Jeremy Fields shows a No hand pass from half guard .
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No Hand Pass to Side Control·Jeremy Fields
No hand pass from under hook half guard. Here I’m showing a detail that a lot of people miss. Taking the space away from…
No Hand Pass to Side Control
SubFamilyNo・Hand・パス・To・サイド・コントロール(No Hand Pass to Side Control)
Translation: no hand pass to side control
Overview
The No Hand Pass to Side Control is the side control variant of the no-hands passing concept, using pressure and hip movement to clear the half guard. [1]
No-Hands Half Guard Pass
History & Origin
No Hand Pass to Side Control is a technique documented in BJ Penn's comprehensive MMA system. [1]
Effectiveness
Proven in UFC-level competition by BJ Penn and training partners. [1]
Lineage
Modern MMA methodology; BJ Penn / Greg Jackson lineage. [1]
Competition Record
Used in UFC and professional MMA competition
Images
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — MMA-specific positional mechanics for No Hand Pass to Side Control
Joints Involved — Full body — hips, shoulders, legs
Force Vector — Position-specific
Position & Entry
From MMA context — Execute no hand pass to side control
Variants
Standard No Hand Pass to Side Control
Modified No Hand Pass to Side Control
Videos
Half Guard: No Hands Pass
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No Hand Pass to Side Control·Brandon Quick
The most basic & world known Half Guard Pass
No-Gi Guard Passing Concepts Course - Against Half Guard Dog Fight With Elbow Post by JT Torres
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No Hand Pass to Side Control·The Grapplers Guide by Jason Scully
The Grapplers Guide is the longest running and most recommended premium BJJ and grappling learning site ever created. L…
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The no-hand pass to side control is a fundamental guard-passing technique executed from half guard using body weight and positioning rather than hand control on the opponent's legs. All three instructors—Jeremy Fields, Brandon Quick, and The Grapplers Guide (Jason Scully)—emphasize the critical importance of the underhook and tight knee positioning against the opponent's hip or ribs. Jeremy Fields stresses that when the opponent has a strong corner clench, the passer must bring the knee extremely tight to eliminate separation and facilitate clean leg extraction through kicking. Brandon Quick details the mechanics of foot placement, advocating for toes dug in close to the body and the knee kept low on the mat to prevent hip escape, while positioning the head six to eight inches above the opponent's head and driving forward with flared underhook to reach side control or mount. The Grapplers Guide addresses a variation when the opponent builds a strong elbow post: the passer sits back, peels the opponent's wrist inward to break their structure, passes the wrist control to the far-side hand, then walks the knee progressively closer to the opponent's hip before driving the knee through and transitioning to cross-face control in side control. All instructors agree on keeping weight low, maintaining the underhook, and using knee pressure as the primary mechanism for passing rather than hand control.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Jeremy Fields — Jeremy Fields shows a No hand pass from half guard: Detailed the corner clench escape mechanics, emphasizing knee-to-hip tightness to collapse the opponent's pinch and enable clean leg extraction via kicking.
- Brandon Quick — Half Guard: No Hands Pass: Provided comprehensive mechanical details on foot and toe positioning, knee-to-body proximity, head placement, and the importance of dug-in toes to prevent hip escape during the drive to side control.
- The Grapplers Guide (Jason Scully) — No-Gi Guard Passing Concepts Course - Against Half Guard Dog Fight With Elbow Post by JT Torres: Described an advanced variation addressing strong elbow-post defense through wrist peeling, progressive knee walking, and knee drive-through with cross-face control acquisition.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
Positional technique
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— IBJJF — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— IJF — Legal — transitioning past opponent's legs is part ...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Practise in MMA-specific sparring with strikes (Penn et al., 2007)
Common Mistakes
!Losing base
!Not maintaining control
!Poor transitions
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Engagement → No Hand Pass to Side Control → Advance position
Sources & References
Primary Source
Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge (Penn, Cordoza & Krauss, 2007)
1Book[1] Penn, B.J., Cordoza, G. and Krauss, E. (2007). Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge. Victory Belt Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9777315-6-5.
description, historyOrigin: sourced from Penn, B
2Citation[1] Penn, B.J., Cordoza, G. and Krauss, E. (2007). Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge. Victory Belt Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9777315-6-5.
description, historyOrigin: sourced from Penn, B
Community
Athletics
MMA-specific body control and pressure
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I sit back when passing the half guard instead of pressing down from above?
Sitting back gives you a better chance to avoid the underhook getting stronger, since pressing down from above puts your weight already far over their shoulder. According to JT Torres on The Grapplers Guide, sitting back allows you to peel their hand in and knock them off their base more effectively.
How tight should my knee be on their ribs during the no-hand pass?
Jeremy Fields emphasizes that it's very important to bring your knee nice and tight to the ribs to take away all that space. When you apply shoulder pressure with the underhook and keep the knee tight, it should be very easy to kick their foot out with no resistance.
What should I do with my toes and head position to prevent a hip escape?
Brandon Quick stresses that digging your toes in is a real important detail to prevent your opponent from pushing your leg off and escaping. Keep your head positioned about six to eight inches above their head, maintain the underhook, and keep your knee on the mat as much as possible to prevent the hip escape.
What's the final transition from half guard control to side control?
According to JT Torres, once you've peeled them in and walked your knee underneath, drop your hip, walk your knee up, then drive it across, let the arm go, switch to a cross face, step off to the side, and kick and pull right to side control.
How does the No Hand Pass to Side Control work?
The No Hand Pass to Side Control is the side control variant of the no-hands passing concept, using pressure and hip movement to clear the half guard.
Where does the No Hand Pass to Side Control come from?
No Hand Pass to Side Control is a technique documented in BJ Penn's comprehensive MMA system.
Is the No Hand Pass to Side Control legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points; IJF: legal — Legal — transitioning past opponent's legs is part of newaza; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pass scores 3 points; Unified MMA: legal — Legal; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the No Hand Pass to Side Control?
Danger rating 3/10. Positional technique
How do I set up the No Hand Pass to Side Control?
The standard setup chain: Engagement → No Hand Pass to Side Control → Advance position.
How do I defend against the No Hand Pass to Side Control?
Standard counters include: Guard retention / Frame and escape / Submission counter.
What are the variants of the No Hand Pass to Side Control?
Common variants: Standard No Hand Pass to Side Control; Modified No Hand Pass to Side Control.
How effective is the No Hand Pass to Side Control in competition?
Used in UFC and professional MMA competition
What are common mistakes when doing the No Hand Pass to Side Control?
Top errors to watch for: Losing base / Not maintaining control / Poor transitions.
What are other names for the No Hand Pass to Side Control?
The No Hand Pass to Side Control is also known as No Hand Pass to Side Control, No-Hands Half Guard Pass.