Pressure Pass

The Pressure Pass is a fundamental guard passing technique that relies on controlled, heavy pressure to pin the opponent’s hips and progressively advance past their legs. Unlike speed-based passes that seek to quickly bypass the guard, pressure passing emphasizes control, weight distribution, and methodical advancement. This approach is particularly effective against flexible opponents or those with strong retention, as it limits their mobility and forces them to carry your weight while you systematically break down their defensive structure. The Pressure Pass can be initiated from various guard positions including closed guard, half guard, and open guard variations. The key principle is establishing chest-to-chest or chest-to-hip pressure while controlling the opponent’s hips and preventing them from creating space or recovering their guard. This pass is highly effective in gi and no-gi contexts and forms the foundation of many modern guard passing systems. The technique requires patience, proper weight distribution, and the ability to maintain pressure while advancing position incrementally.

Starting Position: Combat Base Ending Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 45%, Intermediate 65%, Advanced 80%

Key Principles

• Maintain constant downward pressure through chest and hips to limit opponent’s movement
• Control opponent’s hips with hands or body position to prevent hip escape
• Distribute weight strategically to make opponent carry your body weight
• Progress incrementally rather than attempting to pass in one motion
• Keep your base low and wide to prevent being swept or reversed
• Use crossface or underhook control to prevent opponent from turning into you
• Maintain head positioning on the far side to create immobilizing pressure

Prerequisites

• Establish strong posture in combat base or standing position
• Break opponent’s guard or open their legs to start the passing sequence
• Achieve at least one grip on opponent’s pants or belt for hip control
• Position your chest over opponent’s centerline or hip area
• Ensure low center of gravity to maximize pressure effectiveness
• Clear at least one of opponent’s legs from your body

Execution Steps

1. Establish combat base position: From inside opponent’s guard, posture up and establish combat base with one knee up and one knee down. Your lead knee should be between opponent’s legs while your back foot is planted flat for base. Grip opponent’s pants at both knees or one knee and one belt/hip area. (Timing: Initial positioning phase)
2. Open and pin opponent’s legs: Use your grips to push opponent’s knees apart and down toward the mat. As you create this opening, begin to drive your chest forward and down toward opponent’s hips or lower chest. Your head should be positioned on one side (typically the side you’ll pass toward). (Timing: Coordinated with hip pressure)
3. Apply chest-to-chest or chest-to-hip pressure: Drive your chest heavily into opponent’s body, making them carry your weight. Keep your hips low and drive them forward to maximize pressure. Your chest should create a crushing sensation that limits opponent’s ability to move their hips or create frames. (Timing: Continuous throughout the pass)
4. Establish crossface or underhook control: As you maintain pressure, secure either a crossface (forearm across opponent’s face driving to far side) or an underhook on the near side. The crossface prevents them from turning toward you while the underhook controls their shoulder and prevents defensive frames. (Timing: As opponent tries to defend)
5. Clear the near leg: While maintaining upper body pressure and control, use your free hand to clear opponent’s near leg away from your body. Push the knee down toward the mat or hook it with your elbow to prevent it from blocking your advancement. (Timing: Progressive clearing motion)
6. Step over and consolidate hip control: Step your outside leg over opponent’s cleared leg while maintaining heavy chest pressure. Your knee should land on the mat near their hip. Keep driving pressure through your chest to prevent them from recovering guard. (Timing: Smooth stepping motion)
7. Secure side control position: Bring your trailing leg through to establish full side control. Ensure your chest remains heavy on opponent’s chest, your hips are low and perpendicular to their body, and you maintain crossface or underhook control. Your head should be tight to their far shoulder. (Timing: Final consolidation)

