No-gi Beginner
Randy Couture runs through Greco-style pummelling drills for winning inside position in the clinch.
Control
Underhook
Threading your arm under the opponent's armpit to control their torso. Decisive in half guard, butterfly, the clinch and passing.
Also called underhooks, getting the underhook, underhook battle, pummel.
Where it shows up
- Standing · Standing (neutral) · Grip Fighting
- Standing · Clinch · Clinch Control
- Half Guard · Half Guard Bottom · Underhook and Frames
- Half Guard · Lockdown · Lockdown Control
- Half Guard · Half Guard Top · Flattening and Crossface
- Butterfly Guard · Butterfly Guard Bottom · Posture and Grips
- Guard Passing · Body Lock Pass · Getting the Body Lock
- Side Control · Side Control Bottom · Reversals and Sweeps
Related techniques
Shorts
Gi & no-gi Intermediate
Eli Knight counters Russian ties and 2-on-1 arm ties from standing.
How to hand fight for #wrestling and #BJJ - Clearing Collar Ties #wrestlingtakedowns #judolife 
Systematic Wrestling YouTube
Four ways to clear a collar tie - elbow pass, rip, thumb post and taking the underhook - so you can get to the legs. Short and dense, aimed at no-gi and wrestling.
Gi & no-gi Beginner
Michael Zenga shows how to escape bottom half guard when the opponent has underhooks and start turning the position around.
No-gi Beginner
Quick partner drill alternating underhooks and biceps ties to build clinch pummelling rhythm.
YouTube videos
No-gi Intermediate
Ryan on the body lock off their underhook, a common entry from half guard and butterfly.
Learn How To Do The Perfect Jiu Jitsu Body Lock Pass by Gordon Ryan
Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics YouTube
Gordon Ryan's body-lock pass, taught in full: getting the lock, walking around the knees and finishing in side control.
Gi & no-gi Intermediate
Danaher's half-guard game: underhook, knee shield and the sweeps that follow once you are not flat.
How To Build The Perfect Half Guard Game For No Gi by John Danaher
Bernardo Faria BJJ Fanatics YouTube
The no-gi half-guard version of Danaher's system, built around the underhook and coming up to the dogfight.
Gi & no-gi Intermediate
Chewjitsu's effortless half-guard sweep, using the underhook so it does not feel like a strength move.
Gi & no-gi Beginner
Rob Biernacki shows the layered upper-body frames (hand, elbow, wrist, torso) that stop a top player getting chest to chest and crossfacing you, then how to convert that space into an underhook or knee shield.
Gi & no-gi Intermediate
Stephan Kesting with a championship wrestler on getting the underhook from bottom side control and using it to turn in and come up, with wrestling details on how to make the underhook actually work.
Gi & no-gi Beginner
A full tour of butterfly guard for gi and no-gi: underhook and overhook grips, the classic hook sweep, entries to X guard, the arm drag and a quick triangle when they post.
Gi & no-gi Intermediate
Lachlan Giles on controlling the bottom leg and switching base so the half guard player cannot recover, the key idea behind all his half guard passes.
Gi & no-gi Intermediate
Lachlan Giles flattens the half guard with crossface and underhook, frees the knee to mount and finishes with an arm triangle. A complete top half guard sequence.
Eddie Bravo The Whip Down
JiuJitsuMag YouTube
Eddie Bravo teaches the whip down from the lockdown, the movement that gets you onto your side with the underhook and into a deep half style position.
Mastering Clinch Pummeling & Takedowns: Wrestling & MMA Techniques for All Levels
Scientific Wrestling YouTube
Long class on pummelling for underhooks, a partner drill to build it, then a double leg from the clinch and a momentum counter. Wrestling and MMA oriented but the clinch work applies to no-gi BJJ.
Gi & no-gi Beginner
Morgan's butterfly-guard class: basics, partner drills and a sweep you can hit in rolling.
No-gi Intermediate
Why double underhooks are the strongest standing grip, how to lock the hands, and a reaction-based set of finishes when the opponent scoots the hips back or fights the overhook.
2 Slick Side Control Reversals WITHOUT Inside Frames — Plus a Bonus Escape You’ll Love!!!
Work Harder AND Smarter BJJ YouTube
Two reversals from bottom side control that work when you have lost your inside frames, plus an extra escape option. Ordinary production but clear.