Pass The Half Guard With Simple Concepts By Travis Stevens

Posted by Fanatics Authors on December 14, 2018

Learn How To Pass The Half Guard With Travis Stevens

The half guard has become the focus of many high level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors. Guys like Tom DeBlass and Bernardio Faria use the half guard as a foundation to their competitive success. What makes the half guard so attractive is its relative ease. Most BJJ players learn half guard from the very earliest days of training. It does not require a high level of knowledge to understand but it does take years and years to master. It is also a great guard for smaller guys as you can keep a stronger, heavier opponent’s weight off of you with simple framing and knee shield concepts. The half guard also opens you up to a variety of sweeps and submissions.

Travis Stevens has simple concepts that he applies to his throws, takedowns and guard passing. His approach is simple, and makes him one of the best grapplers ever.

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With that in mind, it is evident that the half guard is a very popular position across all levels of BJJ experience. It is common for you to end up in someone’s half guard, which means it is vital to learn how to pass it if you want to have a well rounded game. Today we will look at how to pass the half guard with Travis Stevens. In the video below Travis Stevens how to pass a half guard player who is in the process of progressing offensively or taking your back. Check out the video below and then we will break down the technique!

There are some key take aways to remember from this video. If the half guard player is very active on the bottom and trying to attack, the first thing they will commonly do is try to establish an under hook grip. The under hook is used to relive the pressure you are giving from the top. It is also used to adjust position, open up space, and even enter into deep half guard. This is the first thing Travis Stevens deals with when in half guard. He recommends staying heaving and collapsing the under hook to remove their power and focus on their hips. The next thing Travis talks about is the outside knee. You should be looking to control your opponent’s hips. A good way of immobilizing your training partner is to bring the outside knee in tight to their hip. Grips are also important when dealing with half guard. Travis Stevens gives us a very important grip detail. By using a “palm up” grip to control your opponent’s free arm you prevent your opponent from entering deep half or submitting you with a kimura. This is a crucial detail. Finally, if you can you should avoid the knee shield entirely. Do not waste your time trying to smash the knee shield. Instead focus on your training partner’s bottom leg to untangle and pass into open guard. This removes all power from the knee shield.

This is great advice from Travis Stevens. A good half guard player can be very tricky to pass. Remember these tips the next time you are drilling or in a live roll. This could be the difference between passing or being submitted!