Pass the Knee Shield with These 3 Strategies
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Knee Pass·Absolute MMA St Kilda - Melbourne
The knee shield is perhaps the most common method of blocking a guard pass, learn 3 basic ways to deal with this. For mo…
Knee Pass
Familyニーパス
TransliterationTranslation
Not yet documented
Overview
The Knee Pass (knee cut / knee slice) family covers one of the most versatile and highest-percentage guard passing techniques in BJJ — driving one knee across the opponent's thigh while establishing a crossface with the upper body, slicing through the guard to achieve side control. [1] The knee cut pass is considered the Swiss Army knife of guard passing because it works against virtually every guard variation: closed guard (after breaking it open), half guard, De La Riva, butterfly, and open guard all have knee cut entries. [1],[2] The pass works from the 'headquarters' position (one knee up, one knee down between the opponent's legs) and uses diagonal forward pressure combined with the knee slice across the thigh to split the opponent's leg defence. [2],[3] The knee cut is often the first pass taught to intermediate students and remains the primary pass for many elite black belt competitors. [3]
Knee CutKnee SlideKnee Through Pass
History & Origin
The knee cut pass has been a staple of BJJ guard passing since the art's early development, with roots in judo ne waza passing. [1] It gained prominence as a primary competition pass in the 2000s-2010s as guard systems became more complex and the knee cut proved versatile against all of them. [1],[2]
Effectiveness
Lineage
Competition Record
The knee cut is one of the most commonly scored passes in IBJJF competition at all belt levels. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Driving one knee diagonally across the opponent's thigh while establishing crossface control, slicing through the guard to achieve side control
Joints Involved — Near-side knee (the cutting knee — it drives across the opponent's thigh in a slicing motion), far-side foot (posted for base and drive), shoulder (crossface drives against the opponent's jaw/neck, turning their head away), hands (controlling the opponent's far-side sleeve or lapel to prevent guard recovery)
Force Vector — Diagonal forward-downward — the knee drives across and through the thigh while the upper body drives forward with crossface pressure; the combination creates a splitting force that separates the opponent's legs
Pass Mechanic — The knee cut works by splitting the opponent's guard in half: the cutting knee divides the near-side and far-side legs while the crossface prevents the opponent from turning in; the pass is complete when the knee clears the thigh and the passer's hip drops to the mat in side control
Position & Entry
From headquarters position — One knee up between the opponent's legs, drive the raised knee across their near-side thigh while establishing a crossface with the opposite arm — slice through to side control [1]
From half guard top — After establishing crossface and underhook in top half guard, slice the trapped knee across the opponent's thigh to complete the pass
From De La Riva defence — When the opponent has a DLR hook, strip the hook and immediately drive the freed knee across their thigh in a knee cut [2]
Videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
3
Moderate3/10
The knee cut is relatively safe; the primary risk is being caught in a half guard or deep half if the pass stalls, or the opponent attacking with an underhook during the pass
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
✓The crossface makes or breaks the knee cut — without the crossface, the opponent can turn in and recover guard; the crossface must be established before or simultaneously with the knee slice [1]
✓Control the far-side arm — gripping the sleeve, lapel, or wrist on the far side prevents the opponent from framing and recovering
✓The cutting knee must go ACROSS the thigh, not just down the centre — the diagonal cutting angle is what splits the guard
✓Headquarters position is the launching pad — develop comfort in headquarters (one knee up, one down) before drilling the knee cut
✓Chain the knee cut with the leg drag and toreando — when the opponent defends the knee cut by framing, transition to an alternative pass [2]
✓The knee cut works from every guard — drill entries from closed guard (after break), half guard, DLR, butterfly, and open guard
✓In MMA, the knee cut is one of the most effective passes because it can be combined with striking
Common Mistakes
!No crossface — the pass fails without head control; the opponent turns in and recovers
!Knee cutting straight down instead of diagonally across — the diagonal angle is what creates the splitting force
!Not controlling the far arm — the far-side frame enables guard recovery
!Stalling in half guard — if the knee cut gets stuck, transition to another pass rather than grinding
!Hips too high during the cut — dropping the hip as the knee clears is essential for completing the pass
!Not stripping DLR hook before cutting — cutting with the DLR hook still attached results in getting re-guarded
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Knee Shield — placing the shin across the passer's torso to prevent the cutUnderhook — fighting for the near-side underhook to prevent the crossfaceFrame on the Hip — pushing against the cutting hip to create spaceDeep Half Guard Entry — when the knee cut stalls, entering deep half guardBack Take — turning away and taking the back when the knee cut overcommits
Setup Chain
1Establish Headquarters — one knee up, one knee down
2Strip Guard Grips — remove the guard player's controlling grips
3Establish Crossface — drive the forearm across the opponent's face
4Cut the Knee — drive the near knee diagonally across the thigh
5Drop the Hip — as the knee clears, drop the hip to the mat
6Consolidate — establish side control with crossface and underhook
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Description sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] BJJ competition passing analysis
2BookBJJ competition analysis
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Description sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] BJJ competition passing analysis
5CitationBJJ competition analysis
Community
Athletics
Requires
