Defending the headstand pass

[SC MMA MD]

I play butterfly quite a bit, and recently some of the better guys have started doing the headstand pass where you overhook both legs with your arms, plant the top of your head by the opponents hips, and then do a headstand to hop over the butterfly hook and land in side control. This pass is like a cheat code to my guard, and I have not found a good defense yet (aside from trying to keep them from getting the overhooks and head position they need). Any thoughts on useful defense strategies from here?

 

[maurice]

Push the head and shrimp?

As a butterfly player, I assume you already watch a lot of Marcelo Garcia vids. It seems to me that, any time his opponent starts to get into a position to pass, Marcelo just shrimps away and resets. Rinse and repeat until he gets the grips he wants to start his offense.

 

[Left Hook Larry]

i have been able to follow people with my hooks when they try that pass. the key is to feel when they are going to go for it and follow their momentum. not everyone, but up to about the mid blue belt level.

 

[SC MMA MD]

I think my biggest problem is letting them control my hips. The guy who has been hitting this the most is a 230lb brown belt, so when he clamps down before doing the headstand it is really hard to try to shrimp. I tried pushing his head, but what I really would want to do with his head is drag it over to the other side, pushing it away on the same side sort of helps the pass. I tried posting both hands on his head and pushing hard, and it upset his balance, but nearly resulted in my death as he was going to fall over directly on me- but he realized this and shoulder rolled on my head side so he would not crush me.
I think I will try driving one of my arms through to secure an underhook on the side opposite his head and try to use that leverage to pry him back to a more standard butterfly position. It seems this would at least make it much harder to hop over my hooks.

 

[maurice]

Yeah, I should have clarified. Push the head in the direction he's trying to pass. He can't secure side control with his head and hips on the same side. BJ Penn is really good at this.

Definitely easier said than done with some giant dude clamped on to you.

 

[SC MMA MD]

Yeah, I should have clarified. Push the head in the direction he's trying to pass. He can't secure side control with his head and hips on the same side. BJ Penn is really good at this.

Definitely easier said than done with some giant dude clamped on to you.

Pushing the head to the passing side is my go to guard pass defense, but with this pass they literally have all their weight on their head and shoulder, so it is nearly impossible to get their head where you want it. If you push before they plant their head, they can simply pass the other way since their hips are midline until they do the headstand.

 

[Leigh]

Don't let him grab your feet. Use underhooks to control him.

If he does grab your feet, abandon your butterfly and push yourself back off his head/shoulders and straighten your legs, so that he is still behind your hips. Then defend the pass as you would a toreando.

 

[SC MMA MD]

This is not the most finessed defense, but I tried using the arm on the side they planted their head to grab their belt at their far side hip and pull to force them to tumble forward on the same side their head is on, and that worked pretty well. I turned over and took top side control once, and created a scramble the other time.

 

[Darqnezz]

Don't let them clamp down on your butterfly hooks.

Lol

 

[Leigh]

Don't let them clamp down on your butterfly hooks.

Lol

LOL Osiander makes me chuckle when he says that but he's right

 

[member 1013]

I just kick them in the nuts