YR Sports Lab
The Leg Weave Pass (also called the Hip Smash in some teaching sources) is a pressure pass against half guard and the knee shield: you thread one arm behind the opponent's top leg, pin their belly and hips to the mat with your head and bodyweight, then circle out of range of the legs into side control. This guide draws on Grapplearts, Evolve, Digitsu, BJJFanatics and the June 2024 IBJJF rules book. No reliable inventor record exists, so the history section only says what can be verified.
1. Origin and Story: No Verifiable Inventor, and the Name Is Not Standard
To be clear up front: no reliable record says who invented the Leg Weave Pass or when. The teaching sources I read (Grapplearts, Evolve, Digitsu) teach the technique without giving its history. The English Wikipedia list of BJJ techniques files this family of half guard passes as "Twist Pass (Weave Arm Through Legs)," and the same page notes that BJJ has no established canon of techniques, with significant regional variation in application and naming (queried 2026/11).
The naming confusion is itself an example. Grapplearts and Evolve both call the leg weave the Hip Smash, but the Wikipedia list places "Sit into Hip Smash" under X-Guard, which looks like a different movement. When you hear "hip smash" in a gym, check which position the person means.
One verifiable detail: Fabio Gurgel's "forehead, not shoulder"
In his Grapplearts article dated 2020/02/17, Stephan Kesting updates his own method and writes that Fabio Gurgel showed him a detail that changed how he does the pass: instead of crushing the upper thighs with the shoulder, put the weight on the belly through the forehead and use the arms only to stop the legs from tracking you.
This is one instructor's account, not match data or research. Other sources (such as Digitsu) still describe shoulder and chest pressure on the knee, so both versions exist side by side.
2. Mechanics: Thread, Pin, Press the Shield, Circle, Finish in Side Control
Grapplearts (Kesting), Evolve and Digitsu describe the steps in a slightly different order. The table below strings the shared parts into one line and names the source of each detail in the text:
- ① Set up: half guard on top, arm threadedKesting starts with one of the opponent's legs between yours and the other shin pressed against your hip like a shield; you place the threading arm behind the opponent's top leg and in front of the bottom leg
- ② Pin the belly and hipsKesting: pin the opponent's belly with the top of your head, pike your hips up, and let head and weight staple their belly and hips to the mat; the threading hand can rest on the mat in a fist or hold the fabric on the top thigh
- ③ Press down the knee shieldEvolve: straighten the threading arm and use shoulder pressure to weaken the knee shield; Digitsu: grip the far hip, belt or pants with the threading hand and use shoulder and chest to drive the near knee down
- ④ Keep head pressure, circleKesting: keep the head on the belly and circle (his demo threads the right arm and circles left), with the threading arm mainly stopping the legs from following; Digitsu: sprawl the hips low and move sideways toward the weave side. The two sources describe the direction differently, so follow where your partner's legs actually are
- ⑤ Free the leg, finish in side controlKesting: work past the top leg, settle into side control and keep the opponent uncomfortable; Evolve's gi version places the far knee beside the opponent's hip to secure side control
Digitsu names the landing point as Headquarters Position (knee on the thigh or dominant upper-body control), while Kesting and Evolve go straight to side control. They can be read as different stopping points on the same path (my own synthesis, not an explicit statement in the sources). Evolve's gi demonstration (by Lachlan Giles) adds one detail: tripod and knee-slice near the shin rather than the thigh.
Evolve also describes a no-gi backside variation (demonstrated by Travis Stevens): after pressing the arm against the knee shield, catch the opponent's ankle and pin it to the mat with a C grip, then switch your base and lift the threading arm to finish the pass. This differs from the main line above, so make the main line smooth before drilling it.
3. Entry Timing and Setups
First, when the opponent puts a knee shield in front of your chest. Evolve names this as the typical situation, with the knee shield usually coming from half guard; Digitsu also lists the pass as used against the Knee Shield and Half Guard Bottom.
Second, from other top positions. Digitsu's position list for the technique includes Butterfly Guard Top, Inverted Guard, Knee Shield, Half Guard Top, Leg Drag Position, Leg Hook and Underhook Control.
Third, gi and no-gi grips differ. Evolve says the pass works best in the gi but can work no-gi. Its gi version uses the free hand on a lapel or sleeve to control the upper body; the Giles no-gi version summarized by BJJFanatics plants one hand on the mat in a fist while threading the arm between the legs, cups the opponent's elbow and drives the head forward, and stresses that head and hand position are critical. One way to chain it is with the Knee Cut Pass: weave when the shield is pressed flat, switch to the knee cut when the opponent recovers the leg (my own chaining idea, not an explicit claim from the sources).
4. Strengths and Limits
| Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|
| Evolve: it needs little athleticism, suits older grapplers, and can control even very athletic partners when done well | Evolve: the best defense is control of the passer's upper body; in the gi, a lapel grip lets the defender post on the passer |
| Digitsu: shoulder and chest drive the near knee down and flatten the opponent's hips | Digitsu: if you stay upright, the opponent may insert butterfly hooks or scramble |
| Evolve: pressure passing limits the opponent's options and grinds them down | Opponent responses listed by Digitsu: pummeling the knee back inside, re-establishing the knee shield, or framing on your head and hip-escaping to re-guard or take the back |
5. Common Counters and Defenses
The defensive material comes from Evolve's explanation, BJJFanatics' summary of Lachlan Giles' no-gi version, and the opponent responses listed by Digitsu.
Counter 1: control the passer's upper body. Evolve calls this the best defense. In the gi, a grip on the passer's lapel lets the defender post on the upper body and stay connected. If you are the player on bottom, see the Half Guard guide.
