BJJ Graph

Guard Pass | BJJ Technique | BJJ Graph

Oct 25, 202515 min read

Guard Pass

bjjtransitionguard-passadvancementfundamental

Visual Execution Sequence

From guard top position, you establish dominant grips while maintaining good posture and base. Your opponent attempts to retain their guard through hip movement, frames, and hooks. You systematically break their guard structure by controlling their legs, hips, or upper body, while advancing your position. Through pressure, angle changes, and grip control, you navigate past their legs and establish connection with their torso. The passing sequence culminates with you achieving a pinning position (typically side control) where their legs can no longer create frames or reenter guard.

One-Sentence Summary: “From guard top with dominant grips, you systematically control opponent’s legs and hips while advancing past their guard to establish side control.”

Execution Steps

  1. Setup Requirements: Establish strong posture, dominant grips (collar/sleeve or leg control), and solid base to resist sweeps
  2. Initial Movement: Begin breaking guard structure through grip fighting, leg control, or pressure application
  3. Opponent Response: Opponent creates frames, uses hooks to maintain distance, and attempts to recover guard structure
  4. Adaptation: Adjust passing angle, switch grips, or change pressure direction based on opponent’s defensive frames and hip escapes
  5. Completion: Drive past opponent’s legs while maintaining chest-to-chest connection and establishing hip control
  6. Consolidation: Secure side control position with crossface, underhook, or knee on belly, preventing guard recovery

Key Technical Details

  • Grip Requirements: Control of opponent’s legs, hips, or upper body to restrict their movement options and guard recovery
  • Base/Foundation: Wide stance with good posture prevents sweeps while allowing dynamic movement during passing
  • Timing Windows: Pass when opponent extends their legs, reaches for grips, or attempts techniques that compromise their structure
  • Leverage Points: Hip pressure, shoulder pressure, and weight distribution that flattens opponent and limits their mobility
  • Common Adjustments: Switch between pressure passing and distance passing based on opponent’s guard style and reactions

Common Counters

Opponent defensive responses with success rates and conditions:

Decision Logic for AI Opponent

If [grip control] < 40%:
- Execute [[Hip Escape]] (Probability: 50%)

Else if [passing pressure] > 70%:
- Execute [[Underhook Recovery]] (Probability: 45%)

Else if [knee line not yet passed]:
- Execute [[Knee Shield]] (Probability: 50%)

Else if [frames established]:
- Execute [[Frame Creation]] (Probability: 55%)

Else [passing nearly complete]:
- Execute [[Scramble Response]] (Probability: 35%)
- Accept transition (Probability: Base Success Rate - Applied Modifiers)

Expert Insights

John Danaher

“Guard passing is fundamentally about connection and control rather than speed and athleticism. The key principle is establishing what I call ‘progressive control’ - you must first control the legs, then the hips, and finally establish chest-to-chest connection. Each phase requires specific gripping strategies and weight distribution patterns. The most common error is attempting to pass too quickly without establishing adequate control at each phase, which allows skilled guard players to simply recover and recompose their structure.”

Gordon Ryan

“In competition, I approach guard passing with a systematic pressure-based methodology that wears opponents down physically and mentally. The goal isn’t just to pass the guard but to make them feel the weight and realize they can’t escape. I focus heavily on grip fighting in the early stages - winning the grip battle gives you control of the pace and positions available. Modern guard passing requires understanding both pressure and distance-based approaches, and knowing when to switch between them based on the opponent’s reactions and their guard style.”

Eddie Bravo

“Guard passing in the 10th Planet system emphasizes creating angles and using unconventional pressure points that traditional passers don’t utilize. We incorporate passing concepts borrowed from wrestling - particularly how wrestlers deal with open guard scenarios. The key is being unpredictable with your passing approach, mixing techniques from different families so the guard player can’t establish a defensive rhythm. Sometimes the best pass isn’t the most technical one - it’s the one they don’t expect.”

