Floating Guard Pass

The Floating Guard Pass is a dynamic Guard Pass that emphasizes using Base, Pressure, and Weight Distribution to neutralize your opponent’s guard while maintaining balance and mobility. The idea is to "float" on top of your opponent’s hips and legs, constantly shifting your weight and angles to prevent them from establishing strong grips or connections. This method works especially well against active Open Guard players.

Steps for the Floating Guard Pass

Establish a Strong Base

  • Start in a low, athletic stance with your knees bent and your center of gravity stable.
  • Maintain a good Posture and keep your hands in front, ready to address grips or frames.

Control the Hips and Legs

  • Use your hands to push down on their knees, shins, or ankles to break their Frames or prevent guard retention.
  • Engage your hips and legs to keep pressure on their lower body while staying mobile.

Float Over Their Guard

  • Stay on the balls of your feet, allowing you to shift directions and adjust to your opponent’s movements.
  • If they try to elevate you or off-balance you, use Weight Distribution to "float" your hips above their guard without collapsing into their traps.

Attack Angles

  • Use lateral movement to find openings. For example, step to one side to isolate a leg or redirect their hips.
  • Combine Grip Fighting and body positioning to destabilize their guard structure.

Pass the Guard

  • Once you’ve found an opening, drop your weight and transition into a pass, such as:
  • A Toreando by pushing their legs aside and stepping around.
  • A Guard Passes/Knee Cut if they allow you to control their thigh and pin their hips.
  • A Leg Drag Pass to pin their legs to one side and move to dominant positions.

Establish Dominant Control

Key Concepts for Success

Mobility

  • The Floating Guard Pass relies on constant movement to avoid being trapped by hooks or grips.

Pressure Without Overcommitment

  • Apply just enough Pressure to keep your opponent defensive but remain light enough to react to their movements.

Adjusting to Reactions

  • Be ready to switch directions or transitions based on your opponent’s attempts to recover their guard.

Common Mistakes

Leaning Too Far Forward

  • If you overcommit your weight onto your opponent, you risk being swept or pulled into their guard.

Stiff Movements

  • Lack of fluidity can lead to getting caught in hooks, sweeps, or submissions.

Ignoring Grip Fighting

  • Allowing your opponent to establish strong grips can nullify your mobility and create opportunities for them to attack.

Application

The Floating Guard Pass is particularly effective against guards like Butterfly Guard, X Guard, and other elevation-based open guards, as it denies the opponent the stable connections needed to control your base. Combining this with other guard passing techniques creates a versatile, unpredictable top game.

Tip

Pair the Floating Guard Pass with pressure-based passes like the Stack Pass to overwhelm your opponent with varied attacks!

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