Intro to open guard passing
Organizing framework for all your guard passes.
Problem: there are a ton of open guard passes out there. Which ones will you look for? How many of them can you look for at the same time? If we just look at basic open guard passes: leg drag, knee cut, tornado, long-step, over-under, double under pass. Without mentioning a single more advanced guard pass, that’s already quite a bit. Information that is not organized is not as easily accessible as organized information. Solution: approach described in this video can be your organizing framework for all your open guard passes.
Other advantages of this solution: both half guard pass and leg drag connect very well to submissions, and they both put you in a safe position (hub) from which it’s hard for your opponent to attack you.
Lastly, if you get half guard…you are half way to passing your opponents guard.
Marcelo half-guard pass
Key steps:
1) Get half guard
2) Switch to over-under or double-under control and run your shoulder-line to opponents shoulder-line
3) Pin opponents arm and leg on the same side
4) Finish the pass
Leg-drag pass (heel trap variation) vs. supine guard
Key steps
1) Get a heel trap, then get Gi grips
2) Push into opponent to create a pushing reaction, then switch your armpit in front of opponents knee (this is with the arm that was doing the heel trap)
3) Stabilize on the hips the look for side-control or taking the back
Recap of Marcelo half guard pass and Knee Cut to Leg-drag combo
Recap:
Key steps:
1) If you get to half guard, you get half way to passing your opponent
2) In half guard, pin the leg and the arm (pin the limbs). Be on the side of their body.
3) Once you put your opponent’s back to the mat, keep running forward until their arm is shoulder height. Push their head with your head.
Knee cut to leg-drag combo:
Key steps:
1) When in knee cut position, get a solid grip. Take your time to form a grip, but as soon as you have a solid one, go.
2)Walk their legs back in a circular motion and away from you.
3) In the leg-drag position, start by controlling their hips, then move up to their head.
Spider Guard Passing
Option 1: Spider guard to leg drag
Key steps:
1) Get their back off the floor into a position where their abs are working a lot.
2) Squeeze your elbows together
3) If their leg is completely extended, bend it by using your knee on the back of their knee.
Stuck? Option 2: break one grip and go, go, go!
De la riva guard passing
Key steps:
Option 1: If opponent has a No-Gi grip on the ankle
1) Good posture. Make grips, step over the leg on the hip into headquarters passing position.
2) Break the de la riva hook, and ankle grip
3) Go into knee slide position. Finish the pass.
Option 2: If opponent has a Gi-Grip on the ankle
1) Step 1 is the same as above.
2) Break de la riva hook. Slide FAR into knee passing position, balancing on your arm. The key is to put your opponent’s gi grip where it’s not very strong. Break the grip by continuing a knee slide, or go into reverse half guard position.
Folding pass
Key steps:
1) Move opponents knees past vertical position (past 12 o-clock). Then pin the knees together. The key is to have your weight close to their knees (as opposed to their hip).
2) Keep driving towards opponents head. Make sure your pressure stays close to the knee.
3) If there is space between opponents knees and elbows, pass into mount. If there is no space between knee and elbow, pass backwards into side control.