Opponent Counters

• Opponent frames on your hips and creates distance with strong legs (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Lower your hips beneath their frames, drive your chest forward over their frames, and use your grips to collapse their knee shield or butterfly hooks. Consider switching to knee slice if they overcommit to pushing.
• Opponent turns into you and establishes deep half guard (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Prevent the turn by establishing strong crossface control early. If they succeed in turning, immediately work to clear the underhook and establish a whizzer control while driving them flat to the mat.
• Opponent uses overhook to pull you down and off-balance you forward (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Keep your base wide and hips low to prevent being pulled forward. If they establish overhook, immediately counter with strong crossface pressure and drive your weight toward their hips rather than allowing yourself to be pulled to their chest.
• Opponent retains half guard with lockdown or strong hooks (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Maintain heavy chest pressure to prevent them from coming to their side. Focus on clearing their upper body control first (underhook/overhook) before addressing the leg entanglement. Use knee slice mechanics to gradually extract your trapped leg.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Rising too high and losing pressure during the pass
  • Consequence: Opponent creates space underneath and recovers guard or establishes strong frames that stop your advancement
  • Correction: Keep your chest heavy and hips low throughout the entire sequence. If you need to move, do so while maintaining downward pressure and contact with opponent’s body.
• Mistake: Rushing the pass and trying to complete it in one explosive motion
  • Consequence: Opponent uses your momentum against you, sweeps you, or easily recovers guard as you lose balance and control
  • Correction: Pass incrementally with steady, controlled pressure. Each step should consolidate control before advancing to the next position. Patience is essential for pressure passing.
• Mistake: Neglecting to control opponent’s hips with grips
  • Consequence: Opponent hip escapes away from your pressure, creates angles, or recovers guard easily by moving their hips
  • Correction: Maintain at least one grip on opponent’s pants, belt, or body to anchor their hips while you apply pressure and advance position.
• Mistake: Allowing opponent to establish strong frames on your neck and hips
  • Consequence: Opponent creates significant distance and uses frames to stall your pass or recover guard completely
  • Correction: Establish crossface control early to neutralize upper body frames. Keep your hips lower than their frames to prevent them from extending and creating distance.
• Mistake: Passing toward opponent’s underhook side
  • Consequence: Opponent uses the underhook to come to their side, recover half guard, or sweep you
  • Correction: Always establish control of opponent’s near shoulder with crossface or overhook before passing. If they have an underhook, clear it first or pass toward the opposite side.
• Mistake: Floating or distributing weight evenly across your base
  • Consequence: Opponent doesn’t feel significant pressure and can easily move their hips and recover guard
  • Correction: Drive your weight forward through your chest into opponent’s body. Your pressure should feel heavy and oppressive, making them work hard to breathe and move.

Training Progressions

Week 1-2: Pressure Mechanics - Establishing proper pressure and weight distribution Practice maintaining heavy chest pressure from combat base against stationary opponent. Focus on hip positioning, chest contact, and making partner carry your weight. Partner provides no resistance, allowing you to feel proper pressure mechanics. (Resistance: None)

Week 3-4: Basic Pass with Light Resistance - Completing full pressure pass sequence with minimal counters Execute complete pressure pass from combat base to side control with partner offering light resistance. Partner may attempt to create frames but doesn’t actively recover guard. Focus on maintaining pressure throughout the movement. (Resistance: Light)

Week 5-8: Dealing with Common Frames and Resistance - Passing against frames, hip escapes, and guard recovery attempts Partner actively attempts to frame, create distance, and recover guard. Practice collapsing frames, maintaining pressure during hip movement, and dealing with common defensive reactions. Work both gi and no-gi variations. (Resistance: Medium)

Week 9-12: Dynamic Passing and Counter Responses - Chaining pressure pass with other passing options and countering advanced defenses Partner uses full defensive toolkit including deep half attempts, underhooks, and dynamic guard recovery. Practice recognizing when to continue pressure pass versus transitioning to knee slice, leg drag, or other complementary passes. (Resistance: Medium)

Month 4+: Full Resistance and Competition Application - Applying pressure passing in live rolling and competition scenarios Use pressure passing as primary passing method during positional sparring from various guard positions. Integrate with your overall passing system and develop ability to maintain pressure against fully resisting opponents of various sizes and skill levels. (Resistance: Full)

Variations

Over-Under Pressure Pass: One arm goes under opponent’s leg while other arm goes over the opposite leg. Drive chest pressure while stacking opponent’s legs to one side. Particularly effective in gi. (When to use: When opponent has strong butterfly or shin-to-shin guard and you need to stack and control both legs simultaneously)

