The Ultimate Guide to the Knee Cut Pass in BJJ

The knee cut pass is a fundamental technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that allows the practitioner to pass an opponent’s guard and gain a dominant position. This pass involves cutting through the opponent’s legs while maintaining a strong base and pressure to prevent them from regaining their guard. Here are the essential techniques for performing the knee cut pass.

Set up your grips:

Before initiating the pass, establish your grips on your opponent’s legs or pants to control their movement. One hand should grip the outside of the knee while the other grips the inside of the ankle.

Drive your knee through:

Once you have secured your grips, drive your lead knee through the opponent’s legs, aiming to place it between their legs and pinning their bottom leg to the mat.

Establish your base:

As you drive your knee through, maintain a strong base by keeping your weight forward and your opposite foot posted on the ground to prevent your opponent from sweeping you.

Control the hips:

As you pass the guard, use your grips to control your opponent’s hips and prevent them from regaining their guard. You can also use your free hand to post on the mat or on your opponent’s chest for additional control.

Transition to side control:

Once you have passed your opponent’s guard and established control of their hips, transition to side control by moving your body to the side and securing the position.

Maintain pressure and control:

Once you have achieved side control, maintain pressure and control over your opponent to prevent them from escaping or regaining their guard. You can use your weight, grips, and body position to control their movement and work towards submitting them.