What the over-under pass is
The over-under is a slow pressure pass named for its grips. You reach under one of your partner’s legs and over the other, lift and stack the underhooked leg, and pass toward the side of your overhook while your weight stays on their hips. It works in the gi and in no-gi, and it is one of the passes in our guide to BJJ guard passing.
The pass is closely associated with Bernardo Faria, a world champion who built his passing game around it and uses it against almost every type of guard.
Grips and getting to the position
The position starts with one leg isolated. Many passers control a knee, or trap one of their partner’s legs between their own, before they reach under, because a leg left free can come up for a triangle. Against closed guard, the entry follows the guard break closely, and some passers open the guard from their knees so the underhook is a short move from where they already are.
Gi gripsNo-gi grips
- Lifts and traps one legYour arm goes deep under one thigh, and the hand grips the lapel or the belt.Your arm goes deep under one thigh, and the hand grips the hip or locks to your other hand.
- Blocks the other legYour other arm goes over the other leg, and the hand grips the pants at the knee or shin.Your other arm goes over the other leg, and the hand holds the knee or shin.
- Pins the hipsSame in no-giYour shoulder drives into the belly, so your weight sits on the hips.
How the bottom player counters it
- Frame the head awayA hand or forearm pushes the passer's head off the hip, which takes away the angle the pass needs.
- Pummel a leg freeA leg works free of the passer's arm and comes back in front of them to rebuild the guard.
- Close half guardThe legs trap one of the passer's legs as the passer walks around.
- Triangle or omoplataThe bottom player brings a knee to the chest and attacks the passer's head and arm.
In the gi, the lapel and pants grips lock you tightly to the hips. Without them, the pass relies more on body position and pressure to hold the legs in place.
Stacking the leg and walking around
Once both arms are in place, keep your head tight to your partner’s hip on the overhook side. Instructors differ on hip height. Some raise their hips, even coming up on their toes, to drive the shoulder in harder, while others keep their hips low and sprawl their weight onto the legs.
Then walk your feet around in an arc toward the overhook side. Finish by settling into side control with a crossface or an underhook.
If your partner turns away from the pressure instead of facing you, follow their hips as they turn, because their back may come open.
How the bottom player defends it
When your partner frames your head away, walking a step farther around restores the angle. When a leg comes free, you can stack it again or move to a different pass. Some coaches teach the stack pass and the toreando alongside the over-under for that reason, as answers to its common defenses.
When your partner closes half guard during the pass, one answer is to bring your underhooking arm over the hips to keep them pinned, underhook your partner’s arm with your other arm and work your trapped knee free.
Common over-under mistakes
A shallow underhook is the first. Reach deep enough under the thigh to pinch your elbow tight and trap the leg. With a shallow grip on that side, the leg slides out as soon as your partner moves their hips.
Driving straight forward is the second. It tends to stall the pass and puts your neck in front of your partner for a guillotine.
Hurrying is the third. The pass relies on constant weight, and quick steps that lift that weight off the hips let your partner hip escape and square up to you again.
What a reviewer looks for in your over-under
On video, a reviewer checks how deep the underhook was when you first set it, whether your head stayed on the hip as you walked, and which way you were moving when the pass stalled. They also note which defense stopped you and whether you followed it with another pass. In a roll review, a verified black belt marks each of those moments with timestamps on your own footage.