What Is Half Guard and Why It Matters
Half guard is a guard where the bottom player entangles one of the top player’s legs between their own legs. The top player is usually past one knee but not fully past the hips. Because it appears in scrambles, failed passes, and guard pulls, half guard is one of the most frequent positions you’ll meet in both gi and no-gi.
From bottom half guard, your first priorities are posture safety and structure: protect your neck, keep a strong inside frame, and battle for the underhook or maintain distance with a knee shield. From top, the priorities flip: flatten the hips, win head and shoulder position, clear frames, and connect your hips to pin and pass.
Half guard matters because it gives both players clear, high-percentage pathways. Bottom players can sweep, take the back, or transition to deep half or butterfly-half. Top players can apply pressure passing, knee cut sequences, body lock options, and cross-face control on the way to side control or mount.
Half Guard Videos on BJJ University (Top 20 Videos, Top 10 Courses)
Connected Reaction Bundle by Paul Schreiner
$1176.00 • BJJ Fanatics
In this video, Paul Schreiner teaches his revolutionary Pistol Grip System from Half Guard. This gripping system provides a strong platform to launch a variety of attacks including submissions, sweeps and back takes. Schreiner details strategies to use the side control position as a "second guard," as well as high-percentage armlock techniques from top positions. The system also includes ways to take the back, utilizing different configurations of control and a variety of submission techniques.
Down Right Sloppy Jiu Jitsu Bundle by Eoghan O'Flanagan
$427.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video features BJJ instructor Eoghan O'Flanagan teaching his signature heel hook technique from the half butterfly position. The instructional bundle contains four videos, in which O'Flanagan covers a variety of moves such as countering outside passers and lower body attacks, plus guards that are often overlooked. Many fans appreciate his clear and competent teaching style, as well as the effectiveness of his modern BJJ techniques.
Systematically Attacking From Half Guard by Gordon Ryan
$349.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video is a comprehensive guide on how to control and attack from the Half Guard position by Gordon Ryan, an ADCC Absolute Champion. Ryan delves into his preferred Half Guard configurations such as knee shields, half butterfly, and deep half, and explains the techniques, strategies and combinations that he has perfected for no-gi grappling. Moreover, he shows how to effectively pummel and grip in a no-gi context using underhooks, cross shoulder posts and more. The video also includes live rolling footage, broken down in real-time by Ryan, which gives a hands-on demonstration of the system in action.
Systematically Attacking The Guard: Half Guard Passing by Gordon Ryan
$349.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This instructional video features Gordon Ryan, multiple-time ADCC champion, teaching his half guard passing system, specifically how to systematically attack different kinds of half guards like knee shield, butterfly, lockdown, and deep half guard. This system is optimized for all forms of grappling including no-gi, gi, and MMA. Additional footage of Gordon demonstrating these techniques during rolling in the gym is included, which he further analyzes for thorough understanding. This is an in-depth and comprehensive guide to mastering half guard passing.
Bottom Game Bundle by Bernardo Faria
$337.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video features 5-time World Champion Bernardo Faria and focuses on mastering the half guard system. Faria reveals his secrets, including his signature half guard and deep half techniques that can be used by individuals of any skill level against opponents of varying size and speed. He also provides key strategies on how to execute omoplatas, a simple shoulder lock, from different positions. Additionally, Bernardo provides strategies on how to escape from bad positions and return to safety.
Dismantling And Passing The Half Guard: Half Guard Top by Professor Henry Akins
$279.00 • BJJ Fanatics
The video is an instructional guide by Professor Henry Akins, a black belt holder from Rickson Gracie. In the video, Akins shares techniques and strategies to control the half guard top effectively, dismantle the opponent's half guard and pass with precision. The lesson is laid down in a clear, detailed approach, making it suitable for practitioners of all experience levels. He also covers essential principles and concepts that underpin the effective half guard top control.
Half Guard Retention and Sweeps: Half Guard Bottom by Professor Henry Akins
$279.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video features Professor Henry Akins teaching how to effectively retain and dominate from a half-guard bottom position, focusing on sweeps and defensive strategies. Through the application of high-level principles and fundamentals, the viewer learns to improve their ability to control and overcome rivals from half guard. This video is prized by BJJ practitioners seeking to refine their technique and strategies, and play guard with new-found confidence.
