Lockdown Pass
Lockdown pass — defeat the figure-four calf hook, recover the trapped leg, and pass the half guard.
Adapted from the original page. Grappling.Games did not write this. Sources.
The lockdown pass is the set of actions that defeat the lockdown — a half guard configuration where the bottom player’s legs form a figure-four around the top player’s near leg, with a calf hook that stretches and controls the trapped leg. The lockdown is not merely a leg trap; the calf hook extends the top player’s leg backward, tilting the hip structure and removing the posting ability on the trapped side. From this control, the bottom player threatens dogfight entries, old school sweeps, electric chair submissions, and back takes.
The passing difficulty is mechanical: the figure-four lock is structurally strong and the calf hook adds a stretching force that standard half guard passing techniques cannot overcome. A top player who tries to extract the leg using the same methods that work against standard half guard will find the lockdown holds — the calf hook adds a dimension of control that simple knee extraction does not address.
The pass must first neutralise the calf hook’s stretch, then defeat the figure-four, and finally pass the resulting open half guard. Skipping any of these stages fails.
Ruleset context This technique is legal in all major competitive formats.
INV-G01Invariant "The bottom player must maintain their feet between or at the line of the top player's knees. Losing this line allows the top player to advance without engaging the guard."
Why it works hereThe lockdown is an aggressive version of the foot-line condition. The bottom player's feet are not merely between the top player's knees — they are behind the calf in a figure-four, actively pulling the leg backward. Breaking this foot line is the pass's core requirement; unlike a standard half guard where the feet trap the thigh, the lockdown's calf wrap resists simple extraction and must be unhinged before the line can be cleared.
See full invariant page → The lockdown is an aggressive foot-line position. The bottom player’s feet are not merely between the top player’s knees — they are behind the calf, actively pulling the leg backward. Breaking this foot line is the pass’s core requirement. Unlike a standard half guard where the feet trap the thigh, the lockdown’s feet wrap the calf in a figure-four that resists simple extraction.
INV-G05Invariant "The bottom player's hips must remain mobile. A flattened bottom player cannot generate the movement needed to recover guard, sweep, or attack."