Smash Pass Variation: From half guard, establish crossface and underhook, then drive knee across opponent’s legs while maintaining heavy shoulder pressure. Force opponent flat and drive toward their back. (When to use: When opponent is in half guard or knee shield and you have established upper body control)

Double Under Pressure Pass: Both arms go under opponent’s legs with hands clasped behind their back. Lift hips off mat while driving chest down to create extreme pressure and stacking position. (When to use: Against opponents with strong open guard games who rely on framing with legs rather than grips)

Headquarters Pressure Pass: From headquarters position with opponent’s leg trapped between your legs, maintain chest pressure while gradually advancing the trapped leg toward side control. (When to use: When you’ve partially passed guard and opponent has one leg remaining in the guard, requiring controlled pressure to complete the pass)

Test Your Knowledge

Q1: What is the primary objective of pressure passing compared to speed passing? A: The primary objective of pressure passing is to use controlled, heavy weight distribution to limit the opponent’s mobility and progressively break down their guard structure, rather than trying to quickly bypass their legs. Pressure passing emphasizes control and methodical advancement over speed.

Q2: Why is it important to keep your hips low during a pressure pass? A: Keeping your hips low during a pressure pass maximizes the amount of weight you can drive through your chest onto the opponent, making it harder for them to move their hips or create defensive frames. Low hips also improve your base and prevent the opponent from using your high posture to create space underneath.

Q3: What should you do if your opponent establishes strong frames on your hips during a pressure pass? A: If the opponent establishes frames on your hips, you should lower your hips beneath their frames while driving your chest forward over the frames. Use your grips to collapse their knee shield or remove their frames, and consider transitioning to a knee slice or leg drag if they overcommit to pushing.

Q4: Why is crossface control important during pressure passing, and which direction should you pass relative to the crossface? A: Crossface control is important because it prevents the opponent from turning into you, establishing underhooks, or recovering half guard. You should pass toward the same side as your crossface (if crossfacing to their right, pass to your right) to use the crossface pressure to drive them flat and prevent defensive rotation.

Q5: How should you respond if your opponent begins to turn into you and establish deep half guard during your pressure pass? A: If the opponent turns into you for deep half, immediately establish a strong crossface to drive them flat, clear their underhook if they have one, and establish a whizzer on their near arm. Focus on preventing them from coming to their side fully, and use your crossface pressure combined with hip positioning to flatten them back to their back before continuing the pass.

Q6: Explain the concept of incremental advancement in pressure passing and why rushing the pass is counterproductive? A: Incremental advancement means passing in controlled steps, consolidating each position before moving to the next, rather than trying to complete the pass in one motion. Rushing is counterproductive because it causes you to lose pressure and balance, giving the opponent opportunities to use your momentum against you for sweeps or guard recovery. Pressure passing requires patience and steady progression while maintaining constant heavy pressure throughout.

Safety Considerations

Pressure passing is generally safe when practiced with control, but be mindful of the amount of weight you apply, especially when training with significantly smaller or less experienced partners. Avoid dropping your full weight suddenly onto opponent’s chest or ribs. When applying crossface pressure, ensure you’re not driving your forearm directly into partner’s throat or face with excessive force. Communicate with training partners about pressure tolerance. If you’re on the receiving end and pressure becomes uncomfortable or affects breathing, tap early and communicate. When practicing stacking variations, be cautious of putting extreme pressure on partner’s neck or spine. Always release pressure immediately if partner taps or indicates discomfort.

Position Integration

The Pressure Pass is a cornerstone technique in the guard passing hierarchy and integrates seamlessly with multiple passing systems. It typically initiates from Combat Base or standing positions after opening the opponent’s guard. The pass naturally connects to Side Control, Mount, Knee on Belly, or North-South depending on which direction you pass and how the opponent reacts. Pressure passing is particularly effective when combined with other passing styles in a decision tree approach: use pressure when opponent plays a retention-heavy game, but be ready to switch to Knee Slice Pass if they create too much space, or Leg Drag Pass if they turn to their side. The technique is foundational for gi-based games but equally applicable in no-gi contexts. It forms the basis for understanding weight distribution and control in top positions, and many advanced passes (Over-Under Pass, Smash Pass, Stack Pass) are variations built on pressure passing principles. Within a comprehensive game, pressure passing should be your answer to flexible, mobile opponents who rely on movement and retention rather than submissions from bottom.