Common Errors

Error 1: Poor posture allowing opponent to break down structure

  • Why It Fails: Broken posture eliminates base and leaves passer vulnerable to sweeps and submissions
  • Correction: Maintain strong spinal alignment, keep head up, and establish wide base before attempting to pass
  • Recognition: Feeling off-balance, getting pulled forward, or being unable to resist opponent’s grips

Error 2: Attempting to pass without establishing grip control first

  • Why It Fails: Opponent’s unchecked grips allow them to create frames, off-balance, or recover guard easily
  • Correction: Win grip fighting exchanges before committing to pass, prioritize breaking opponent’s grips
  • Recognition: Opponent easily creating frames or recovering guard position during passing attempts

Error 3: Not maintaining connection during transition past legs

  • Why It Fails: Loss of chest-to-chest contact allows opponent to create space and reinsert guard
  • Correction: Keep constant pressure and connection throughout entire passing sequence
  • Recognition: Opponent easily shrimping away or recovering guard after you’ve passed their knees

Error 4: Passing in predictable patterns without adapting to opponent’s defense

  • Why It Fails: Skilled guard players develop timing for your patterns and shut down passes before they develop
  • Correction: Vary passing angles, switch between pressure and distance, create false patterns then break them
  • Recognition: Same passes getting shut down repeatedly by same opponent despite technical execution

Error 5: Insufficient hip control allowing opponent to turn away

  • Why It Fails: Opponent can turn to turtle or create scramble situations if their hips aren’t controlled
  • Correction: Establish hip control with crossface, underhook, or knee placement before considering pass complete
  • Recognition: Opponent consistently escaping to turtle or recovering guard after you achieve side control

Timing Considerations

  • Optimal Conditions: When opponent extends legs for grips or attacks, after defending submission attempts, when opponent is fatigued
  • Avoid When: Opponent has strong grip control on your upper body, when you’re off-balance or poor posture, when opponent has fresh energy for dynamic guard retention
  • Setup Sequences: After successful grip breaks, following pressure that flattens opponent, after stuffing sweep attempts
  • Follow-up Windows: Must establish pin within 2-3 seconds of passing legs to prevent guard recovery, immediate crossface or underhook critical

Prerequisites

  • Technical Skills: Basic guard passing mechanics, grip fighting fundamentals, base maintenance, pressure application concepts
  • Physical Preparation: Core strength for maintaining posture, cardio for sustained passing pressure, shoulder mobility for establishing dominant grips
  • Positional Understanding: Guard retention mechanics, pinning positions, transitional control, positional hierarchy
  • Experience Level: Intermediate - requires understanding of multiple guard types and passing families

Knowledge Assessment

  1. Mechanical Understanding: “What is the most important principle for successful guard passing?”

    • A) Speed and explosiveness
    • B) Progressive control of legs, then hips, then establishing connection
    • C) Strength and pressure alone
    • D) Complex techniques and setups
    • Answer: B

  2. Timing Recognition: “When is the optimal moment to initiate a guard pass?”

    • A) Immediately upon establishing top position
    • B) When opponent extends their legs or reaches for grips
    • C) When you have maximum energy regardless of position
    • D) Only when opponent is completely exhausted
    • Answer: B

  3. Error Prevention: “What is the most common mistake that causes guard passing to fail?”

    • A) Poor posture allowing opponent to break down your structure
    • B) Passing too slowly
    • C) Using too much strength
    • D) Not being flexible enough
    • Answer: A

  4. Setup Requirements: “What must be established before attempting to advance past opponent’s legs?”

    • A) Submission threats
    • B) Perfect angle alignment
    • C) Dominant grip control and good posture
    • D) Complete exhaustion of opponent
    • Answer: C

  5. Adaptation: “How should you adjust if opponent establishes strong frames during your pass?”

    • A) Force through with more pressure
    • B) Give up and restart
    • C) Switch passing angle, adjust grips, or change between pressure/distance approaches
    • D) Wait for opponent to tire
    • Answer: C

Variants and Adaptations

  • Gi Specific: Utilize collar and sleeve grips for enhanced control, use lapel grips to restrict hip movement, employ traditional Toreando or X-pass strategies
  • No-Gi Specific: Focus on body locks, arm drags, and leg control since cloth grips unavailable, emphasize head control and underhooks
  • Self-Defense: Modified passing that maintains striking defense awareness, prioritize quick establishment of control positions
  • Competition: Point-oriented passing that emphasizes secure position establishment for full points, avoid risky passes that leave you vulnerable
  • Size Differential: Smaller passers emphasize speed and angle changes, larger passers utilize pressure-based approaches and weight distribution

Training Progressions

  1. Solo Practice: Drilling passing movements and angle changes without resistance for motor pattern development
  2. Cooperative Drilling: Partner allows pass completion at slow speed to develop timing and connection maintenance
  3. Resistant Practice: Partner provides progressive defensive resistance simulating various guard retention strategies
  4. Positional Sparring: Start from guard top and work against live resistance with reset on successful pass or sweep
  5. Troubleshooting: Identifying and correcting failures during live rolling, analyzing why passes fail and adjusting approach

LLM Context Block

Purpose: This section contains structured decision-making logic for AI opponents, narrative generation, and game engine processing.

