How do you counter the knee cut pass?

Reverse De La Riva hook on the cutting leg Underhook wrestle-up as the knee commits

Knee Cut Pass

Also known as: Knee Slice · Knee Slide Pass · Knee Cut · Cutting Pass

From headquarters, slice your inside knee across their trapped thigh to the mat while your shoulder pins the cross-face — the single most-used pass in modern jiu-jitsu.

Guard Pass · Gi & No-gi · Difficulty 2/5 · Usually learned at White belt

Starts from Headquarters as the passer → lands in Side Control.

The details that make it work

Underhook or collar-tie the far side BEFORE the knee slides — the pass is won at the shoulders.
Your knee cuts across their thigh to the mat at a diagonal, back foot posted wide.
Cross-face pressure turns their chin away so their hips cannot follow your slide.

Where it goes wrong

Cutting without the underhook, sliding straight into a back-take or underhook wrestle-up.
Leaving the trailing leg behind for the RDLR hook to capture.

How opponents counter it

Reverse De La Riva hook on the cutting leg
Underhook wrestle-up as the knee commits

Is the Knee Cut Pass legal in competition?

Legal in all major rulesets at all levels (IBJJF, ADCC, sub-only). Rules change — always confirm against the current official rulebook for your event.

Related techniques

All moves from Headquarters · Back to Grapplepedia