Reverse Half Guard Back Take

Transition

The Reverse Half Guard Back Take is a transition where the bottom player in reverse half guard exploits their positioning behind the opponent's hips to climb onto the back. It capitalizes on the inherent advantage of reverse half guard, where you already face your opponent's back, converting an unconventional guard into a dominant control position.

Quick Reference

Key principles

  • · Your chest should already be oriented toward your opponent's back—maintain this angle and never allow them to square up to you.
  • · Control the far hip or belt line to prevent them from turning into you or flattening out.
  • · Use your half guard hook not just to retain guard but as a lever to off-balance and elevate their hips.
  • · Anticipate the opponent trying to drive their hips backward to flatten you—use their weight commitment to time your insertion of the second hook.
  • · Keep your underhook or seatbelt grip secured before freeing your legs, ensuring you don't lose connection during the transition.

Execution

  1. 1 From reverse half guard bottom, secure a grip on the opponent's far hip or establish a seatbelt grip around their torso while keeping your chest facing their back.
  2. 2 Use your half guard hook to bump and elevate their hips, creating space to begin sliding your body up toward their back.
  3. 3 Walk your shoulders and hips out to the side, angling yourself further behind them while maintaining your leg entanglement.
  4. 4 Extract your half guard leg and insert it as your first back hook, then immediately thread your second hook on the opposite side.
  5. 5 Lock in the seatbelt grip fully and settle your weight into proper back control with both hooks secured.

Common mistakes

  • × Releasing the leg entanglement before establishing upper body control, allowing the opponent to turn and face you, losing the back angle entirely.
  • × Trying to jump directly to back mount without first angling out to the side, resulting in getting flattened under the opponent's weight.
  • × Neglecting far hip control, which lets the opponent spin toward you and recover into a top position or side control.

Do it from

Positions and situations where the Reverse Half Guard Back Take shows up.

Reverse Half Guard Bottom

Where it lands

The position you end up in.

Back Control Top