Deep Half Revolution Bundle by Jeff Glover
$247.00 • BJJ Fanatics
The video, part of the "Deep Half Revolution Bundle," features Jeff Glover, a world-renowned expert in the deep half guard. He claims that everyone should employ this guard as it can be used to control the pace of a match. Through this instructional, Glover demonstrates techniques to sweep, submit, and attack the back from the deep half guard position, aiming to provide comprehensive training on this effective strategy.
Half Domination Bundle by Tom DeBlass
$247.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video is an instructional tutorial by 3-time ADCC Champion, Tom DeBlass, focusing on using the half guard position for offense. It provides a systematic approach to mastering half guard, offering techniques, sweeps, and submissions that can work on any opponent, regardless of body type. It also discusses how to set up the deep half guard and control your opponent's base and balance. This video is part of a three series bundle aiming to help tie everything together at a new lower price.
The Basics To Advanced Half Guard Bundle by Aaron Benzrihem
$227.00 • BJJ Fanatics
Video teaches about the elements of half guard, specifically focusing on Low Knee Shield and Half Butterfly. Aaron Benzrihem, the instructor, provides 7 hours of sequential training segmented into 12 volumes that works for both Gi and No Gi. He details multiple options for sweeping, submitting, or transitioning when dealing with heavy pressure or explosive guard passers. The program starts with control basics, concepts, movements, mobility, and mechanics before proceeding into the techniques, defenses, and usual encounters in half guard.
Bottom Half Guard: Main Objectives and Control Keys
Primary objective: prevent chest-to-chest flattening while creating an angle to get under your opponent’s hips. Two common templates do this: the knee shield half (distance and frames) and the underhook half (connection and angle).
Knee shield half: place your shin across their torso, inside hand controlling biceps or collar, outside hand managing distance at the shoulder or far wrist. Use this to off-balance, enter knee lever sweeps, come to single-leg, or transition to butterfly hooks.
Underhook half: pummel your inside arm deep to the far lat or hip. Clamp your head low near their ribs, connect your outside leg as a “collecting hook,” and lock your hands to prevent cross-face. From here, classic sweeps like the old school, waiter, and coyote-style knee lever become available.
Deep half guard: rotate underneath their center, hugging the trapped leg. Keep your head hidden by their thigh, connect your palms, and load them onto your hips. Use come-up sweeps, back takes, or waiter-style lifts. Deep half guard is powerful but requires tight elbow-knee connection to prevent cross-face and wedges.
Half Guard Sweeps (12 Videos, 4 Courses)
Half Guard Retention and Sweeps: Half Guard Bottom by Professor Henry Akins
$279.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video features Professor Henry Akins teaching how to effectively retain and dominate from a half-guard bottom position, focusing on sweeps and defensive strategies. Through the application of high-level principles and fundamentals, the viewer learns to improve their ability to control and overcome rivals from half guard. This video is prized by BJJ practitioners seeking to refine their technique and strategies, and play guard with new-found confidence.
Half Domination Bundle by Tom DeBlass
$247.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video is an instructional tutorial by 3-time ADCC Champion, Tom DeBlass, focusing on using the half guard position for offense. It provides a systematic approach to mastering half guard, offering techniques, sweeps, and submissions that can work on any opponent, regardless of body type. It also discusses how to set up the deep half guard and control your opponent's base and balance. This video is part of a three series bundle aiming to help tie everything together at a new lower price.
Knee Lever Masterclass by Brian Glick
$197.00 • BJJ Fanatics
The video is an instructional session by Brian Glick on the Knee Lever technique from the half guard position. The approach is aimed at advancing the viewers' BJJ skills by explaining both basic and complex principles that make the Knee Lever effective. The tutorial breaks down the specifics such as body mechanics, timing, and connections that make the Knee Lever a highly successful technique for reversing or off-balancing an opponent. Brian emphasizes that the principle of off-balancing and leverage can be applied universally across different positions in BJJ.