Counter 2: build a cross-face frame. In the Giles no-gi version summarized by BJJFanatics, the opponent can frame with a cross-face. Giles' answer is to change the angle of the head and keep passing instead of pushing into the frame.
Counter 3: block the path with the top leg. When the opponent puts the top leg in the way, Giles says the correct response is to push their knee down to the mat with your shoulder; once the blocking leg is extended, you can pass to the other side.
Options after the counter (passer's view, my own synthesis)
The opponent pummels the knee back and rebuilds the knee shield. Digitsu lists these as typical responses. Rather than forcing it, one option is to switch to the Knee Cut Pass or go back and reset the starting position.
You are too upright and the opponent looks for hooks or a scramble. Digitsu notes that staying upright gives the opponent those chances; settling your weight back down, putting the head on the belly again and restarting the circle is the suggested fix here.
6. Frequency in Competition and Rules
IBJJF publishes placings and brackets, not per-technique usage statistics, and I found no Leg Weave Pass specific frequency data in the teaching and media sources I searched (queried 2026/11), so no numbers are given. What can be said is that it is a pressure pass commonly used against half guard and the knee shield.
On scoring, I read the IBJJF Rules Book of June 2024 directly (the PDF pages are marked Version 6.1, while the IBJJF download page labels the file v6.0; queried 2026/11, no newer edition found). Article 4.2: the top athlete surmounts the opponent's legs (guard or half guard) and maintains side control or north-south for 3 seconds to score 3 points. The rules book defines half guard as the bottom athlete lying on the back or side with one of the top athlete's legs trapped, blocking side or north-south control.
On illegal moves, the rules book's technical-foul table includes entries such as Slam and Knee Reaping; which divisions each entry applies to follows the table in the rules book, and no entry in the table is named for a weave-style pass. Rules change from year to year, so check the current official rules book before competing.
7. Safety Notes
The core of the Leg Weave Pass is putting your head and weight on the opponent's belly and hips while your threading arm sits between their legs. In drilling, watch your partner's belly, hips and the knee of the trapped leg, as well as the load on your own head and neck (gym convention, not a research conclusion).
I found no study that quantifies injuries caused by the weave pass specifically, so no medical figures are cited. The drilling guidelines below are gym convention, not research findings.
・Add head and body pressure gradually; do not drop all your weight on the partner's belly at once
・The partner on the bottom taps as soon as the belly, hips or knee feels strained, and the top player releases immediately
・When freeing the trapped foot, do not wrench the partner's trapped leg
・Partners with hip, knee or lower-back injuries should drill slowly or skip this pass
・Check the current official rules book for which moves are illegal in which divisions; do not rely on instructional video descriptions
FAQ
Are the Leg Weave Pass and the Hip Smash the same thing?
Grapplearts and Evolve both call the leg weave the Hip Smash, but BJJ naming is not standardized. The Wikipedia technique list files Sit into Hip Smash under X-Guard, which looks like a different movement, so check which position someone means when they say the name.
Can you still use the Leg Weave Pass when the opponent has a knee shield?
Yes, that is the most common situation. Evolve names the knee shield as the typical setting, and Digitsu lists the pass as used against the Knee Shield and Half Guard Bottom. Thread the arm, straighten it to weaken the shield with shoulder pressure, then circle with your head on the belly.
Can you use the Leg Weave Pass without a gi?
Yes, but the grips change. Evolve says the pass works best in the gi but can work no-gi. The Lachlan Giles no-gi version summarized by BJJFanatics plants one hand in a fist, threads the arm between the legs, cups the opponent's elbow and drives the head forward; head and hand position are critical.
How many points is a successful pass worth in IBJJF?
3 points. Under Article 4.2 of the June 2024 IBJJF rules book, the top athlete must surmount the legs and maintain side control or north-south for 3 seconds. Threading the arm or flattening the knee does not count as a pass until that position is held.
How do you defend when you are being weave-passed?
Control the passer's upper body first. Evolve calls this the best defense, and in the gi a lapel grip lets you post on the passer and stay connected. Other options include a cross-face frame, blocking with the top leg, or pummeling the knee back to rebuild the shield.
References
1. Kesting S. How to Do the Leg Weave Guard Pass… And How to Counter It Too! Grapplearts, 2020/02/17. grapplearts.com (queried 2026/11; supports the starting position, head pressure on the belly, circling, the Hip Smash alias, and Fabio Gurgel's forehead-on-belly detail)
2. Evolve MMA. How To Perform The Leg Weave Pass In BJJ (the page shows no publication date). evolve-mma.com (queried 2026/11; supports the knee shield setting, the Giles gi steps, Travis Stevens' no-gi backside version, strengths and limits, and defensive advice)
3. BJJFanatics. Lachlan Giles Has A Nasty Leg Weave Pass! (the page shows no publication date). bjjfanatics.com (queried 2026/11; supports the Giles no-gi grips and his answers to the cross-face frame and the top-leg block)
4. Digitsu. Leg Weave Pass (BJJ technique database entry, no publication date shown). digitsu.com (queried 2026/11; supports the five steps, the Headquarters landing, the position list and the opponent responses)
5. Wikipedia contributors. List of Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques. en.wikipedia.org (queried 2026/11; supports the Twist Pass (Weave Arm Through Legs) entry, the absence of an established canon and naming variation, and Sit into Hip Smash being filed under X-Guard)
6. IBJJF. Rules Book, June 2024 (PDF pages marked Version 6.1). ibjjf.com/rules (official rules book, queried 2026/11, no newer edition found; supports Article 4.2 guard pass 3 points and 3 seconds, the half guard definition, and Slam and Knee Reaping in the technical-foul table)