Help with guard passing.

[PatrickBJJ777]

Hello fellow extraterrestrials,

I was just wondering if anyone has some good tips for passing guard. I'll break it down; I'm still a lowly, modest white belt. When I'm rolling with other white belts I have little problems passing guard, but when I'm rolling with blues or higher I really struggle to pass, even to half guard. Does anyone have any tips for getting out of the closed guard?

Thanks in advance!

P

[Ryan Brick]

Control the legs or hips, don't let your opponent grab your legs and it's easier to pass from standing than it is from on your knees in closed guard so fight to stay out of guard... especially rubber guard!

When I want to work on something I'll force the match to go into that area, you might find it useful to spend a month diving into peoples guards just to get the experience of struggling out.

Keep in mind that you say you're a white belt rolling with higher belts and don't be to hard on yourself just keep trying. It could be that you're telegraphing your move and higher belts see it coming. Try finding ways of combining your guard passes or just the initial steps of them so that when one stops working you can switch directions and pass at another angle.

Hope this helps.

[PatrickBJJ777]

Thanks Ryan.

I'm the only one who uses rubber guard in my school so that's not a worry, its more just the closed guard. I find that when I try and break their legs apart to pass I'm generally just swept to my back. It never happens when rolling with guys my own level which is why its so infuriating when it happens.

[Ryan Brick]

Widen your base and control their hips to prevent sweeps.

[Spínola]

I am just a white belt myself, but Marcelo Garcia always stands up when he wants to open/pass the closed guard. Gravity is on your side, you are safer against submissions and if you fight someone bigger/stronger opening the closed guard from your knees will be almost impossible.

In the beginning you might get swept when you stand up, but the more you practice it the more your balance and reaction times will improve and people will start to have a really hard time sweeping you.

Hope this helps, but please remember i am a just white belt so take my advice skeptically.

[David Stager]

MTS 25 (You know how 10 cruise): Sean Bollinger goes over guard passing techniques at 13:43 and 44:36 (Hand in the back pocket). Like Marcelo, Sean also recommends standing guard breaks, and as he says in the video, "You'll get swept a thousand times" while you're getting used to it, but with practice your base will be solid.

[Chris Garry]

Firstly keep practicing your posture and guard breaks, you will be standing in no time.

Remember that a lot of it is down to who's controlling the position, against other whitebelts it stands a chance you are initiating the attacks, 'being first' basically. Whereas the blue belts are more than likely beating you to that punch and applying their game, making you make mistakes etc etc.

Get your head around the idea of the pass being largely about pressure and control and you will find your passes going through the roof. Although pressure is ultimately the definining factor when it comes to whether a pass succeeds or not try not to take that too literally!! Try to make sure when youre passing youre doing it with correct technique, don't just blast through someone with a weak guard just to score points. When you pass with perfect technique you can start to apply that passing anyone's guard, so start aiming for that!

As for the pass itself, whichever specific techniques you go with always focus the finish on getting your hips past first. Try to pass with hips first, not arms, legs or any other body part.

[Alberto Moya]

[Jon Watkins]

For No Gi, I would recommend buying Pablo Popovich's No Gi exposed...for Gi, I recommend buying Marcello Montiero's Effective Guard Passes. Both DVD sets will take your guard passing to the next level if you can implant the details into your game. I would also recommend putting your knee up before your opponent can close his guard while you are rolling and then immediately applying your pass of choice. If you start in the closed guard while rolling this is one of my favorite guard breaks. You can modify it for No Gi by pushing your hands right below your opponent's rib cage. Once your opponent's guard is broken, immediately put your knee up and apply your pass.



Also if you have some serious cash, I would recommend buying Marcello Monteiro's White to Blue curriculum. Once you've mastered his basics, you'll become a top game dynamo.

[AJ Camacho]

One detail that took me awhile to learn is that my hands, on their hips (or groin line/lower rib), my hands should be pinning and killing their hips. Not just passively chilling there framing them back. If you don't apply downward pressure, they can float their hips onto your thigh and change the angle mid guard break. By keeping constant pressure your limit their hips giving your knee more effect making the guard break easier.

I learned this from my buddy Dave, who demoed this basic guard pass for the class, when he pressed into my body it felt like he was trying to crush my intestines through the mat.

Too much pressure, risks you falling forward if they clear your hand but Dave had the dynamics down well and would dynamically press down on your hips based upon the allowed opportunity.