HQ

HQ is the universal grappling abbreviation for headquarters — the top-position passing configuration in which the attacker controls the bottom player’s lead leg with a leg-pin while the upper body stays disconnected, creating a stable platform for guard-passing sequences.

Etymology. The abbreviation expands to “headquarters,” the name given to the position by the Danaher-influenced systems that formalised modern guard-passing taxonomy. “Headquarters” is descriptive — the position serves as the central hub from which multiple guard-passing pathways extend (knee cut, leg drag, smash pass, back-step) — and the metaphor of a command point reflects the configuration’s role as the position passing systems return to between attempts. The shorthand HQ predominates in modern no-gi instructional vocabulary and submission-grappling commentary; the full term remains in use in more formal coaching contexts.

Mechanics. The configuration pins the bottom player’s lead leg with a downward knee-on-thigh pressure while the attacker’s upper body posts off the mat, controlling the lower line without committing to a chest-to-chest connection. The leg pin disrupts the bottom player’s hip mobility — a guard-passing prerequisite — while the disconnected upper body keeps the attacker safe from guard-recovery sweeps.

Cross-reference. Full term is “headquarters” or “headquarters position.” Full mechanical coverage on Headquarters.