Need help passing guard

Underground BJJ Ground
1

Ive done no-gi bjj for about a year and half but just recently ive made the switch to wearing the gi and im having a very hard time passing gurad.

I dont really need to be taught a new guard passing technique i was just wondering if somebody out there could give me some guard passing theory. Like what should i be trying to do to control my opponent and get my passes to work.

Thanks for any help

2

One thing that helps is to use constant pressure and to know which techniques have what kinds of follow ups.

For example, when passing over his legs, you should anticipate his defense and have an alternate path that takes advantage of his movement.

The best guard passers either make you feel trapped like your legs are useless to stop them, or like whatever you push is not there once you push it. The latter is as if they are flowing past any obstacles you place in their way.

3

Thanks for that andre.

I think my biggest problem with guard passing is that my opponent will constantly be either pulling on my gi sleeves or grabbing my lapel and pulling me down to their chest. I know keeping good posture will make it more difficult for them to do that but its still a problem.

Is there any advice on countering these two things?

4

That was very helpful gordon. Before i ask my instructor or another student about how to break the control my opponent has using those 2 holds can you tell me how you would go about doing it?

5

Definitely keep your hands in front of your head in the horizontal plane. Think about what direction he needs to pull you to make you fall down, and put a post in that direction. There's some discussion of this topic here: http://www.mma.tv/TUF/DisplayMessages.cfm?TID=148505&P=14&FID=11&c=1

6

Thanks for the advice everyone. The next time im rolling ill make more of an effort to have good posture when im in guard.

7

There are times you can't prevent being pulled down despite good posture, hand staggering or keeping the hands forward of the head. When this happens to me I frequently use the hands in the arm pits and place my head on his chest (to prevent the arm bar) and bring a knee into his spine and push to create space, then bring that knee through and pass inside or outside.

I'm relatively small-160 lbs-and am broken down by the bigger/stronger guys, and it works for me prob. 80% of the time.

8

We need more threads like this.

9

I wrote a book on this topic, so of course I think you should check it out:)

"Passing the Guard" www.grapplingarts.net