Leg Weave

Position

The Leg Weave is a guard passing position where the top player threads one arm under the bottom player's legs, weaving it between them to control the hip and pin the legs to one side. It serves as a dominant passing hub that can branch into multiple guard passes including leg drag, smash pass, over-under, knee cut, and long step, while the bottom player seeks to recover guard through framing, underhooks, or transitioning to half guard or deep half.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · The weaving arm must control deep under the legs, pinning the bottom player's knees together and toward the mat to neutralize hip movement.
  • · Shoulder pressure on the thighs keeps the legs compressed and prevents the bottom player from creating frames or inserting knee shields.
  • · The free hand controls the upper body—gripping the collar, crossface, or underhook—to prevent the bottom player from turning into you.
  • · Maintaining low hip pressure and a wide base prevents the bottom player from creating space to reguard or invert.
  • · Anticipate the bottom player framing on your head or bicep and be ready to re-pummel or switch passing angles.

Execution

  1. 1 From an open guard engagement, feed one arm between the bottom player's legs and weave it under and around the far thigh, gripping the hip or belt.
  2. 2 Use your shoulder to drive the legs flat to one side while sprawling your hips low to eliminate space.
  3. 3 Secure upper body control with your free hand via crossface, collar grip, or underhook to prevent the bottom player from turning toward you.
  4. 4 Settle your weight and choose your passing direction—angle toward the head for a smash or knee cut, backstep, or transition to leg drag depending on the bottom player's reaction.

Common mistakes

  • × Weaving the arm too shallow and only controlling one leg, allowing the bottom player to easily re-insert a knee shield or recover half guard.
  • × Staying too upright without committing shoulder pressure, giving the bottom player space to frame, shrimp, and escape to deep half or reguard.
  • × Neglecting upper body control, which lets the bottom player turn in, secure an underhook, and reach dogfight or come up for a sweep.

Attacks & transitions

Offense available from Leg Weave.

Leg Weave Pass pass Smash Pass pass
7 less common
Back Step transition Deep Half Entry transition Knee Cut Pass pass Leg Drag Pass pass Long Step Pass pass Over-under Pass pass Underhook Sweep From Half Guard sweep

Escapes & defense

Getting out of Leg Weave, or shutting it down.

Dogfight Position Frame And Shrimp escape Rolling To Guard escape