Arm Behind the Back Guard Pass

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Stephan Kesting

Getting a handle, or a grip, on your opponent in MMA is not always easy. Here Denis uses an unusual grip both to control his opponent and remove one of his potential weapons from the equation.

	Denis starts by pinning his opponent’s right bicep and left wrist to the mat
	Maintaining his grips he suddenly explodes up onto his feet…
	…and passes his opponent’s arm behind his back, to his left hand. Denis now has a great opportunity to either pass the guard or strike his opponent with his free (right) hand.
	Close-up: in NHB there aren’t many solid grips to hold your opponent, but this grip – holding his wrist behind his back – is pretty reliable.
	Keeping his behind-the-back grip he now pushes down on the knee with his hand to open the guard…
	…and cross-slides his left knee across the left thigh
	He ends up in side mount with his opponent’s arm still trapped – a great position!