Alias · Guard Passing
Clamp escape
Also known as Clamp Pass — the canonical term used on this site.
Training background: informal — emphasises escaping the position
Informal — escaping the closed guard via the clamp
Clamp escape is a colloquial name for the clamp pass — framing the clamp as the way the passer escapes a locked closed guard.
Etymology. “Clamp” names the controlling grip and “escape” frames the closed guard as the trap being escaped. The label is informal and slightly counterintuitive, since the passer is the one advancing; it reflects how the technique feels from inside a tight closed guard.
Mechanics. The clamp pins the opponent’s torso and shuts down the hip mobility the closed guard relies on; with the hips unable to shift and reorient, the guard cannot keep facing the passer and the escape route opens.
Cross-reference. “Overhook closed guard pass” is a descriptive sibling. Full mechanical coverage on Clamp Pass.