Two-on-one pass-off

Source: Volume 02, §5 — ▶Watch at 00:21:56   (full transcript)

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Purpose

When you can't walk to the side, use patience and grip fighting. Establish inside position, wait for partner to unlock, pass head to outside.

Entry condition

Front headlock. You can establish inside-position thumb grip.

Mechanics

Establishing inside position with the thumb

Two ways to keep your chin in:

• Chin tucked to inside of shoulder (instinctive, default — this is good).
• Chin turned slightly to the outside — used if Chris is really trying to force my head across his centerline; in that case I want my chin out the other way.

Either way, we are not sticking our head up and creating separation between chin and sternum, which would let our partner punch the strangle arm through.

1. Bring partner's hands down in front of your chest, low enough to get a good grip.
2. In a perfect world, opposite hand to opposite hand: Chris's right arm + my right arm. But you can't always do that.
3. Often you have to use your second hand first: bring partner's arm down slightly, bring your elbow forward, then insert your thumb inside.
   • The detail: Chris has a strong grip. I can't get my right thumb in without lifting my chin (exposing my head).
   • From this position, take your outside hand and pull down just enough to get partner's hand on your sternum.
   • Then pivot, bring your right elbow forward — this lets you take your thumb to the inside.
4. Take your left hand and double up — two-on-one wrist grip.

Now wait. As partner goes to strangle from here, he'll find it very difficult. So often what will happen is he'll unlock his hands. The moment he unlocks: pass off.

The pump-handle pass-off (head to the outside)

The pass-off: use your two-on-one to take your partner's arm from one side of your head to the other.

This is similar to what we do when partner is on the back — a two-on-one pass-off, sometimes called a pump-handle escape: taking partner's arm and moving it from the opposite side of their head to the same side.

Whenever his arm and his head are on the same side, the strangle is causal — the threat is gone.

Sequence:

1. Keep your chin in.
2. Pull down with your outside hand.
3. Place your thumb on the inside.
4. Get double thumb grips — two-on-one — and wait.
5. As partner goes to separate the hands, move and take your head to the outside.

There's already a lot of separation. As he comes in to chase us, we place our feet up here, and now we're ready to go into our attacks.

Off-ramps from the head pass

Once your head is on the outside, you have a whole host of good options:

• Arm drag.
• Thumb post.
• High stop.
• Double-leg your partner.
• Sit back to a seated butterfly, half guard, half butterfly, or put your back on the floor.

Three core sub-skills here:

1. Grip fighting.
2. Getting your head to the opposite side.
3. Retreating / reclining backward to whatever guard variant suits you. Now you've got your legs between you and your partner — ready for offense.

Key details

1. Pull down with outside hand to get partner's grip on sternum — don't try to force your thumb in from neutral; use the outside hand to create the opening first.
2. Pivot, bring right elbow forward to insert thumb — this is the mechanical trick that gets the thumb to inside position without lifting the chin.
3. Double up — two-on-one wrist grip — both hands on one wrist, controlling the strangle arm.
4. WAIT — partner will unlock when strangle fails. This is the patience component. The strangle is very difficult with your two-on-one in place, so they will eventually unlock.
5. Pass head from one side to other (pump-handle). Use the two-on-one to move partner's arm across. Once head is on the outside, strangle threat is gone.
6. Once head is outside, strangle threat is gone. Place feet between you and partner, choose your attack — arm drag, sit back to guard, snap-down.

Common failures

• Lifting the chin to get the thumb in. Never create air gap between chin and sternum. Use the outside hand to pull partner's grip down first, then pivot to insert.
• Rushing the pass-off before partner unlocks. If partner's hands are still locked, the pump-handle is much harder. Be patient — the two-on-one makes their strangle ineffective, so they will eventually unlock.
• Not placing feet between you and partner after the pass. Once your head is outside, you need your legs as a barrier. Without them, partner can re-engage from a strong angle.
• Sticking head up. Any separation between chin and sternum lets partner punch the strangle arm through.

Connections

• From: Front headlock (bottom) → To: Seated guard
• Principles: Inside position, Retract
• Skills: Grip fighting
• Leads to: Arm drag series (§6), snap-down (§7), sit back to butterfly/half guard