Advanced Guard Passing Systems
Advanced guard passing for BJJ — torreando, leg drag, knee cut combinations, pressure passing vs. speed passing, and systematic passing game design.
Advanced guard passing is about systems, not individual passes. This guide explains how elite passers combine pressure and mobility techniques into complete passing games that shut down modern guards.
Pressure Passing System
Pressure passing flattens the guard player and removes their ability to create frames and angles. The over-under control, headquarters position, and torreando-to-knee-cut combination are the core of this system. Weight distribution and hip control prevent inversions.
Speed Passing System
Speed passing uses mobility and misdirection to pass before the guard can recover. Leg drag, Sao Paulo pass, and floating passes work on opponents who react slowly. Speed passing is more effective in no-gi where grips are unavailable.
Combining Systems
The most dangerous passers switch between pressure and speed depending on the guard player's reactions. Heavy opponent — speed pass. Active legs — pressure pass. Reading the reaction and choosing the correct system is the mark of a black belt passer.
Guard-Specific Counters
De la Riva — knee cut through the sleeve grip. Spider guard — torreando break then knee cut. Lasso — stack and stack rotation. Half guard — underhook battle then knee cut or headquarters. X-guard — beat the legs before they lock.