The main sweep to know from half guard (Lachlan Giles)
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Underhook Half Guard·Absolute MMA St Kilda - Melbourne
This sweep using the underhook is the primary sweep you should look for when playing half guard, there are many follow u…
Underhook Half Guard
Genusアンダーフックハーフガード(Andāfukku Hāfu Gādo)
TransliterationTranslation: underhook half guard
Overview
The Underhook Half Guard positions the guard player with a deep underhook on the opponent's far arm while maintaining half guard leg control, creating the most offensively oriented half guard configuration. [1] The underhook provides strong upper body control and hip access, enabling the classic old school sweep, dog fight transitions, and back takes. [1],[2] Getting the underhook from half guard is considered the primary offensive objective of half guard play, as it immediately creates sweep and transition opportunities. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The underhook half guard is the offensive foundation of half guard play, central to Roberto 'Gordo' Correa's original half guard system and subsequently developed by Lucas Leite, Tom DeBlass, and other half guard specialists. [1] The underhook is universally considered the most important grip in half guard. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Lineage
The underhook half guard was systematised as the primary offensive half guard position in BJJ. [1]
Competition Record
The underhook half guard is the standard attacking half guard in BJJ competition. [1]
Images
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Using the legs and hips to control the opponent from the bottom — maintaining distance management and attack angles
Joints Involved — Hips (primary engine for sweeps and attacks), knees (framing and hooking), ankles (secondary hooks)
Force Vector — Pulling, framing, and hip-escaping — creating angles for attacks while preventing passing
Positional Mechanic — The guard is an active offensive position — leg control compensates for bottom positioning by threatening sweeps and submissions
Position & Entry
From guard retention — When opponent starts to pass, trap one leg between your legs to establish half guard
From sweep attempt — After a failed sweep, retain the position by securing half guard control on one leg
Variants
Standard half guard — one leg trapped between both legs with an underhook
Deep half guard — fully under the opponent with the leg fully entangled
Lockdown half guard — figure-four leg lock on the trapped leg (10th Planet)
Z-guard (knee shield) — knee across the opponent's chest creating a frame
Videos
60 Dog Fight Under-Hook Half Guard Techniques In Just 18 Minutes by Jason Scully - BJJ Grappling
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Underhook Half Guard·Jiu Jitsu In Minutes by Jason Scully
The "Dog Fight" Under-Hook Half Guard Is A Very Important Position To Understand. There Will Be Many Situations Where Yo…
29 Regular Half Guard Techniques In Less Than 12 Minutes (Part 1) by Jason Scully
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Underhook Half Guard·Jiu Jitsu In Minutes by Jason Scully
This videos covers "Part 1" of the half guard series. You will learn about the "Regular half guard" position. Understand…
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3 videosWhat Instructors Say
The underhook half guard is a fundamental position within standard half guard that emphasizes controlling an opponent through an underhook grip combined with a high knee shield. According to Jiu Jitsu In Minutes' Jason Scully and Absolute MMA's Lachlan Giles, the core mechanics involve securing a high underhook while maintaining arm control on the opponent to prevent them from establishing head control and flattening you out. Giles stresses the importance of reaching the underhook high on the opponent's torso rather than at the waist, as this prevents the opponent from easily transitioning to a cross-body position. Once the underhook is established, the practitioner must "get around the corner"—a positional shift using the elbow or hand post to relocate laterally—before driving the chest forward and attaching tightly to the opponent's hips. Scully emphasizes protecting the inside space to prevent opponent underhooks and maintaining proper foot positioning: the bottom leg initially traps the opponent's leg, then transitions to the top leg for drive during the ascent to the dog fight position. Both instructors agree that the underhook half guard typically progresses into the dog fight position, from which numerous sweeps and submissions become available. Giles details the "roll under sweep" as a counter when opponents apply backward pressure, while Scully catalogs extensive offensive options including the knee pick, ankle grab sweeps, and various leg lock entries. The position requires constant arm framing and body awareness to prevent the opponent from establishing cross-face control or underhooking the bottom arm.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Jiu Jitsu In Minutes by Jason Scully — 60 Dog Fight Under-Hook Half Guard Techniques In Just 18 Minutes by Jason Scully - BJJ Grappling: Comprehensive technical encyclopedia of dog fight position mechanics, emphasizing arm posting for stability, preventing shoulder collapse, maintaining proper knee positioning, and cataloging 20+ offensive techniques including knee picks, sweeps, submissions, and counters from both top and bottom positions.
- Jiu Jitsu In Minutes by Jason Scully — 29 Regular Half Guard Techniques In Less Than 12 Minutes (Part 1) by Jason Scully: Foundational overview of underhook mechanics within regular half guard, emphasizing arm control to prevent head control, the importance of swiping the leg open, and transitions to closed guard, open guard, and back takes; also covers basic underhook sweeps and submissions applicable to the underhook half guard system.
- Absolute MMA St Kilda - Melbourne — The main sweep to know from half guard (Lachlan Giles): Technical focus on underhook positioning details: maintaining a high underhook grip to prevent cross-body escapes, the critical concept of "getting around the corner" through lateral repositioning, proper foot transitions for driving power, and the roll under sweep as a direct counter to backward pressure.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
2
Low2/10
Guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Restricted
— IJF — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — ground...
IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDFLegal
— IBJJF — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from ...
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points por...