Execution Decision Logic

decision_tree:
  conditions:
    - name: "Grip Control Check"
      evaluation: "grip_control_score >= 60"
      success_action: "proceed_to_posture_check"
      failure_action: "execute_grip_fighting_defense"
      failure_probability: 45
 
    - name: "Posture Quality Check"
      evaluation: "posture_maintained AND base_stable"
      success_action: "proceed_to_passing_phase"
      failure_action: "execute_posture_break_attack"
      failure_probability: 50
 
    - name: "Connection Maintenance Check"
      evaluation: "chest_to_chest_pressure > 50 AND hip_control_established"
      success_action: "accept_transition_with_modifiers"
      failure_action: "execute_guard_recovery"
      failure_probability: 40
 
  final_calculation:
    base_probability: "success_probability[skill_level]"
    applied_modifiers:
      - setup_quality
      - timing_precision
      - opponent_fatigue
      - knowledge_test
      - position_control
    formula: "base_probability + sum(modifiers) - sum(counters)"

Common Troubleshooting Patterns

troubleshooting:
  - symptom: "Opponent easily recovering guard after initial pass attempt"
    likely_cause: "Loss of connection or insufficient hip control"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Are you maintaining chest-to-chest pressure throughout?"
      - "Did you establish crossface or underhook before completing pass?"
      - "Are you controlling opponent's far hip?"
    solution: "Focus on maintaining constant connection, establish hip control immediately after passing legs, use crossface to prevent turning"
 
  - symptom: "Getting swept while attempting to pass"
    likely_cause: "Poor base or broken posture during passing attempt"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Is your base wide enough to resist off-balancing?"
      - "Are you leaning too far forward losing balance?"
      - "Did opponent break your posture before initiating sweep?"
    solution: "Widen base before passing, maintain strong posture with head up, address posture breaks immediately before they develop into sweeps"
 
  - symptom: "Unable to make progress past opponent's legs"
    likely_cause: "Opponent's frames and grips preventing advancement"
    diagnostic_questions:
      - "Have you won the grip fighting exchange?"
      - "Are opponent's frames keeping you at distance?"
      - "Are you attempting same passing approach repeatedly?"
    solution: "Prioritize grip fighting, break opponent's frames systematically, vary passing approaches and angles"

Timing and Setup Guidance

timing_guidance:
  optimal_windows:
    - condition: "Opponent extends legs to establish guard hooks"
      success_boost: "+15%"
      recognition_cues: ["Legs extended", "Hips elevated", "Reaching for grips"]
 
    - condition: "After defending submission attempt that required opponent to open guard"
      success_boost: "+20%"
      recognition_cues: ["Guard opened for attack", "Opponent resetting", "Temporary structural weakness"]
 
    - condition: "Opponent visibly fatigued with slowed movement"
      success_boost: "+12%"
      recognition_cues: ["Heavy breathing", "Slower reactions", "Weakened frames"]
 
  avoid_windows:
    - condition: "Opponent has strong upper body grips controlling your posture"
      success_penalty: "-20%"
      recognition_cues: ["Collar grips established", "Sleeves controlled", "Posture broken"]
 
    - condition: "Your base is compromised or you're off-balance"
      success_penalty: "-25%"
      recognition_cues: ["Feeling unstable", "Weight on toes", "Narrow base"]
 
    - condition: "Opponent has fresh energy with strong guard retention"
      success_penalty: "-15%"
      recognition_cues: ["Dynamic hip movement", "Strong frames", "Quick guard recoveries"]
 
setup_sequences:
  - sequence_name: "Grip Break to Pass"
    steps:
      - "Break opponent's dominant grips"
      - "Establish your controlling grips immediately"
      - "Initiate pass while opponent reestablishes grips"
    success_boost: "+10%"
 
  - sequence_name: "Pressure Flatten to Pass"
    steps:
      - "Drive forward with heavy pressure"
      - "Flatten opponent's hips and posture"
      - "Pass when opponent's structure compromised"
    success_boost: "+12%"

Narrative Generation Prompts

narrative_prompts:
  setup_phase:
    - "You establish your grips carefully, feeling out your opponent's guard structure and defensive priorities."
    - "Your opponent works to control your sleeves and collar, trying to break your posture before you can begin passing."
    - "You widen your base and straighten your spine, preparing to initiate your passing sequence."
 
  execution_phase:
    - "You drive your weight forward, systematically controlling their legs while maintaining your posture."
    - "Their frames press against you as they work to create distance, but you adjust your angle and continue advancing."
    - "Your grips control their hips and legs as you navigate past their guard structure."
 
  completion_phase:
    - "You achieve chest-to-chest connection and establish a dominant crossface."
    - "Your weight settles into side control as their legs can no longer create frames."
    - "You secure the position with an underhook and knee on belly pressure."
 
  failure_phase:
    - "They recover their guard with a timely hip escape before you can establish control."
    - "Your posture breaks and they capitalize with a sweep attempt."
    - "Their frames create enough distance for them to recompose their guard structure."

