Clear The Knee Shield with Josh McKinney

 

The knee cut is quite possibly the most popular and highly utilized guard pass in all of BJJ. This tried and true titan of guard passing techniques has been forged in the fires of competition at the highest levels and remains a staple in the arsenals of BJJ players all over the planet. Its accessibility and ease of use is appealing to literally everyone and the knee cut can be applied to a staggering amount of guard passing scenarios with incredible effectiveness. 

Because the knee cut is in everyone's toolbox it's also one of the most commonly defended passes as well. Guard players tend to be on the lookout for it and because of this reason, there's also an entire catalogue of new answers to would be knee slicers that serve as roadblocks and stifle our progress as we try to cut through the guard. We have to be willing to change our plans and adapt so that we can continue to utilize this phenomenal pass. 

The knee cut is so popular that it calls for an entire instructional series dedicated to its technical attributes and you’re in luck because Josh McKinney has compiled a phenomenal library of techniques on this exact subject. McKinney has captured gold medals in over 20 IBJJF events and he knows exactly what you need to cultivate a successful knee slice passing game.

In The Knee Cut Roadmap, McKinney provides blueprints for not only the knee cut itself but for an entire host of knee cut circumstances that we all encounter on a daily basis when trying to implement the pass. He’ll cover how to respond to under hooks, knee shields, being off-balanced and recovering, entering against different guards, and much more! This is the perfect guide to understanding how the knee cut works in the face of its many counters. 

Let's have a look at an excerpt from the series. Here, we find McKinney outlining a knee shield entry and the subsequent guard pass.You've undoubtedly been here before. As you begin to start your knee cut pass, you give up that inside space and allow the knee shield to block your path. Perhaps you’ve just ended up here by chance, while trying to pass with any method. This is very common and it can be really frustrating but McKinney has a very simple answer that you need to see. Have a look! 

 

McKinney begins in the top position where the knee shield has entered the fold. His first play is to play on the old action reaction adage that we've come to know well in BJJ. He first looks to benign pressing the bottom players knees together by angling his body and turning his chest down into the leg. Naturally, the bottom player reacts with resistance and begins to open the knees back up. As this occurs, McKinney brings his knee up and postionsin it on top of his partners inner thigh. 

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With his outside leg posted and a small frame on the hip for stability, McKinney now places a hand on the floor and begins to drive his partner back into the middle. A this juncture the guard players knees are facing straight up. Here, McKinney has created a scenario where he can now pommel his elbow back to the inside, bring his weight forward and head straight back into the knee cut pass! 

This is a great answer to an incredibly common problem and this just the tip of the iceberg. If your knee cut pass has been getting shut down on a regular basis you'll find tons of answers here in The Knee Cut Roadmap that will help you get back on track! You’ll be able to pass 90% of the guards in BJJ using the knee slice with McKinney's help. 

So, if the knee cut is your preferred method of dismantling the guard, make sure you know everything there is to know about what to expect from the bottom player so you can adapt and forge ahead when you encounter these inevitable road blacks!