The Art of Passing: Josef Chen’s Approach to Hand Fighting from Top

In this episode of the Shintaro Higashi YouTube channel, Shintaro sits down with rising no-gi phenom Josef Chen to explore a key—yet often overlooked—element of elite-level guard passing: hand fighting from the top.

While Josef is known for his dynamic guard passing and sharp positional control, what becomes immediately clear in this video is that much of his success begins not with smashing through legs, but with smart, technical hand control that strips away frames and shuts down escapes before the pass even begins.

Taking Away the Frame

Josef opens by emphasizing that when passing, a common obstacle is the opponent’s ability to create strong frames—primarily with their hands and arms. Instead of rushing to close the distance, he focuses on stripping away those frames first.

“I want to force you to frame, and once you do, I make it predictable where your wrist is going to be… Then I can strip and pin it to your chest.”

He often combines this wrist control with a tricep grip on the opposite side to create a powerful push-pull dynamic, limiting the opponent’s ability to frame, turn, or create space.

Watch the full video here ↓

Weight as a Weapon

What makes Josef’s grip fighting especially effective is how he incorporates body weight into his control. Unlike neutral hand fighting from standing, being on top allows him to drive weight through his grips, making it far harder for his opponent to strip or recover.

Shintaro, caught mid-demo, jokes:

“I almost tapped just from that, man.”

It’s a great example of how technique layered with pressure can accomplish more than brute strength.

Creating Openings, Not Forcing Them

Josef breaks down how he exposes and isolates wrists by shifting weight deliberately, using one shoulder to relieve pressure and bait a reaction from the bottom player.

“I’ll drive in with one shoulder and relieve weight with the other to expose the wrist… and then fight for the grip.”

Once he gains control of a wrist, he uses the floor or his own body to reinforce that grip—not relying purely on grip strength, but instead leveraging structure and positioning.

Grip Fighting from Guard

Interestingly, Josef also discusses using similar concepts from the bottom. In guard, he likes pinning an opponent’s hand across his hip or into his pocket, again reinforcing grip with his body instead of just his hands.

“It’s not just relying on grip strength… I’m reinforcing the weakness of my grip with my body.”

This approach creates rotation in the opponent’s shoulders and opens up off-balancing opportunities. Shintaro laughs, “My lat’s going to tear!” as Josef demonstrates the subtle torque and control generated through these small adjustments.

Simple. Effective. Underrated.

While the techniques covered in this video may seem deceptively simple, the depth of control Josef achieves is a result of precision, timing, and concept-driven grappling. By focusing on hand fighting and strategic pressure, Josef turns transitional moments into dominant control sequences—setting up passes before they even look like passes.

Shintaro closes the session in awe:

“So simple and nice.”

This video is a must-watch for anyone serious about refining their top game and understanding the layers of control that happen before the pass. Whether you’re a beginner learning positional basics or an advanced player looking to sharpen your pressure game, Josef Chen’s insights offer real, actionable value.

🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube and don’t forget to subscribe for more deep dives with some of the best minds in grappling.

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