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal — no penalty for playing guard
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF— FIAS Sport Sambo — Legal
FIAS International Sambo Competition RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓The underhook half guard establishes a deep underhook from bottom half guard — this is the single most important grip for offensive half guard play (Gordo; Lucas Leite, Coyote Half Guard, 2010s)
✓The underhook from half guard creates a direct path to: the back (by circling behind), the old school sweep (by coming to the knees), and the dogfight position (50/50 kneeling battle)
✓Establishing the underhook: from the knee shield, retract the shield and simultaneously shoot the underhook deep under the opponent's arm
✓The underhook must be deep — the hand should reach the opponent's far shoulder blade or lat for maximum control
✓The underhook half guard player should immediately begin coming up to the knees — staying flat with the underhook wastes its potential
✓Lucas Leite's coyote guard system is built entirely around the underhook half guard to single-leg and back-take chain
✓The underhook battle: if the opponent gets the underhook instead, immediately re-pummel or transition to knee shield
Common Mistakes
!Getting a shallow underhook — the hand must reach deep to the far lat or shoulder blade
!Establishing the underhook but staying flat — immediately come to the knees or the hip
!Not protecting the underhook — the opponent will try to strip it; maintain it aggressively
!Using the underhook without advancing position — the underhook leads to sweeps and back takes; use it
!Reaching for the underhook without retracting the knee shield — the shield retraction and underhook entry happen simultaneously
!Not training the dogfight position — when both players have underhooks from half guard, the dogfight emerges
!Abandoning the underhook to attempt a different technique — chain from the underhook rather than releasing it
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Achieve Guard Contact — establish leg control around or against the opponent
2Control Grips — secure sleeve, collar, or wrist control for manipulation
3Manage Distance — use legs and grips to control the range and prevent passing
4Threaten Submissions/Sweeps — create offensive threats to keep the opponent reactive
Sources & References
Primary Source
Jiu-Jitsu University (Saulo Ribeiro, 2008)
1BookThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003) [3] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
2BookJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention
Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities
4CitationThe Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2008)
Alias sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] The Guard (Moreira & Beneville, 2003) [3] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
5CitationJiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Jiu-Jitsu University (Ribeiro, 2008) [2] Mastering Jujitsu (Gracie & Danaher, 2003)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip flexibility, active legs, grip management
Favours
long legs for distance control and guard retention
Key muscles
hip flexors, adductors, quadriceps, core, grip
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is blocking my opponent's arm so important in underhook half guard?
Blocking your opponent's arm prevents them from flattening you out and getting head control, which allows you to stay on your side and access multiple attacking options. According to Jason Scully, if you get an underhook but fail to block their arm, they can flatten you out—this is critical to avoid.
What's the basic sequence for executing an underhook half guard sweep?
Work an underhook on your opponent, swipe their leg open with your outside leg, and drive to your side while tucking your head and controlling their arm. Jason Scully emphasizes that swiping their leg open off-balances them and gives you a more advantageous position.
How do I prevent my opponent from countering my underhook?
Continue to control and block your opponent's arm throughout the technique—this makes it much harder for them to get head control or escape. Jason Scully stresses that tracking your opponent's arm prevents them from flattening you while you execute your offense.
What mistake should I avoid when transitioning to dog fight position from underhook half guard?
Keep your arm flared out as wide and as fast as possible to prevent your opponent from underhooking your bottom arm, which would allow them to collapse you back to the mat. Jason Scully notes that a loose arm position gives your opponent easy access to counter you.
How does the Underhook Half Guard work?
The Underhook Half Guard positions the guard player with a deep underhook on the opponent's far arm while maintaining half guard leg control, creating the most offensively oriented half guard configuration. The underhook provides strong upper body control and hip access, enabling the classic old school sweep, dog fight transitions, and back takes.
Where does the Underhook Half Guard come from?
The underhook half guard is the offensive foundation of half guard play, central to Roberto 'Gordo' Correa's original half guard system and subsequently developed by Lucas Leite, Tom DeBlass, and other half guard specialists. The underhook is universally considered the most important grip in half guard.
Is the Underhook Half Guard legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal — guard is fundamental to BJJ, sweeps from guard score 2 points; IJF: restricted — Guard pulling penalized as non-combativity — groundwork from guard permitted …; ADCC: legal — Legal, guard pull penalized -1 point in points portion; Unified MMA: legal — Legal — no penalty for playing guard; FIAS Sport Sambo: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Underhook Half Guard?
Danger rating 2/10. Low — guard positions are defensive; injury risk comes from transitions, not the position itself
How do I set up the Underhook Half Guard?
The standard setup chain: Achieve Guard Contact → Control Grips → Manage Distance → Threaten Submissions/Sweeps.
How do I defend against the Underhook Half Guard?
Standard counters include: Guard Pass — systematically work to clear the legs and establish a dominant position / Leg Pin — control one or both legs to neutralize guard retention / Pressure Passing — use heavy chest pressure to flatten and immobilize the guard player.
What are the variants of the Underhook Half Guard?
Common variants: Standard half guard (one leg trapped between both legs with an underhook); Deep half guard (fully under the opponent with the leg fully entangled); Lockdown half guard (figure-four leg lock on the trapped leg (10th Planet)); Z-guard (knee shield) (knee across the opponent's chest creating a frame).
How effective is the Underhook Half Guard in competition?
The underhook half guard is the standard attacking half guard in BJJ competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Underhook Half Guard?
Top errors to watch for: Getting a shallow underhook — the hand must reach deep to the far lat or shoulder blade / Establishing the underhook but staying flat — immediately come to the knees or the hip / Not protecting the underhook — the opponent will try to strip it; maintain it aggressively / Using the underhook without advancing position — the underhook leads to sweeps and back takes; use it.
What are other names for the Underhook Half Guard?
The Underhook Half Guard is also known as Andāfukku Hāfu Gādo, Underhook Half, Dog Fight Position, Battle Half Guard.