The Bullfighter 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.
From Position: Open Guard (Top)
Key Attacking 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 (gi) or cupping behind knees (no-gi)
- Standing posture with good base and balance, hips back
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Possible Outcomes
| Result | Position | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Side Control | 68% |
| Failure | Open Guard | 22% |
| Counter | Open Guard | 10% |
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. → Leads to Open Guard
- 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. → Leads to Open Guard
- 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. → Leads to Open Guard
- 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. → Leads to Open Guard
- Opponent inverts and establishes De La Riva or berimbolo position (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Follow their inversion and maintain heavy hip pressure on their legs. Do not allow them to complete the inversion. If they fully invert, backstep to threaten leg entanglements or circle to take their back. → Leads to Open Guard
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.
Q8: Your opponent has a strong collar grip that prevents you from stepping laterally - how do you adjust your entry? A: A collar grip creates a tether that limits your lateral freedom. First, address the grip directly by stripping it with a two-on-one break: your same-side hand peels their fingers while your opposite hand pushes their wrist toward their centerline. If the grip is too deep to break cleanly, change your angle of attack by stepping toward the gripping side rather than away from it, which slacks the grip and reduces its power. You can also use the grip against them by driving forward into the pull, collapsing their guard structure, then immediately changing direction once their grip loosens under the pressure change.
Q9: What grip adjustments are required when the opponent keeps bringing their knees back to their chest after you push them away? A: When the opponent rapidly recovers knee position, your grip placement is likely too high on the shin or too far from the knee joint. Adjust by gripping directly at the knee crease where you have maximum mechanical leverage over their hip flexion. Push their knees not just away from you but downward toward the mat at an angle, pinning their thighs. This prevents the elastic snapback. You can also stagger your grip timing: push one knee first to create rotation, then immediately attack the exposed side before they can square back up. The staggered push breaks their symmetrical recovery pattern.
Q10: What is the optimal moment to initiate the Bullfighter Pass during a grip fighting exchange? A: The optimal window opens when the opponent extends their legs to establish hooks or frames on your hips or biceps. At the moment of extension, their legs are furthest from their body and most vulnerable to being redirected. The second-best timing is immediately after you break one of their grips, when they momentarily lose a connection point and must re-establish control. The worst time to initiate is when the opponent has compact guard with knees tight to chest and strong bilateral grips, as they have maximum defensive structure and your directional change will be easily tracked.
Q11: Your opponent consistently threads a De La Riva hook as you begin your lateral movement - what mechanical adjustment prevents this? A: The De La Riva hook threads because your lead leg is too close to their hips during the lateral step. Adjust by taking a wider first step that clears your lead shin past their hooking range before driving laterally. Keep your lead knee pointed outward rather than forward, which presents the outside of your leg and makes hooking mechanically difficult. If they do establish the hook, do not continue the toreando. Instead, immediately address the hook by circling your hooked leg backward and switching to a leg drag or long step pass that uses the De La Riva angle against them.
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.