Headquarters
HQ passing position — standing or kneeling over a seated/supine guard with inside control of one leg — the launchpad for knee-cuts, smash passes, and long steps.
Overview
Headquarters (HQ) is a modern passing platform: you control one of their legs between your legs or with a tight knee pin while your hands manage their upper-body frames. From HQ you choose knee-cut, smash, long-step, or body-lock passes depending on how they frame and invert.
Position Flow
How to Enter
- Step inside their open-guard knee line after clearing sleeve/collar frames
- Recover HQ when a knee-cut stalls and they reinsert a shallow shield
- Force HQ from standing by pinning one shin and killing their butterfly hooks
How to Exit
- Knee-slide once the shield angles off the chest
- Smash-pass when they turtle the trapped side
- Long-step when they invert or high-leg to re-guard
- Body-lock pass if they sit up into you
Key Controls
- Inside control of one leg (knee staple or leg weave)
- Hands clearing collarbone/hip frames so they cannot elevate
- Posture and base that stop them from recovering both hooks
Vulnerabilities
- Underhooks and single-legs if you lean too far over the trapped leg
- K-guard / deep-half invitations when hips get heavy without upper-body control
- Trips and elevators if both feet plant inside live hooks
Ideal When
You have cleared one leg of open or half guard and need a stable platform before committing to a single pass.
OffenseOffense
Goals
- Keep one leg controlled while you dismantle frames
- Choose the pass that matches their retention reaction
Key Techniques
- Knee-slide from HQ
- Smash-pass when they fold under pressure
- Long-step against inversion / high-leg retention
Pro Tips
- Win the upper body before celebrating the free knee
- Change passes when they solve the first threat — HQ is a hub, not a finish
Common Mistakes
- Standing tall with no hand control over a live shield
- Forcing one pass while they already inverted past it
DefenseDefense
Goals
- Rebuild frames and recover the second hook or a knee shield
- Force them out of HQ with elevators, underhooks, or K-guard
Key Techniques
- Knee-shield reinserts and Z-guard
- Underhook dogfight when they lean in
- Invert / high-leg to kill the knee-cut angle
Pro Tips
- Address the trapped leg and the cross-face together
- Do not give both elbows away while fighting the staple
Common Mistakes
- Turning belly-down too early and inviting smash-pass
- Chasing their far wrist while the staple settles
Variations
Standing headquartersKneeling / combat HQHQ to knee-cut / smash / long-step chains
Key Concepts
- HQ is control of one leg plus upper-body management
- The pass is chosen after their retention tells you what they fear
- Leave HQ only when the next position is clearer than the platform
Recommended Drills
- Open-guard clearing into HQ pin
- HQ decision drills: knee-cut vs smash vs long-step on partner cues
- Retention rounds from bottom against progressive HQ pressure
Summary
Headquarters pins one leg and manages frames so you can choose knee-cut, smash, or long-step. Stay heavy on the controlled side, clear the upper body, and leave HQ only when the pass is already winning.