BJJ Fundamentals

Lesson 5 – Knee Shield to Tight Waist

Tight Waist – High Knee Shield Entry

Start in half guard with a high knee shield
Grip uke’s tricep and pull their shoulder into your knee shield to secure the frame
Punch your knee shield through uke’s armpit and follow through the same space with your arm, establishing an underhook
Sit up into uke and prop yourself up on your elbow
- Press your ear into uke’s far side shoulder; don’t come up directly into their chest as this makes it easy to get pushed back down
Reach further with your underhook, establishing a tight waist grip on uke

Tight Waist – Low Knee Shield Entry

Start in half guard with a low knee shield
Place a cross-frame on uke’s far side shoulder
Sit up into uke and prop yourself up on your elbow
Pommel your arm under uke’s armpit, establishing an underhook
- Swim your hand to the inside, and press your ear into uke’s far side shoulder as in the previous move
Reach further with your underhook, establishing a tight waist grip on uke

Roll-Through Sweep

Continue from tight waist
Use your outside leg to hook over uke’s shin, pulling their ankle outwards
- This should naturally bring uke’s far side knee off the mat
At the same time, grip the gi pants on uke’s far side knee
Use the turning force of your legs and the push of your arm to roll through onto your back
Finish the roll-through sweep by moving your hips out to the side, setting uke down onto their side and coming up to a pin
- Don’t just try to sit up; experienced players will be able to put you back down

Duck-Under Back Take

Continue from roll-through sweep (your back on the mat)
Uke stops the roll-through by posting on the mat with their arms
Walk your body out under uke’s posted arm
- Keep your head away from uke, so that they cannot recover their arm position
Pull uke down and come up to establish a height advantage
Come up behind uke and take their back; establish hooks and a seat belt grip