Scissor half-guard: experiences and thoughts on passing

[Fighting Cephalopod]

Sometimes I pass ineffectively and end up in half guard. When I'm able to get head/arm control I'm OK for the half-guard pass because I decrease the space and can squash my opponent's body.

But some of my training partners make/get space, they seem to be slipping in their top knee to push me away and to thwart my half-guard pass attempt.

If I were big, I'd be pressing the knee down with my body weight and stretching out my legs to pass. But I'm not big. If I try that, my opponent sweeps.

Don't just "stretch out your legs", sprawl. Extend your legs out and back, lower your hips. I'm 185 and do this pass effectively on guys that outweigh me by 70 lbs or so, so not being big shouldn't be that much of an issue for you.

[MuKen]

Our instructor just spent a full class a week or two ago drilling half-guard stuff because he noticed we were all getting swept too easy from the top. A lot of it didn't stick with me all that well (it happens :p), but I remember him having us lean our weight forward perpendicular to their body (so that you if you look down you are looking at the small of their back) whenever they managed to get on their side. This helped prevent both sweeps and taking the back, and gave you time to reestablish an underhook or cross-face, and then after you put them back on their back you can bring your weight back to chest-to-chest.

[Gumby]

Johnny S hit the nail on the head- you can "circle back" without losing the pressure in the half guard however (and avoid your opponent to get full guard).

Two ways I counter this position:

As Johnny pointed out, being flat on your back on bottom half guard sucks. If you dont want to circle back to put your opponent flat, you can reach forward and look for head control

i.e. Im in half guard and hes pushing me away with his right leg on top- I swing my arm in a circular motion and grab the gi on his back in line with his spine as low down his back as I can. At the same time, you're going to do what I call a "scorpion" and swing your left leg (the one in half guard) behind you. Its hard to explain, but it looks as if you simply sit your right hip to the ground (i.e. your hips are horizontal (---) before the move and vertical ( | ) afterwards. The grip on your opponents back allows you to drive your shoulder into his chin and flatten him out.

If my opponent defends his head, I use what looks like the same technique, except I go across his hips instead (i.e. left arm inside his half guard with right arm overclasp his hips and gripping my hands together). This is another good way to prevent his hip movement, but it is much more difficult to pass and maintain cross side than the first option.

[5FingazofDeath]

Pics please?

As always to JohnyS and Gumby very good info - thanks.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to JohnnyS again."

[Ender]

I took a class in NYC from Igor and Gregor Gracie last weekend, and we covered this exact situation. First, as everyone has already said, circle your opponent until he's flat on his back. From here, raise the knee that's inside the half guard so that you're basing off that foot and your other knee. As you do this, your other arm (the one opposite the knee you just raised) grabs and pushes on your opponent's corresponding bicep. Now, drop the raised knee across your opponent's low leg (the non-scissoring one). This should be at a fairly sharp angle, cutting across his body. It's very similar to a cross-line guard pass from the knees. Just slide through, turn into your opponent, and drive forward to flatten him out. If this is hard to understand, please ask questions and I'll see if I can make things a bit clearer; it's hard to explain w/o pictures.