No Gi Knee Shield Guard by Felipe Pena Preguica
$197.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This video by Felipe Pena Preguica instructs on the technique of the Knee Shield Guard in a No-Gi context. Felipe demonstrates various techniques, such as the knee lever, kimura trap, belly down roll, and parakeet sweep, used from this guard position to launch attacks. The video emphasizes on working systematically based on the opponent's movements and using the half guard offensively. It also guides on making use of the guard to create opportunities for sweeps, back takes, and submissions.
Top Half Guard: Pressure, Posts, and Pass Options
Top player goals: break frames, win the cross-face and underhook, and dominate head position. Once you flatten the bottom player and staple their hips, you can knee cut, smash pass, or use body lock mechanics to clear the entanglement and settle side control or mount.
Head-and-shoulder control: a strong cross-face eliminates bottom head movement; a near-side underhook denies them the best sweep routes. Combine this with a tripod base (forehead or shoulder pressure plus opposite post) to resist off-balancing.
Passing pathways: knee cut off a pried-open knee shield; smash pass by stapling the bottom leg and walking hips toward north-south; backstep to expose the hip line when the bottom player overcommits to the underhook; body lock entries when the legs separate. Against a stubborn knee shield, strip grips, pummel your elbow inside, turn the knee shield to the mat, then slice or backstep.
Half Guard Escapes (12 Videos, 2 Courses)
The Precise Half Guard by Lucas Lepri
$79.00 • BJJ Fanatics
In this video, world champion black belt competitor Lucas Lepri demonstrates techniques for escaping from bad positions using half guard. Lucas explores half guard variations such as the knee shield, reverse half, and waiter position. He also discusses how these can be utilized for effective sweeping and back taking. Lepri's precision technique emphasizes creating space and getting away.
Jordan Teaches Bottom Half Guard by Jordan Preisinger
$79.00 • BJJ Fanatics
This instructional video by Jordan Preisinger teaches a method for escaping from the bottom of half guard, utilizing the opponent's lapels. The aim is to turn this typically inferior position into a solid foundation from which you can transition to other, more advantageous positions with ease. The escape involves manipulating the lapels to off-balance and flip the opponent over.
Attacks, Escapes, and Transitions to Connect
Common bottom attacks: old school sweep, waiter sweep, coyote knee lever, reverse knee lever, knee tap from underhook, sit-up to single leg, shin-to-shin transition, and back takes when opponents whizzer hard. In gi, add lapel feeds to trap the far arm; in no-gi, reinforce head position and elbow-knee shells.
Common top passes: knee cut, smash/shoulder crunch, cross-knee through, hip switch/backstep, clamp and pry, and body lock finishes once you split their legs. Threaten a cross-face to force frames, then redirect to a backstep when they over-defend.
Escapes from bad bottom spots: if flattened, reframe by inserting your near-side forearm across their neck, hip escape to recover a knee shield, or pummel for a half-butterfly hook to elevate and re-guard. If your underhook is killed, use a home base: two inside frames, reconnect your knee to elbow, and either re-pummel or build to an elbow-knee get-up.
Transitions worth learning: knee shield to underhook; underhook to deep half; deep half to waiter/come-up; half-butterfly to seated guard; top half to mount via windshield-wiper and thigh pry.
Half Guard Transitions (12 Videos, 4 Courses)
Connected Reaction Bundle by Paul Schreiner
$1176.00 • BJJ Fanatics
In this video, Paul Schreiner teaches his revolutionary Pistol Grip System from Half Guard. This gripping system provides a strong platform to launch a variety of attacks including submissions, sweeps and back takes. Schreiner details strategies to use the side control position as a "second guard," as well as high-percentage armlock techniques from top positions. The system also includes ways to take the back, utilizing different configurations of control and a variety of submission techniques.
Master The Move: Arm Drags by John Danaher
$197.00 • BJJ Fanatics
In this instructional video, John Danaher, a renowned BJJ coach, provides a comprehensive guide on how to execute Arm Drags from the Half Butterfly position. The technique is presented from various angles, along with its application and execution. It covers how to perform Arm Drags from different positions such as supine, seated, standing, and how to use it defensively. It's an in-depth course designed for those looking to enhance their grappling game.