Image Generation Prompts

image_prompts:
  setup_position:
    prompt: "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guard passing position, top practitioner has strong posture with wide base, establishing grips on opponent's legs and collar, bottom practitioner in open guard position with hooks and frames, both wearing blue and white gis, mat background, technical illustration style"
    key_elements: ["Wide base", "Strong posture", "Grip control", "Open guard"]
 
  mid_execution:
    prompt: "BJJ guard pass in motion, top practitioner driving pressure forward while controlling opponent's legs, bottom practitioner creating frames and attempting to maintain distance, dynamic passing sequence captured, technical illustration"
    key_elements: ["Forward pressure", "Leg control", "Defensive frames", "Passing movement"]
 
  completion_position:
    prompt: "BJJ side control position after guard pass, practitioner on top with crossface and chest pressure, opponent flat on back with legs passed, control established, technical illustration style"
    key_elements: ["Side control", "Crossface", "Chest pressure", "Passed guard"]

Audio Narration Scripts

audio_scripts:
  instructional_narration:
    script: "From guard top position, establish dominant grips while maintaining strong posture and wide base. Begin breaking their guard structure through systematic control of their legs and hips. As they create defensive frames, adjust your angle and pressure. Drive past their legs while maintaining chest-to-chest connection. Establish side control with a crossface and hip control."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Moderate"
    emphasis: ["dominant grips", "strong posture", "systematic control", "chest-to-chest connection"]
 
  coaching_cues:
    script: "Good grips. Strong posture. Now control those legs. Drive that pressure. Adjust your angle. Keep connection. Pass those knees. Crossface. Excellent control. Position secured."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Energetic"
    emphasis: ["Good grips", "Strong posture", "Drive", "Keep connection", "Excellent control"]
 
  competition_commentary:
    script: "Watch the systematic approach here. Dominant grips established. Excellent posture maintained. Progressive control of the legs and hips. Beautiful pressure and angle adjustment. Past the legs with perfect connection. Crossface secured. Clean guard pass for full points."
    voice: "Onyx"
    pace: "Fast"
    emphasis: ["systematic approach", "Excellent posture", "Beautiful pressure", "Clean guard pass"]

Competition Applications

  • IBJJF Rules: Full guard pass scores 3 points when opponent’s back and one shoulder touch mat for 3 seconds with passer’s legs free, advantage awarded for nearly completed passes
  • No-Gi Competition: Adapted passing emphasizing underhooks, head control, and body locks without gi grips available
  • Self-Defense Context: Rapid establishment of dominant position while maintaining awareness of strikes and multiple attackers
  • MMA Applications: Modified passing maintaining striking defense and cage awareness, establishing position for ground-and-pound

Historical Context

Guard passing is one of the most fundamental and continuously evolving aspects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. From the basic Toreando pass taught by the Gracie family in early BJJ to modern systematic pressure passing popularized by competitors like Bernardo Faria and innovative distance passing exemplified by the Mendes brothers, passing strategies continue to evolve. The systematic study of guard passing as a distinct discipline has become increasingly sophisticated, with different schools emphasizing pressure, distance, or hybrid approaches.

Safety Considerations

  • Controlled Application: Smooth progressive pressure prevents injury to both practitioners, avoid sudden jerking movements
  • Mat Awareness: Ensure adequate space for dynamic passing sequences and potential scrambles
  • Partner Safety: Controlled weight distribution during pressure passing protects training partner’s ribs and prevents injury
  • Gradual Progression: Build passing pressure and complexity gradually during learning phases

Position Integration

Common combinations and sequences:

  • Knee Slice Pass - Specific passing technique using knee slice mechanics
  • Toreando Pass - Distance-based passing approach controlling legs
  • Stack Pass - Pressure-based passing approach driving opponent’s legs over head
  • Leg Drag - Distance passing technique controlling opponent’s legs to the side
  • Over-Under Pass - Pressure passing controlling one leg under and one leg over

Graph View

Backlinks