Skip to content

Dogfight

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

Core Mechanics and Concepts

Section titled “Core Mechanics and Concepts”

Alignment in the dogfight

Section titled “Alignment in the dogfight”

The underhook vs whizzer battle

Section titled “The underhook vs whizzer battle”
  • Who has better position?
  • If they let go of the whizzer

Near leg position and control

Section titled “Near leg position and control”

Drive into your opponent

Section titled “Drive into your opponent”

Keeping your shoulder up

Section titled “Keeping your shoulder up”

Underhook position and placement

Section titled “Underhook position and placement”

Hip height

Section titled “Hip height”

Should you switch to a single leg?

Section titled “Should you switch to a single leg?”

Entries

Section titled “Entries”
  • Wrestle-up from half guard (primary entry: win underhook, lower leg shift, wrestle to knees)
  • From knee shield to underhook to deep underhook
  • From turtle
  • From standing (collar tie, snap down exchanges)

Major Pathways (Underhook Player)

Section titled “Major Pathways (Underhook Player)”
  • Driving through them
  • Limp arm
  • Shelving the leg
  • Go-behind (clearing the whizzer, circling to turtle/rear body lock)
  • Cut back (switching direction into far hip)
  • Transition to single or double leg

Countering Heavy Whizzer

Section titled “Countering Heavy Whizzer”
  • Rollunder sweep
  • Double leg trap

Countering Them Freeing the Leg

Section titled “Countering Them Freeing the Leg”
  • Back take
  • To body lock
  • To front headlock

Whizzer Player (Defense)

Section titled “Whizzer Player (Defense)”
  • Uchi mata / whizzer kick (outside trip counter)
  • Transition to front headlock
  • Preventing the go-behind

The Underhook Pipeline (Half Guard to Dogfight)

Section titled “The Underhook Pipeline (Half Guard to Dogfight)”
  • Entries to the underhook (knee shield to underhook, other entries)
  • Deepening the underhook (getting around the corner, placement, head position, bottom arm battles)
  • Deep underhook concepts (outside leg hook, torqueing the knee, applying pressure, controlling the far leg)
  • Getting up to dogfight (methods, preventing leg freeing, if they stand)
  • Rollunder sweep (as alternative to dogfight)

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

Coaching Guide

Section titled “Coaching Guide”

Common entries and sequences

Section titled “Common entries and sequences”

Wrestle-up from half guard. The bottom player in half guard wins an underhook and performs a lower leg shift. By freeing their trapped leg or shifting their hips, they wrestle up to their knees, forcing the top player to use a whizzer to prevent an immediate back take. This is the primary entry.

The go-behind. The underhook player clears the defender’s whizzer by bringing their underhook hand up toward the opponent’s head or neck. This kills the leverage of the overhook and allows the attacker to circle behind to turtle or a rear body lock.

Uchi mata / whizzer kick. The player with the overhook uses their leverage to pull the opponent’s weight forward while kicking their own leg back or using an outside trip. This throws the attacker back to the mat, often allowing the defender to take top position. Most common high-amplitude counter.

The cut back. If the defender leans heavily into the underhook player, the attacker switches the direction of their force and drives their weight into the opponent’s far hip (often using a side body lock), forcing the defender onto their side or hip.

Transition to single or double leg. If the underhook player cannot finish the sweep directly, they transition their underhook to a low single-leg or double-leg shot. The defender may use the space to transition into a front headlock.

Common problems and cues

Section titled “Common problems and cues”
Section titled “Recommended games”

Resources

Section titled “Resources”