crossface pressure, hip dexterity (dropping the hip after the cut), far-arm control
Favours
heavy upper body, strong crossface
Key muscles
shoulders (crossface), hip flexors (cutting motion), quadriceps (driving through), core (connecting upper and lower body)
Sub-techniques
Backstep Pass
SubFamilyThe Backstep Pass is a guard passing technique where the passer steps backward and away from the guard player's legs, pivoting to pass from the back angle rather than driving forward through the guard — an unconventional passing direction that catches guard players expecting forward pressure. [1] The backstep also serves as the primary entry to leg lock positions (ashi garami) from the passing position, making it both a pass and a leg lock entry. [1,2]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Knee-In-The-Middle Pass
SubFamilyThe Knee-In-The-Middle Pass is a guard passing technique where the passer drives one knee directly through the centre of the opponent's guard, splitting the legs apart from the inside — a fundamental kneeling pass that works by establishing a wedge in the centre of the guard structure. [1] This differs from the knee slice (which goes diagonally across the thigh) by targeting the centre gap between the legs. [1,2]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Knee Slice Pass
SubFamilyThe Knee Slice Pass is a specific variation of the knee cut where the passer drives the shin diagonally across the opponent's thigh in a slicing motion while establishing a crossface — the most commonly executed guard pass at black belt level in IBJJF competition. [1] The slice uses the shin as a wedge that splits the guard player's legs apart, with the sharp edge of the tibial crest creating a dividing line that the opponent's legs cannot cross. [1,2]
1 genera·1 techniquesExplore
Notes
The knee cut/knee slide pass is the most commonly used guard pass in modern BJJ competition. It works in both gi and no-gi and chains into multiple positions. (Ribeiro, Jiu-Jitsu University; Danaher, Guard Passing instructionals)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prevent my opponent from using a knee shield when I'm trying to pass?
According to Absolute MMA St Kilda, the key is to keep your torso and hips extremely close to your opponent's hips as you move in—any gap allows them to establish the knee shield. By maintaining chest-to-chest contact and blocking the knee shield before it fully forms, you prevent it from becoming a problem in the first place.
What should I do if my opponent successfully gets their knee shield up?
Absolute MMA St Kilda recommends using a goose neck grip on the knee, then briefly removing your chest pressure to fold the leg, and repositioning your chest on the outside of the leg. Alternatively, if the knee shield is slightly too high, come up into a tripod position to beat your opponent's frames and gain hip control.
How do I get my chest underneath the knee shield to open it up?
Absolute MMA St Kilda emphasizes getting your hips low and arched up underneath the shield rather than hovering over the top—this creates a position where your opponent cannot effectively fight you opening their knee out.
What's the safest way to move outside the legs after establishing the pass?
According to Absolute MMA St Kilda, use your knee to press into your opponent's calf to open it. If they hook your foot, step on the mat and straighten that leg to clear the hook before opening their calf, lifting your foot, and stepping outside the legs.
How does the Knee Pass work?
The Knee Pass (knee cut / knee slice) family covers one of the most versatile and highest-percentage guard passing techniques in BJJ — driving one knee across the opponent's thigh while establishing a crossface with the upper body, slicing through the guard to achieve side control. The knee cut pass is considered the Swiss Army knife of guard passing because it works against virtually every guard variation: closed guard (after breaking it open), half guard, De La Riva, butterfly, and open guard all have knee cut entries.
Where does the Knee Pass come from?
The knee cut pass has been a staple of BJJ guard passing since the art's early development, with roots in judo ne waza passing. It gained prominence as a primary competition pass in the 2000s-2010s as guard systems became more complex and the knee cut proved versatile against all of them.
Is the Knee Pass 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 Knee Pass?
Danger rating 3/10. Low — the knee cut is relatively safe; the primary risk is being caught in a half guard or deep half if the pass stalls, or the opponent attacking with an underhook during the pass
How do I set up the Knee Pass?
The standard setup chain: Establish Headquarters → Strip Guard Grips → Establish Crossface → Cut the Knee → Drop the Hip → Consolidate.
How do I defend against the Knee Pass?
Standard counters include: Knee Shield — placing the shin across the passer's torso to prevent the cut / Underhook — fighting for the near-side underhook to prevent the crossface / Frame on the Hip — pushing against the cutting hip to create space / Deep Half Guard Entry — when the knee cut stalls, entering deep half guard.
What are the variants of the Knee Pass?
Common variants: Standard knee cut (from headquarters through the thigh to side control [1]); Reverse knee cut (cutting to the opposite side); Knee cut with far-side underhook (controlling the far arm for additional security); Knee cut to mount (continuing the knee cut motion directly to mount instead …); Long step knee cut (stepping the far leg wide before the cut for additional base); Speed knee cut (explosive fast-twitch knee cut without heavy pressure [2]).
How effective is the Knee Pass in competition?
The knee cut is one of the most commonly scored passes in IBJJF competition at all belt levels.
What are common mistakes when doing the Knee Pass?
Top errors to watch for: No crossface — the pass fails without head control; the opponent turns in and recovers / Knee cutting straight down instead of diagonally across — the diagonal angle is what creates the splitting force / Not controlling the far arm — the far-side frame enables guard recovery / Stalling in half guard — if the knee cut gets stuck, transition to another pass rather than grinding.
What are other names for the Knee Pass?
The Knee Pass is also known as Knee Cut, Knee Slide, Knee Through Pass.