The Bullfighter Pass, also known as the Toreando Pass, is a dynamic standing guard pass that uses lateral movement and precise grip control to bypass the opponent’s guard. The name comes from the bullfighting motion of moving to the side while controlling the opponent’s legs, similar to a matador avoiding a charging bull. This pass is effective against various open guard configurations including Spider Guard, De La Riva Guard, and Collar Sleeve Guard. The technique relies on explosive footwork, proper weight distribution, and the ability to control the opponent’s legs while maintaining balance. The Bullfighter Pass is particularly effective in no-gi grappling where leg grips are harder to maintain, but it remains highly useful in the gi when executed with proper timing. The pass creates significant pressure and forward momentum, making it difficult for the opponent to recover guard or establish defensive frames.
Starting Position: Open Guard Ending Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 45%, Intermediate 60%, Advanced 75%
Key Principles
- Control opponent’s legs with strong grips before initiating movement
- Use explosive lateral movement to create angles
- Maintain forward pressure throughout the pass
- Keep hips low and base wide for stability
- Time the pass to coincide with opponent’s defensive reactions
- Chain multiple directional changes to overwhelm guard retention
- Immediately consolidate side control after passing
Prerequisites
- Opponent in open guard configuration (seated or supine)
- Strong grips on opponent’s pants at the knees or ankles
- Standing posture with good base and balance
- Ability to move laterally while maintaining grip control
- Distance management to avoid sweeps or submissions
- Recognition of optimal timing windows when opponent extends legs
Execution Steps
- Establish grip control: Stand up in opponent’s open guard and secure bilateral grips on their pants at the knees or shins. In gi, grip the fabric firmly with thumbs inside. In no-gi, cup behind the knees or control the ankles. Keep your posture upright with hips back to prevent being pulled forward. (Timing: Initial setup phase)
- Create separation: Push the opponent’s knees together and toward their chest while stepping back slightly. This compresses their guard and limits their hip mobility. Maintain constant pressure on the legs to prevent them from re-establishing guard or creating angles for sweeps. (Timing: 1-2 seconds after establishing grips)
- Initiate lateral movement: Explosively step to one side (usually your stronger side) while simultaneously pushing the opponent’s legs in the opposite direction. Your movement should be quick and low to the ground, like a matador stepping aside from a bull. Keep your hips facing the opponent throughout the movement. (Timing: Explosive burst, 0.5 seconds)
- Clear the legs: As you move laterally, use a circular motion to throw the opponent’s legs to the side and away from your body. The motion should be firm but controlled, creating enough space to pass while preventing the opponent from hooking your legs. Release the far leg grip first, maintaining control of the near leg. (Timing: Simultaneous with lateral step)
- Drop your weight: Immediately after clearing the legs, drop your chest and hips toward the opponent’s torso. Your near-side knee should come to the mat as you drive your shoulder into their chest or shoulder. This pressure prevents them from turning into you or recovering guard. (Timing: Immediate follow-up, no hesitation)
- Secure side control: Establish crossface control with your near arm while your far arm controls their far hip or underhooks their far arm. Distribute your weight across their chest and hips. Adjust your base to prevent them from bridging or creating frames. Confirm all four side control pressure points before relaxing. (Timing: 2-3 seconds to full consolidation)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent retains guard by following your movement with their hips (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Chain multiple directional changes. As they follow your first movement, immediately reverse direction and pass to the opposite side. This overwhelms their ability to track and recover.
- Opponent grabs your gi or arms to prevent separation (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Break grips aggressively by circling your arms or using sharp postural changes. Alternatively, use their grips against them by moving in the direction they’re pulling, then quickly reversing.
- Opponent sits up and attempts to re-guard or stand (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Time your pass for when they’re extending their legs. If they sit up early, switch to a front headlock position or snap them back down before re-attempting the pass.
- Opponent hooks your leg with their foot during the pass (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Ensure your legs are moving wider than their leg reach. If hooked, immediately shake the leg free while maintaining upper body pressure, or abandon the pass and reset position.
