The Spider Guard Pass represents a fundamental challenge in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, requiring systematic grip breaking, precise posture control, and strategic pressure application. This passing sequence targets one of the most common guard retention systems by neutralizing the opponent’s foot-on-bicep control and collar grips that define spider guard. The pass succeeds by combining aggressive grip stripping with forward pressure and hip positioning to overcome the guard player’s distance management. Understanding spider guard mechanics reveals that the guard’s strength lies in creating distance and angles through arm extension and foot placement—the pass systematically removes these advantages through posture maintenance, grip dominance, and positional pressure. Success requires patience in grip fighting exchanges, explosive movement during passing windows, and technical precision in controlling the opponent’s hips during the final consolidation phase.
Starting Position: Spider Guard Ending Position: Side Control Success Rates: Beginner 35%, Intermediate 50%, Advanced 65%
Key Principles
- Break spider guard grips systematically before attempting to pass
- Maintain strong upright posture to prevent sweep angles
- Control opponent’s knees to limit guard retention mobility
- Use pressure to flatten opponent’s hips and reduce defensive frames
- Time explosive passing movements when opponent adjusts grips
- Secure crossface and hip control during final passing phase
- Stay heavy on top to prevent re-guard attempts
Prerequisites
- Opponent has established spider guard with both feet on biceps or one foot on bicep
- Opponent controls at least one sleeve or collar grip
- Passer maintains strong upright posture with base
- Distance management to prevent immediate sweep attempts
- Grip fighting readiness to strip spider guard controls
- Hip positioning prepared for forward pressure application
Execution Steps
- Establish strong posture: Stand tall or post on knees with vertical spine alignment. Drive chest forward and keep elbows tight to body. This posture prevents opponent from breaking you down and limits their sweep angles. Weight should be distributed evenly to maintain balance against foot pressure. (Timing: Initial position before grip breaking)
- Strip first spider guard grip: Target the opponent’s weaker grip (typically the same-side sleeve grip). Use your free hand to grip their wrist while pulling your trapped arm back forcefully in a straight line. Alternatively, push their knee down while extracting your arm. Break the grip completely before advancing. (Timing: Explosive pull when opponent adjusts their grip)
- Control stripped arm side knee: Immediately after breaking the first grip, pin the opponent’s knee to the mat on that side using your hand or elbow. This prevents them from re-establishing the spider hook and creates an entry angle. Maintain downward pressure throughout the pass. (Timing: Immediately following grip break)
- Strip second spider guard grip: Address the remaining spider guard control (foot on bicep or collar grip). Use the same wrist control and arm extraction method. If opponent has collar grip, break their posture down first by driving your forehead into their chest while stripping the collar hand. (Timing: While maintaining knee control on first side)
- Drive forward with pressure: With both spider guard controls broken, immediately step or slide forward driving your chest toward their chest. Keep your weight heavy and centered. Use your hands to control both knees, pushing them toward the mat or to one side. This flattens their hips and eliminates guard retention frames. (Timing: Explosive forward movement after second grip break)
- Pass to side control: Choose a passing direction (typically toward the side where you have better control). Slide your knee across their belly while establishing crossface with your near arm. Secure underhook or far arm control with your other hand. Drive shoulder pressure into their face while sprawling hips back. Consolidate side control with chest pressure. (Timing: Continuous pressure until hips are cleared)
Opponent Counters
- Opponent switches to De La Riva hook during grip break (Effectiveness: High) - Your Response: Immediately address the DLR hook by circling away from it while stripping the grip. Alternatively, backstep and face opponent to enter different passing position.
- Opponent transitions to triangle attack when you lean forward (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Keep posture upright during initial grip stripping. If triangle threat appears, immediately posture up and create space before continuing pass. Hand position on knees prevents leg elevation.
- Opponent uses remaining grip to sweep as you pass (Effectiveness: Medium) - Your Response: Ensure both grips are fully broken before committing to pass. If one grip remains, use it as a pivot point to redirect pressure and complete grip break before advancing.
- Opponent recovers guard with shrimp and re-guard (Effectiveness: Low) - Your Response: Maintain constant pressure on hips during passing phase. Use crossface and hip control to prevent shrimping space. Follow opponent’s movement to deny guard recovery.
Test Your Knowledge
Q1: Why is it critical to break both spider guard grips before attempting to pass? A: Breaking both grips is essential because spider guard’s primary defense mechanism relies on distance management and off-balancing through the foot-on-bicep and sleeve controls. Even one remaining grip gives the guard player the ability to create angles, prevent forward pressure, and execute sweeps. Systematic grip breaking removes all distance management tools before the passer commits to forward movement.
Q2: What is the most common mistake that leads to triangle attacks during spider guard passing? A: Leaning too far forward with poor posture during the grip breaking phase creates triangle vulnerability. When the passer’s head drops forward and arms extend, the guard player can elevate their hips, throw one leg over the shoulder and the other behind the head to secure triangle position. Maintaining vertical posture with the head up prevents this attack angle.
Q3: How should you respond if your opponent switches to De La Riva guard during your spider guard pass attempt? A: Immediately address the DLR hook by either: 1) Circling your trapped leg away from the hook while stripping remaining grips, or 2) Backstepping to face the opponent and enter a different passing position like over-under or leg drag. The key is recognizing the guard transition early and not allowing the DLR hook to establish fully, which would require a completely different passing approach.
Q4: What role does knee control play in successful spider guard passing? A: Knee control is crucial for preventing guard recovery and creating passing opportunities. After breaking each spider grip, immediately pinning or controlling the corresponding knee prevents the opponent from re-establishing the spider hook or transitioning to other guard variations. Knee control also facilitates flattening the opponent’s hips, which eliminates their defensive frames and creates clear passing lanes to side control.