Related Techniques

• Knee Slice Pass - Complementary technique - switch to knee slice when opponent creates space or uses frames
• Leg Drag Pass - Alternative when opponent turns to side or establishes strong frames
• Smash Pass - Variation from half guard using similar pressure principles
• Over-Under Pass - Pressure pass variation with specific leg control mechanics
• Stack Pass - Stacking variation that uses vertical pressure instead of forward pressure
• Combat Base - Primary starting position for initiating pressure pass
• Side Control - Primary ending position after successful pressure pass
• Half Guard Pass - Often combined when opponent retains half guard during pressure pass
• Crossface Pass - Uses similar crossface control principles in passing mechanics
• Underhook Pass - Alternative control method using underhook instead of crossface
• Deep Half Guard - Common counter opponent attempts - must defend against this
• Guard Retention - Understanding opponent’s retention helps predict and counter their defensive reactions

Expert Insights

• Danaher System: The pressure pass represents one of the most fundamental expressions of positional control in all of grappling. The biomechanical principle at work is simple yet profound: by forcing your opponent to carry your weight while simultaneously limiting their hip mobility, you create a situation where their defensive options diminish progressively with each incremental advancement. The key technical element that separates effective pressure passing from merely laying on your opponent is the concept of directional pressure - your weight must drive through specific vectors that pin the opponent’s hips while your chest creates a crushing sensation that makes breathing and movement difficult. Notice that skilled pressure passers don’t simply push straight down; they drive their pressure at angles that account for the opponent’s natural escape routes. The crossface, for instance, isn’t merely a control position - it’s a steering mechanism that directs pressure away from the opponent’s ability to turn into you, which would be their primary escape. When you understand pressure passing at this level, you begin to see it not as a single technique but as a systematic approach to guard passing that can be adapted to virtually any guard position your opponent presents.
• Gordon Ryan: In high-level competition, pressure passing is my bread and butter against opponents who have extremely good guard retention. Here’s why it works when speed passes fail: you’re not giving them anything to react to. When you explode or try to be fast, you create opportunities for them to time their movement and recover. With pressure passing, you just make them carry your weight and slowly suffocate their options. I like to think of it as putting them in quicksand - the more they struggle, the more energy they waste, and I’m just methodically advancing position. The main thing people miss is that you have to actually make them uncomfortable. If they’re chilling on bottom and not feeling crushed, you’re not doing it right. I want them thinking about breathing, not about recovering guard. Also, you can’t be impatient. I’ve seen so many guys start a good pressure pass and then get antsy and try to rush it in the last moment - that’s when you get swept or they recover. Trust the process, keep the pressure, and eventually they’ll give you something to finish the pass. Against elite guys, sometimes this pass takes 30-40 seconds of constant pressure before I finish it, but it’s worth it because once you break through, they’re exhausted and you’re in perfect position to attack.
• Eddie Bravo: While pressure passing might seem like the opposite of the dynamic, movement-based game we emphasize at 10th Planet, understanding it is crucial even for no-gi players. Here’s the thing: knowing how to apply crushing pressure when you have the opportunity is just as important as knowing how to move and flow. I teach my students to use pressure passing specifically against opponents who are trying to play that retention game, constantly recovering guard and being hard to pin down. When you encounter someone like that, sometimes the answer isn’t to try to out-speed them - it’s to slow the whole game down and make them deal with your weight. The cool thing about pressure passing in no-gi is that you can develop some really sneaky variations. Since there are no gi grips to rely on, you have to get creative with your underhooks, whizzers, and head positioning. I like teaching the transition from a failed lockdown pass into a heavy pressure pass - when they think they’ve got you stuck in their lockdown, you actually use that as an opportunity to settle your weight and start the pressure passing sequence. Another key is combining the pressure pass with leg attacks. If they’re worried about you passing, show them a heel hook entry. When they defend the leg attack, come back to the pressure pass. Keep them guessing. The pressure pass isn’t just about being heavy - it’s about being heavy in a way that creates dilemmas.