- Opponent inverts or rolls backward to create distance (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Follow their inversion and take their back as they roll. Their escape actually gives you a better position if you track their movement correctly.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: Why is it important to push the opponent’s legs in the opposite direction of your lateral movement? A: Pushing the legs opposite to your movement creates a separation that prevents the opponent from following you with their hips. If you only move laterally without controlling the legs, they can simply rotate their hips to track your movement and maintain guard. The opposing forces (you moving one way, legs going the other) create the space needed to pass. This is the fundamental mechanical principle that makes the pass work.
Q2: What is the most critical timing element in the Bullfighter Pass? A: The most critical timing element is the seamless transition from clearing the legs to dropping your weight onto the opponent. Any hesitation between these two movements gives the opponent time to turn into you, create frames, or recover guard. The entire sequence should feel like one explosive motion: step, throw, drop. Elite passers make this transition in under one second, giving the opponent no time to react.
Q3: How should you adjust the Bullfighter Pass when facing an opponent with a strong Spider Guard? A: Against Spider Guard, you need to address the grips before attempting the pass. First, break the sleeve grips by circling your arms aggressively or using sharp posture changes. Once the grips are broken, immediately control the legs at the knees before they can re-establish grips. You may need to use a slightly higher posture initially to deal with the feet on biceps, then drop your level as you clear the legs. The key is not giving them time to rebuild the Spider Guard structure after breaking their control.
Q4: What are the key differences between executing the Bullfighter Pass in gi versus no-gi? A: In gi, you have stronger grip control on the pants, which allows for more deliberate setup and less concern about slipping grips. You can use the gi grips to steer the legs more precisely. In no-gi, grips are more precarious, so the pass needs to be more explosive and timing-based. You typically grip behind the knees or at the ankles in no-gi. The no-gi version requires better hip positioning and more aggressive forward pressure since you can’t rely on the grips holding throughout the entire movement. No-gi also requires faster transitions since the opponent can more easily escape slippery grips.
Q5: How can the Bullfighter Pass be used to set up leg attacks? A: The Bullfighter Pass creates excellent opportunities for leg entanglements when the opponent defends effectively. If the opponent is skilled at following your lateral movement, you can use the backstep variation to enter into the saddle or inside position for heel hooks. As you clear the legs to one side, instead of dropping for side control, you step your back leg behind and turn to face their legs. This gives you immediate access to leg attacks while they’re dealing with the momentum of the pass. The key is recognizing when the pass to side control is being defended and being willing to shift your objective to the legs instead.
Q6: What body position should you maintain throughout the Bullfighter Pass to maximize effectiveness? A: You should maintain a low, athletic stance throughout the pass with your hips back and chest forward. Your base should be wide for stability, and your knees should be bent to allow for explosive lateral movement. Even as you move to the side, your chest should remain facing the opponent, not turning away. When you drop your weight, your hips should drive forward toward the opponent, not fall straight down. This forward pressure is what prevents them from creating space or turning into you. Think of the body position as similar to a wrestler shooting a takedown—low, explosive, and driving forward.
Q7: How do you chain the Bullfighter Pass with other passing sequences? A: The Bullfighter Pass works best as part of a passing system rather than in isolation. If the opponent defends the initial lateral movement by following with their hips, immediately change direction and pass to the opposite side. If they sit up or square their hips, transition to a Knee Cut or Long Step Pass. If they try to invert, follow them and take the back. If they push off your hips to create distance, step back and reset for another Bullfighter attempt or switch to a stack pass. The key is reading their defensive reaction and having a prepared answer for each one. Elite passers rarely complete the same pass twice in a row—they use the opponent’s defensive pattern to set up the follow-up pass.
Safety Considerations
The Bullfighter Pass is generally a safe technique when practiced properly, but practitioners should be aware of several considerations. When throwing the legs to the side, avoid being overly aggressive with smaller or less experienced partners, as this can cause them to twist awkwardly and potentially strain their lower back or hips. Ensure your partner knows to post their hands when you drop your weight to avoid face-planting into the mat. In no-gi, be cautious with ankle grips as they can slip unexpectedly and cause you to lose balance. When drilling at speed, both partners should communicate clearly about resistance levels to prevent accidental knee injuries from sudden directional changes. If you feel your knee twisting during the lateral movement, immediately stop and reset position.
