You have top position. You should be winning.
But your leg is stuck. Your opponent is on their side, controlling your knee, and every time you try to pull free, they threaten a sweep or dive underneath for the back take.
Sound familiar? The half guard pass is where most grapplers hit a wall.
My buddy Master Anibal Braga built an entire system around solving this exact problem. His Simplified Half Guard Program breaks the pass into 3 clear methods, each one designed for a different situation you'll hit during a roll. And if you chain the pass into knee on belly, you're looking at 5 combo points under IBJJF rules.
Here's how his system works, step by step. If you need a refresher on guard positions in BJJ or our complete guard passing blueprint, start there first.
Why Half Guard Stalls Your Pass (And How to Fix It)
Here's something Braga hammers home in his instruction that most people miss: when the bottom player controls your knee, they control your entire leg. And when they control your entire leg, your whole body is blocked.
That's why muscling your way out never works. You're fighting against leverage that's stacked against you.
Before any half guard pass will work, three things need to happen. First, you have to deny the underhook. If the bottom player gets underneath you, they're the ones attacking. Second, flatten your opponent's back to the mat. A person on their side has sweeps and submissions available. A person flat on their back is defending. Third, create space at the knee. You cannot extract your leg through a gap that doesn't exist.
Every single pass Braga teaches starts from this same setup. Block them from diving under with your hands on their ribs and chest, push them flat, and then choose which extraction method fits the situation.
Get those three things right, and the actual pass becomes almost mechanical.
Step 1: The Stand-Up Extraction (Braga's Primary Method)
This is the bread-and-butter pass. If you only drill one half guard technique this month, make it this one.
Your opponent starts diving underneath you from the half guard. Place one hand directly on their ribs and the other on their chest. This two-point contact block keeps them from getting to your back.
Now push their back flat against the mat and scoop your hips backward. You're creating a gap between your knee and their legs. Once that gap opens, pull your knee free.
Here's where the details matter.
Grip both of your opponent's legs near the knees with both hands. You need this double grip because it gives you the base to stand up quickly. Stand up fast while holding the grips. Now pull your trapped foot out.
One detail Braga is very specific about: point your foot down like a dancer when you extract it. You don't have much space between their legs. A flexed foot catches and gets stuck. A pointed foot slides through clean.
And this part is not optional. Braga says the extraction must be done all at once. You cannot do it slowly. A gradual pull gives the bottom player time to re-establish their grip. Commit to the movement.
Once your foot clears, push their legs in toward each other and bring your knee over their belly. Now stabilize.
Keep your support leg back, not close to their head. If your leg drifts forward, they'll attack it and you lose your base.
Hold knee on belly for 3 seconds and you score 3 points for the guard pass plus 2 points for knee on belly. Five points off a single sequence. Check out our full knee on belly guide for what to do once you get there.
Step 2: The Elbow Wedge (When You Can't Stand Up)
Sometimes your opponent stays tight. They've blocked the stand-up by clinging close, and there's no room to scoop back and rise.
This is where Braga's second option comes in.
You still start the same way. Block them from diving under with your hand on their ribs and push back to create what space you can. But instead of standing up, you're going to use your elbow as a lever.
Find the gap between your thigh and their thigh. Slide your elbow into that space. Your elbow is now a wedge sitting between their closed half guard and your trapped leg.
Open the elbow outward. You're prying their legs apart. They'll still be locked on, but the gap doesn't need to be huge. It just needs to be enough.
One detail Braga emphasizes: lift your foot off the ground rather than keeping your knee planted. Having your foot up gives you more mobility for the extraction. A knee on the mat anchors you in place.
Now break your knee to the outside and kick it free in one fast motion. Speed matters here. A slow extraction lets them re-close the guard. A fast one puts you past the point of no return.
Once free, twist your hips and come over them. Keep the hand on their ribs throughout. It prevents them from turning away. Pass your arm around their neck and drive your shoulder into their face to stabilize side control.
Step 3: The Lapel Thread (Gi-Only Shutdown)
Training in the gi opens up a pass that no-gi players simply don't have access to. And this one is as close to inescapable as half guard passing gets.
Braga starts from the traditional half guard top position with his shoulder on the opponent's face and their arm controlled. Here's where it gets interesting.
He releases his own lapel. Not the opponent's. His.
He threads the lapel underneath the opponent's armpit and switches it to his other hand. Now he pulls that lapel tail as low as possible, down toward the opponent's hips.
Then he passes his arm underneath the opponent's leg and grabs the lapel again from the other side.
The result: the opponent is locked down at the top by your shoulder and body weight, and at the bottom by the lapel threading through under their leg. Their hip escape is completely shut off.
From here, escape your hips back and fit your knee inside the gap. Pull the threaded lapel toward you as hard as you can, and your trapped leg slides free. Come over them and settle into your passing position.
The beauty of this pass is patience. Once you lock in the lapel thread, you can take your time. The opponent has no escape route. Every other pass requires speed on the extraction. This one requires precision on the setup, and then the finish almost takes care of itself.
Bonus: Turn a Stalled Pass into a Back Take
Every pass gets defended eventually. Your opponent blocks the stand-up, the wedge, and the lapel. Now what?
Go to their back. It's worth 4 points.
When your half guard pass stalls and the opponent starts turning away from you, grip their knee with one hand and reach for their belt with the other. Use four fingers inside the belt for a strong grip.
Plant your foot on the far side as a hook, blocking their bottom leg. Now execute a forward roll, pulling their knee inside as you go over.
You'll end up on their back with your first hook already in.
Braga is clear about one thing: once you get the belt grip, you cannot hesitate. Any delay and the bottom player starts attacking first. Get the grip, roll immediately.
From the back, skip your hips out and set the second hook. Pull them onto their back and you're in position for collar chokes, arm attacks, or a rear naked choke. Our BJJ submissions guide covers the finishes.
Common Half Guard Passing Mistakes (And Braga's Fixes)
Four things kill half guard passes before they start.
Slow foot extraction. This is the biggest one. Braga says it outright: the extraction has to happen all at once. A gradual pull gives the bottom player a window to re-engage their legs and reset the half guard. Commit to the movement or don't start it.
Support leg too close to the opponent's head. After you pass and get to knee on belly, your posted leg needs to stay back. If it drifts forward near their head, they'll grab it, attack it, and strip your base out from under you.
Not flattening the opponent first. Every pass in Braga's system begins with putting the opponent's back on the mat. If they stay on their side, they have sweeps, underhooks, and back takes available. A person flat on their back is reacting, not attacking. This is the step most white belts skip, and it's the step that makes everything else work.
Muscling the leg free instead of creating space. Yanking your leg straight out of a closed half guard is a strength move that burns energy and rarely works against someone your size or bigger. The whole point of Braga's system is to create space first, through scooping, wedging, or lapel control, and then extract through the gap you built.
Understanding what the bottom player wants helps too. If you know how escapes work from the bottom perspective, you'll recognize the setups before they happen. And once you do pass, knowing how to hold your position, whether that's side control or knee on belly, turns a pass into points.