Guard Pass Overview

Guard passes are techniques used to advance from your opponent's Guard to a more dominant position, such as Side Control, Mount, or Knee on Belly. The goal is to bypass the opponent's legs, which act as barriers, while maintaining control and avoiding sweeps or submissions. Effective guard passing requires understanding concepts like Pressure, Angles, Frames, and Weight Distribution.

Key Principles of Guard Passing

Breaking the Guard

  • If your opponent has a closed Guard, the first step is to open it. Techniques like standing guard breaks or posture-based openings are crucial.

Neutralizing Hips and Legs

  • Control your opponent’s hips to limit their mobility.
  • Block or clear their legs using your hands, arms, or hips.

Applying Pressure

  • Use Weight Distribution to pin their movement and make it difficult for them to retain their guard or attack.

Changing Angles

  • Guard passing is rarely done in a straight line. Use lateral or diagonal movements to attack openings and avoid their defensive structures.

Maintaining Base

  • Stay balanced and ready to counter sweeps or submissions. Your Base should always be strong.

Transitioning Smoothly

  • After clearing the legs, immediately establish a dominant position, ensuring control and preventing escapes.

Types of Guard Passes

Pressure-Based Passes

Speed-Based Passes

Angle-Based Passes

Underneath Passes

Combination Passes

Positional Awareness

While passing, it's important to be aware of:

Common Mistakes

Lack of Control

  • Passing without controlling their hips or legs allows them to recover guard.

Ignoring Defense

  • Overcommitting can expose you to sweeps or submissions.

Not Maintaining Pressure

  • Without pressure, the opponent has space to defend or counter.

Strategy

  • Pair aggressive guard passes with patient control.
  • Understand your opponent's guard type and adapt your passing style accordingly.
  • Combine pressure and mobility for a balanced passing game.
Tip

Guard passing is as much about patience as it is about technique. Study the Positional Hierarchy to ensure you consolidate control after completing the pass.

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