Position Integration
The Bullfighter Pass is a cornerstone technique in modern standing guard passing systems. It serves as an excellent entry point for beginners learning to pass open guard while remaining highly effective at advanced levels. The pass integrates seamlessly with other standing passes, particularly the Long Step Pass and Knee Cut Pass, creating a comprehensive passing system. It’s especially valuable in no-gi grappling where leg grips are harder to maintain, making standing passes more dominant than kneeling passes. The Bullfighter Pass also serves as a bridge to leg attack systems—when the pass is defended, the backstep variation provides direct access to inside position leg entanglements. In competition, this pass is frequently seen in the transition from standing to ground grappling, often used immediately after breaking down an opponent’s seated or supine guard. Understanding this pass is essential for developing a complete guard passing game.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The Bullfighter Pass represents a perfect example of using opposing forces to create passing opportunities. When you analyze the mechanics, you’re creating a situation where the opponent must choose between controlling their legs or controlling your upper body—they cannot effectively do both simultaneously. The key to understanding this pass at a deep level is recognizing that it’s not about speed alone, but about the precision of your grip control and the timing of your weight transfer. Many students make the error of thinking this is purely an athletic, explosive movement. While explosiveness helps, the pass works because of the mechanical principle of controlling the opponent’s legs while moving your center of gravity in the opposite direction. The opponent’s legs become a lever that you use to manipulate their entire lower body. When executed with proper understanding, this pass should work regardless of your athletic ability. Focus on the sequential nature of the movements: establish control, create separation, move laterally while redirecting the legs, and immediately consolidate the position. Each step depends on the previous one being executed correctly. This is not a technique you can shortcut or rush through the learning process.
- Gordon Ryan: The Bullfighter Pass is one of my highest percentage passes in both gi and no-gi competition. What makes it so effective at the highest levels is that it’s extremely difficult to defend once you commit to the movement. I use this pass constantly because it creates immediate pressure and doesn’t give my opponent time to think or set up their defensive sequences. The key to making it work in competition is aggression and commitment—you can’t hesitate or do it half-speed. When I hit this pass, I’m trying to go from standing to side control in under two seconds. That speed doesn’t give elite guard players time to adjust their hips or create frames. One thing I emphasize that many people miss is the importance of throwing the legs with authority. You’re not gently moving them aside—you’re forcefully clearing them out of your path. The other critical element is your hip positioning when you drop your weight. Your hips need to drive forward toward the opponent, not just drop straight down. That forward pressure is what prevents them from turning into you or creating space. I also chain this pass with the Long Step constantly. If they defend the Bullfighter by following my movement, I immediately switch to a Long Step in the same direction. These two passes work together perfectly and create a passing system that’s very difficult to defend against even for the best guard players in the world.
- Eddie Bravo: What I love about the Bullfighter Pass is how it can be modified and adapted to create unconventional attacking sequences. In the 10th Planet system, we use this pass as an entry point for leg attacks all the time, especially in no-gi where the legs are harder to control. When someone’s good at defending the pass by following your movement, that’s when you hit them with the backstep variation and go straight into leg locks. They’re expecting you to try to pass to side control, so when you suddenly change your objective to their legs, it catches them completely off guard. I also teach students to use this pass to create scrambles intentionally. Sometimes the best way to pass someone’s guard is to create chaos and use your scrambling ability. The Bullfighter Pass naturally creates movement and dynamic situations, which favors the person who’s more comfortable with chaotic grappling. Another thing we do in our system is use the initial leg control from the Bullfighter setup to enter into the Truck position. If they’re really fighting to keep their guard, instead of trying to force the pass, we’ll use that same grip control to roll them into the Truck. The key is being creative and not getting locked into the idea that every technique has only one ending position. The Bullfighter Pass is a starting point for multiple attacking sequences, not just a simple pass to side control.