Bottom Leg

  • If you don’t control their bottom leg, they can entangle your foot and prevent the pass.

Strategy

Tip

Focus on maintaining tight Pressure throughout the pass, and adjust your knee’s path based on the opponent’s resistance. The Knee Slide is an adaptable pass that works against various guards when executed with precision!

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