Q5: Why is explosive forward pressure important after breaking spider guard grips? A: Explosive pressure after grip breaking is critical because it eliminates the time window for guard recovery. Strong spider guard players can quickly re-establish grips, adjust frames, or transition to different guards if given even a few seconds. Immediate forward pressure flattens their hips, closes distance, and forces them into defensive position before they can reset their guard structure. This timing transforms grip advantage into positional dominance.
Q6: What are the key differences between standing and kneeling spider guard passes? A: Standing passes provide superior leverage for grip breaking due to height advantage and allow for more dynamic movement patterns like long stepping and circling. However, they can be more vulnerable to sweeps if grips aren’t broken cleanly. Kneeling passes offer more stability and pressure but require greater technical precision in grip stripping and may be slower to execute. The choice depends on the opponent’s guard strength and your passing style preference.
Safety Considerations
Spider guard passing is relatively low-risk compared to submission-heavy positions, but practitioners should exercise caution during several key moments. When breaking grips forcefully, avoid hyperextending the opponent’s fingers by focusing pressure on their wrist rather than individual digits. During the pressure passing phase, control the intensity to prevent injury to the opponent’s ribs or sternum—apply steady pressure rather than dropping full body weight explosively. Be aware of potential leg entanglements during passing transitions that could stress knee ligaments. If the opponent attempts submissions like triangles or armbars during the pass, recognize them early and defend appropriately rather than forcing the pass through dangerous positions. When drilling, communicate clearly about resistance levels to prevent training injuries from unexpected movements or grip fighting intensity.
Position Integration
The Spider Guard Pass is a fundamental component of any comprehensive guard passing system, particularly essential in gi-based Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where spider guard is among the most prevalent open guard variations. This pass integrates with broader pressure passing principles and connects strategically to other open guard passing sequences. If the spider pass is defended by guard switching, practitioners can chain to passes for De La Riva, lasso guard, or seated guard depending on the opponent’s transition. The grip fighting methodology developed through spider guard passing transfers directly to breaking other guard retention grips. After successfully passing spider guard to side control, the position chains naturally into mount attacks, submission hunting, or back take opportunities. Understanding spider guard passing mechanics also improves your spider guard game from bottom by revealing the position’s vulnerabilities and strongest defensive configurations.
Expert Insights
- Danaher System: The spider guard pass represents a systematic approach to dismantling one of the most mechanically sound guard retention systems in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The fundamental principle underlying successful spider guard passing is the sequential removal of distance management controls before applying forward pressure. Spider guard functions through the creation and maintenance of specific distances using foot placement and sleeve control—the guard player extends your arms while simultaneously creating angles with their leg positioning. Your passing strategy must recognize that these two control elements (sleeve grips and foot placement) work synergistically, meaning you cannot successfully pass by addressing only one. The biomechanical advantage of spider guard lies in its ability to use the passer’s own arm length against them, creating levers that generate sweep angles and prevent pressure application. Therefore, the systematic grip breaking sequence—addressing one side completely before advancing—allows you to progressively reduce the guard player’s control points until forward pressure becomes possible. The critical error most practitioners make is attempting to pass while the opponent retains even partial grip control, which inevitably results in sweep vulnerability or guard maintenance. Patience in the grip fighting phase, combined with explosive commitment during the passing window, creates the rhythm that defines successful spider guard passing at the highest levels.
- Gordon Ryan: In competition, spider guard passing is all about aggressive grip fighting combined with relentless forward pressure once you’ve created the opening. The reality of high-level matches is that your opponent’s spider guard grips will be strong and they’ll fight hard to maintain them, so you need to develop grip breaking power and technical precision. I focus heavily on breaking the first grip explosively—when you strip that initial control, it creates a chain reaction where the opponent’s entire guard structure becomes vulnerable. The key is not just breaking grips but immediately capitalizing on that moment by controlling their knees and preventing guard recovery. Against world-class opponents, you might only get one clean window to pass after breaking their grips, so your pressure application has to be instantaneous and overwhelming. I prefer standing spider guard passes because the height advantage makes grip breaking more effective and allows me to generate more pressure during the actual passing movement. The standing position also gives you better options if they switch guards—you can quickly adjust to address De La Riva, lasso, or whatever guard transition they attempt. In my experience, the practitioners who struggle with spider guard passing are those who fight the grips too long without committing to the pass. Once both grips are broken and you’ve secured knee control, you need to attack with everything you have because hesitation allows guard recovery. This pass is fundamentally about creating and exploiting brief windows of opportunity through superior grip fighting and explosive pressure timing.
- Eddie Bravo: Spider guard passing is where traditional gi techniques meet the need for creativity and adaptability, especially when your opponent has sick guard retention skills. From the 10th Planet perspective, understanding spider guard mechanics helps you develop both your guard passing and your own bottom game, since we use similar distance management concepts in positions like Mission Control and rubber guard variations. The key innovation I emphasize is using the grip break as a setup for unconventional passing angles rather than always going straight to pressure passing. When you strip that first spider grip, instead of immediately driving forward, consider using that moment to enter leg drag positions or even saddle entries if they leave their legs extended. The spider guard player is conditioned to defend against forward pressure, so lateral movement and leg attacks can catch them by surprise. Another element that most people miss is using your opponent’s grip strength against them—if they’re holding your sleeve super tight, use that anchor point to generate momentum for passing movements in unexpected directions. The standing spider pass is money because it sets up so many options: you can break grips and immediately dive into leg entanglements, or use the elevated position to chain into calf slicer setups if they try to recover guard. The fundamental principle is that spider guard creates a game of distance and angles, so your passing should exploit those same concepts rather than just trying to overwhelm the position with pressure. Mix traditional pressure passing with creative angle changes and submission threats to create dilemmas that make the guard unsustainable.