Over-Under Pass

The Over-Under Pass is a powerful and reliable Guard Pass that utilizes tight Pressure and Weight Distribution to neutralize your opponent’s guard. It is especially effective against Open Guard and Half Guard players. The pass involves threading one arm under the opponent’s leg and the other arm over their opposite leg or hip, allowing you to control their lower body while methodically working to pass their legs.

Key Goals of the Over-Under Pass

Control the Opponent’s Legs

Apply Pressure

  • Use your chest, shoulders, and hips to pin their legs and immobilize their hips.

Transition to a Dominant Position

  • Pass their legs to establish Side Control or another dominant position.

Steps for the Over-Under Pass

Engage the Guard

  • From a low stance, control the opponent’s legs by gripping their thighs, knees, or pants to prevent them from framing or elevating you.
  • Stay low and close to deny them space to attack or retain their guard.

Thread Your Arms

  • Slide one arm under their far-side leg, ensuring your hand grips their hip or thigh to anchor yourself.
  • Place your other arm over their near-side leg or hip to prevent them from recovering their guard.

Stack and Flatten

  • Drive your shoulder and chest into their thigh while keeping their hips and legs elevated.
  • Use your weight to pin their legs and hips, minimizing their ability to move.

Walk Around the Guard

  • Shift your hips to the side, walking your body around their guard while maintaining tight pressure.
  • Use your free hand to control their far-side leg, ensuring it doesn’t interfere with your pass.

Clear the Legs

  • Once you’ve circled past their hips, move your chest over their body and drop your hips low to secure Side Control or another dominant position.

Key Concepts for Success

Tight Connections

  • Stay glued to your opponent’s body to deny them space for movement or recovery.

Pressure

Patience

  • The Over-Under Pass is methodical. Rushing can create opportunities for the opponent to counter.

Variations of the Over-Under Pass

High Pressure Variation

  • Focus on stacking their legs and hips high into their chest, making it difficult for them to counter.

Low Pressure Variation

  • Stay lower to the ground and work your way around their guard slowly, prioritizing control over speed.

Transition to the Back

  • If the opponent turns away to escape, use the Over-Under position to transition to Back Control.

Common Mistakes

Lifting Your Hips

  • Allowing your hips to rise creates space for the opponent to recover their guard or counter with sweeps.

Weak Control of the Legs

  • Failing to properly isolate and pin the legs allows the opponent to regain mobility.

Ignoring the Upper Body

  • Without controlling their upper body or head, the opponent can frame or create angles to escape.

Strategy

  • The Over-Under Pass is especially effective against flexible or highly mobile guard players because it isolates their hips and legs.
  • Combine it with other pressure-based passes, like the Smash Pass, to develop a complete passing game.
Tip

The Over-Under Pass works best when paired with strong Grip Fighting and tight positional control. Practice maintaining Pressure and adjusting angles to deal with various guard recovery attempts!

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