{"slug":"knee-cut-pass","name":"Knee-Cut Pass","aliases":["knee slice","knee slide","knee-through pass"],"category":"pass","format":"both","level":"fundamental","summary":"A pressure pass that drives one knee across the opponent's thigh while controlling the upper body and clearing the hips.","overview":["The knee-cut pass turns the passer's hips sideways and slides the lead knee across the guard player's thigh. The lower-body movement succeeds only when paired with upper-body control: an underhook, collar grip, crossface, or strong head position prevents the guard player from following the hip turn.","The pass appears from headquarters, half guard, reverse De La Riva, and open-guard scrambles. Its common dilemma is between the knee cut and a backstep or long-step direction when the guard player blocks the hip."],"keyPrinciples":["Win the underhook or equivalent inside upper-body control.","Point the lead knee beyond the opponent's hip, not into their frame.","Keep the trailing foot active until the knee line is clear.","Settle shoulder control before releasing the lower-body pin."],"entries":[{"label":"Headquarters","description":"Staple one leg between yours and turn the lead knee across the thigh."},{"label":"Half guard","description":"Flatten the shoulders and progressively free the trapped knee."},{"label":"Reverse De La Riva","description":"Control the inside hook and connect the upper body before sliding through."}],"continuations":[{"label":"Side control","description":"Clear the hip line and settle chest-to-chest with far-side control."},{"label":"Mount","description":"Walk the knee higher when the defender's elbows separate from the torso."},{"label":"Backstep","description":"Change direction when the guard player overcommits to blocking the knee cut."}],"defenses":[{"label":"Knee shield","description":"Frame across the torso before the passer closes shoulder distance."},{"label":"Reverse De La Riva","description":"Hook the lead leg and keep the passer's knee from crossing the hip line."},{"label":"Underhook","description":"Turn onto the side and build toward a wrestle-up or back exposure."}],"relatedTechniqueSlugs":["side-control","half-guard","reverse-de-la-riva","mount"],"athleteSlugs":["tainan-dal-pra","ffion-davies","amy-campo","ana-carolina-vieira"],"rulesetNote":"Scoring and permitted grips vary by promotion and division. Check the current organizer rules before competing.","sources":[{"label":"IBJJF rule book and rules resources","url":"https://ibjjf.com/books-videos","type":"rules"}],"lastUpdated":"2026-07-25","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/knee-cut-pass","markdownUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/knee-cut-pass.md","jsonUrl":"https://www.ossmeta.com/api/public/techniques/knee-cut-pass","relatedTechniques":[{"slug":"side-control","name":"Side Control","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/side-control"},{"slug":"half-guard","name":"Half Guard","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/half-guard"},{"slug":"reverse-de-la-riva","name":"Reverse De La Riva","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/reverse-de-la-riva"},{"slug":"mount","name":"Mount","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/techniques/mount"}],"associatedAthletes":[{"slug":"tainan-dal-pra","name":"Tainan Dalpra","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/tainan-dal-pra"},{"slug":"ffion-davies","name":"Ffion Davies","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/ffion-davies"},{"slug":"amy-campo","name":"Amy Campo","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/amy-campo"},{"slug":"ana-carolina-vieira","name":"Ana Carolina Vieira","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com/athletes/ana-carolina-vieira"}],"sourceSite":{"name":"Ossmeta","url":"https://www.ossmeta.com"}}