Bear Trap by Nicolas Renier
$79.00 • BJJ Fanatics
The video provides instruction by Nicolas Renier on the Bear Trap position and its use in countering leg locks, dominating guard passes, and sweeping opponents. The Bear Trap is presented as an essential element in high-level BJJ, providing unparalleled control and contributing vastly to both defensive and offensive strategies. Mastery of this position is highlighted as a way to neutralize opponent's attacks and simultaneously create opportunities for sweeps and submissions.
Shin Whizzer by Neil Melanson
$79.00 • BJJ Fanatics
In this video, BJJ expert Neil Melanson explains and demonstrates his Shin Whizzer system. Neil applies techniques from various martial arts such as catch wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, No Gi, among others into his own unique system. He provides in-depth details about his integrated grappling system, specifically on his approach to back attacking. He explains his preference for using one hook with a crossed ankle underneath his opponent rather than using both hooks from the back.
What to Study First
Start with alignment and pummeling. If you’re bottom, learn to stop the flatten first: inside frames, head position, and knee shield entries. Drill the sequence: frame, hip escape, insert knee shield, off-balance, and come up on a single. Then add one underhook series with a reliable sweep like old school or coyote.
For deep half guard, study safe entries and head hiding before chasing sweeps. A simple rule: elbows tight, hands locked on the trapped leg, and never allow a free cross-face. Add the waiter sweep and a basic back take when opponents post their hand.
On top, build a pressure template: cross-face plus near-side underhook, hip connection, and a knee cut or smash pass finish. Learn to dismantle the knee shield with elbow pummeling and angle change, then practice a backstep to punish underhook chases.
Limit your menu early: one knee shield attack chain, one underhook chain, one deep half entry; on top, one knee cut, one smash, one backstep. Add counters only after you can hit your A-game reliably during live rounds.
Half Guard Counters (2 Videos, 2 Courses)
Half Domination Counters by Tom DeBlass
$127.00 • BJJ Fanatics
In this video, BJJ legend Tom DeBlass teaches Half Domination Counters to improve your half guard game both from top and bottom positions. DeBlass shares strategies to dismantle techniques from his renowned Half Domination series. The tutorial covers how to shut down the opponent's underhook, defend your legs, maintain your knee shield, along with other crucial concepts and positioning tips. It also includes high-percentage passes to break through elite level half guards and establish dominance when on top.
Half Guard Counter Attacks No Gi by Lucas Leite
$79.00 • BJJ Fanatics
The video features BJJ black belt Lucas Leite demonstrating a series of half guard counter attacks for No-Gi. Lucas provides strategies for countering common topside half guard moves like back steps, darce attacks, and Kimuras. He offers intricate details to switch the tide during a fight and suggests powerful attacks from the dog fight position. The instruction aims to help practitioners not just in defending themselves but also in countering opponents with sweeps, back takes, and more.
Use BJJ University to Learn Half Guard Faster
BJJ University is a free, curated learning hub for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Use the navigation menu to browse categorized videos, quick clips, breakdowns, and instructional resources by instructor, technique, position, category, and training topic.
On the Half Guard main page you can compare different systems side-by-side, from knee shield structures to deep half entries and pressure passing options. Explore how elite coaches teach the same ideas with different details so you can pick what fits your game and body type.
Bookmark BJJ University and share it with teammates who want more high-quality, free BJJ study material. Return often to stack short study sessions, refine your frames and pummeling, and connect bottom attacks with top passing responses.
FAQs
What is the core goal from bottom half guard?
Stay unflattened, win inside position (knee shield or underhook), create an angle under the hips, and connect to a simple come-up or sweep.
How do I stop a strong knee shield as the top player?
Strip grips, pummel your elbow inside, staple their hips, and either knee cut as the shield collapses or backstep if they over-rotate to retain frames.
Is deep half guard good for beginners?
Yes, if you first learn safe entries and head hiding. Keep elbows tight, lock the trapped leg, and practice the waiter and come-up sweeps before adding variations.
What is a simple passing plan from top half?
Cross-face and underhook, flatten the hips, then choose either a knee cut or smash pass. Add a backstep option to counter aggressive underhooks.
Gi or no-gi: does half guard change much?
Core frames and angles are the same. In gi you can add lapel grips for control; in no-gi you’ll rely more on head position, wedges, and body lock-style pressure.